S02.E07: Chapter 15 - A Hand Job is Forgiven

[OtterMommy]

Quote

An accident forces Sandy to come clean with Mindy. After visiting Eileen's grave, Phoebe tries to make amends with Norman, but it doesn't go well.

 

[Blakeston]

What was the point of showing Sandy and Margaret doing that scene from Doubt? Were we supposed to be blown away by their talent? Was it meant to show how great a teacher Sandy is?

Honestly, I thought their acting was fine, and nothing more. Having scene Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman sink their teeth into that scene, I didn't think there was anything spectacular about how Sandy or Margaret delivered their lines. There were plenty of actors I knew in my college's theater department who could have done a better job.

I felt the same way in season one, when Margaret did that monologue from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. That was fine, and so was this. Am I missing something?

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

What was the point of showing Sandy and Margaret doing that scene from Doubt? Were we supposed to be blown away by their talent? Was it meant to show how great a teacher Sandy is?

Honestly, I thought their acting was fine, and nothing more. Having scene Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman sink their teeth into that scene, I didn't think there was anything spectacular about how Sandy or Margaret delivered their lines. There were plenty of actors I knew in my college's theater department who could have done a better job.

I felt the same way in season one, when Margaret did that monologue from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. That was fine, and so was this. Am I missing something?

The thing you might be missing (if I am interpreting it correctly) is that even though Sandy has cancer, is suffering from the "side" effects of cancer treatment, and had just sustained a head injury, he was still able to perform the scene from Doubt cold, do a "fine" job of it, and elicit a "fine" performance from his student.

I think this season the writers et al. are riding a little high on the laurels of praise for the first season and are expecting the audience to see things like this^ without spelling them out. 
Also, they may be expecting binge watching -- which is asking a lot, given it's nearly 8 hours.

[meep.meep]

I know I'm the last person in the world to see this - but I loved Eileen in the cemetary.  "You're multitasking!"

And Mindy's reaction to her father's fall was spot on.