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S02.E08: Chapter 16 - A Thetan Arrives


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Unlike season 1, which seemed like a self-contained show, this season seemed to end in a way that left me expecting a 3rd season...which would be wonderful!  While the scientology grandson was a bit over the top, this season had the same heart and humor as the first and I would love to see more.

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Can someone tell me what Sandy's doctor's divorce had to do with the series? It was disturbing to hear him on the phone with his lawyer and then having him open his drawer twice to look at gun and liquor. I found it distracting and I don't remember Sandy getting a call about his doctor.

Just the phone call, it would be another high expense divorce with a doctor, but showing the gun twice, just don't see how it ties in.

They left the show so that it could continue (hope so!) or end knowing Sandy would probably be okay, kids would take over and maybe Norman would marry again.  That scene was just so out of place.

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On 10/27/2019 at 5:39 PM, DonnaMae said:
On 10/27/2019 at 5:36 PM, SoMuchTV said:

 And that was Haley Joel Osment, right? IMDB is not up to date.

Yes, and he looks better without the beard.  

Wow, was I confused--I knew that his sister was in the show (as the blond in the acting class who lived in a van with her boyfriend), so when I saw the name Haley in the credits I thought that was her name. At the same time I knew that wasn't quite right, but I never would have guessed it was Phoebe's son!

17 hours ago, debraran said:

Can someone tell me what Sandy's doctor's divorce had to do with the series? It was disturbing to hear him on the phone with his lawyer and then having him open his drawer twice to look at gun and liquor. I found it distracting and I don't remember Sandy getting a call about his doctor.

Just the phone call, it would be another high expense divorce with a doctor, but showing the gun twice, just don't see how it ties in.

They left the show so that it could continue (hope so!) or end knowing Sandy would probably be okay, kids would take over and maybe Norman would marry again.  That scene was just so out of place.

Maybe it was in there to show how, just like Sandy, other people put on a fake positive attitude when they are really dying inside (figuratively if not literally). But you're right, it seemed out of place.

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22 hours ago, debraran said:

Can someone tell me what Sandy's doctor's divorce had to do with the series? It was disturbing to hear him on the phone with his lawyer and then having him open his drawer twice to look at gun and liquor. I found it distracting and I don't remember Sandy getting a call about his doctor.

I thought it was just a funny (albeit dark) throwaway. An oncologist keeping two decidedly non-AMA approved treatments (booze or a bullet) for his own ailments so close at hand.  

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I guess I just saw a depressed man who needed help and it made me uncomfortable. It went along with "give her everything"  to his lawyer because he didn't care anymore.  Being in a medical office I found it odd no biopsy was done with Sandy, but it is TV.  : )

I hope there is a season 3, like with Grace and Frankie, the actors are older to begin with and you always hope they will stay well. These segments were so short, I hope they can make more soon.

Besides the interactions of Norman and Sandy, I like the acting classes the best.

Edited by debraran
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On 10/29/2019 at 3:49 AM, debraran said:

Besides the interactions of Norman and Sandy, I like the acting classes the best.

Yes, those were the best scenes (Norman and Sandy and the acting classes) Pony Tail is a good addition too. 
The scenes with the guest actors didn't mesh as well, IMO. 
I did not like the casting for Norman's grandson.

The "pissing match" with Allison Janney wasn't really funny, and it should have been.
She came off as more of an asshole than he was being, and that didn't seem funny to me.
One of the students says to her:
"Sandy says character development can happen from the inside or from the outside,"
which she quickly dismisses.
But then she goes on to say the same thing differently with:
"Then I ask myself if I can relate to my character. If the answer is I do, great. Then my behavior, my thinking, maybe even the way I speak might be useful. If the answer is no, I don't relate, then I ask myself if I know someone like the character I'm supposed to play. And then the obvious next step is to see if I can use that person's behavior."
Maybe if Sandy or Pony Tail had pointed out that she was saying the same thing with more words it would have been funny.

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1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Wasn't happy with the final episode precisely because it was so lacking in closure. Might has well have been a "to be continued" caption on the ending. Overall a strong season though. 

Yeah, I didn't like the Grace and Frankie season that ended with them in an institutional setting and their home for sale/sold by their kids. This was similar. 

Hopefully Sandy will get back more control of his studio (maybe he will organically choose someone to co-teach), and hopefully Norman will do the same with anyone who is not played by Haley Joel Osment. 

Edited by shapeshifter
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2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, those were the best scenes (Norman and Sandy and the acting classes) Pony Tail is a good addition too. 
The scenes with the guest actors didn't mesh as well, IMO. 
I did not like the casting for Norman's grandson.

The "pissing match" with Allison Janney wasn't really funny, and it should have been.
She came off as more of an asshole than he was being, and that didn't seem funny to me.
One of the students says to her:
"Sandy says character development can happen from the inside or from the outside,"
which she quickly dismisses.
But then she goes on to say the same thing differently with:
"Then I ask myself if I can relate to my character. If the answer is I do, great. Then my behavior, my thinking, maybe even the way I speak might be useful. If the answer is no, I don't relate, then I ask myself if I know someone like the character I'm supposed to play. And then the obvious next step is to see if I can use that person's behavior."
Maybe if Sandy or Pony Tail had pointed out that she was saying the same thing with more words it would have been funny.

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Yeah, I didn't like the Grace and Frankie season that ended with them in an institutional setting and their home for sale/sold by their kids. This was similar. 

Hopefully Sandy will get back more control of his studio (maybe he will organically choose someone to co-teach), and hopefully Norman will do the same with anyone who is not played by Haley Joel Osment. 

I saw that too and thought it was a crappy ending. They should have pointed out to Ms Golden Globe her hypocrisy.  ; ) I hated that Grace and Frankie ending too and was glad they had a better next season.  I don't see where this show is renewed, they must know but no one says anything when asked. If this was it, the ending sucked.

I watched the ending of last season and it was much better. Just one more season and make it shine. A lot of talent and they shouldn't walk through it because it's Netflix. I thought last season was better but still enjoyed it.

Edited by debraran
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I strongly suspect there will be a season three. If the people I know are any indication, it has lots of viewers. And I doubt Netflix wants to sour its relationship with Chuck Lorre, who's helped a lot of people in the industry get very rich.

(The show Love wasn't very acclaimed and it had no buzz whatsoever, but it got three seasons, and I think that's only because Judd Apatow was a producer, and Netflix wanted to keep him happy.)

Anyway, I enjoyed this season a lot, but I have to agree with those who found the ending unsatisfying. Norman's grandson just isn't a character I care about. It seems like they invented him (he wasn't mentioned in season one at all, was he?) and threw him into the mix just because there needs to be someone in Norman's family who's a mess, and Phoebe doesn't fit the bill anymore.

I was surprised when the Scientology honchos showed up at Norman's house. I was convinced that the grandson was still a member, and was just pretending to have parted ways with the organization so that he could insert himself into Norman's life (and eventually get his hands on Norman's money).

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1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

I was surprised when the Scientology honchos showed up at Norman's house. I was convinced that the grandson was still a member, and was just pretending to have parted ways with the organization so that he could insert himself into Norman's life (and eventually get his hands on Norman's money).

Wow.
How did I miss that?
I guess because it was the season finale--and not one that I enjoyed enough to want to talk pages about for months. 
But, yeah, that now seems totally obvious.
And it further explains why that cast an unappealing (IMO) actor, who does not in any way even appear to share DNA with his mother or grandpa (plus they cast an actor who IRL is of a different ethnicity than they are), and, most importantly, the long lost son is written as a total DB.

BTW, the Scientology guys that showed up at the door were a source of great amusement to me. 

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On 11/6/2019 at 3:58 PM, atlantaloves said:

I could not believe that was the last episode, I loved this season so much, much much more than the first one. Yeah, they HAVE TO HAVE A THIRD SEASON.  It's wonderful and really funny this year. 

I also loved this season much more than last season. I especially love the addition of Paul Reiser's character, which was much needed IMO. I do not care for Norman's Donny Downer personality (which apparently has nothing to do with his wife's death, and is just who he is) so I find the character of Martin to be a much needed antidote to Norman. I love his relationships with both Sandy and Mindy, and find them to be both believable and heartwarming. I hope if there are subsequent seasons, Martin sticks around! 

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I love the scenes in the old folks restaurant, I live for that waiter. I grew up going to a place like that when I was a kid all the way into adulthood, and they had waiters who were 100 years old and honey, THEY NEVER DROPPED A DRINK EITHER!  And they wore a tux. Ahhhhh those were the days. Burp! 

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Am I the only one who didn't like Paul Reiser's character? By the 4th episode I was fast forwarding his scenes. He was annoying more than charming and he had absolutely no chemistry with Sandy's daughter. Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin play off each other so well and you truly believe the characters have been best friends for years. Reiser's interactions all seemed forced and no chemistry with the main two. I just dont see the need for his character to be added other than a way to get Sandy to a point where he gets his checkup. And they could have figured out a way to make that happen without Reiser's annoying character. 

I feel like he's the cousin Oliver of TKM. I for one do not want to see him back next season.  

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On 11/2/2019 at 8:50 PM, shapeshifter said:

And it further explains why that cast an unappealing (IMO) actor, who does not in any way even appear to share DNA with his mother or grandpa (plus they cast an actor who IRL is of a different ethnicity than they are),

Agree that the grandson doesn't look anything like his mother (and for that matter, his mother doesn't look anything like either of her parents), but I'm confused--how are they different ethnicities? Aren't they all white? ETA: I understand that ethnicity and race are not the same, and I guess that by ethnicity you are referring to Norman and his daughter being Jewish, but I don't think it is so odd for Norman's grandson to not "look" or "sound" Jewish (whatever that means) because (1) Norman's wife was blond and Waspy in looks and way of talking and (2) lots of people of various ethnicities do not resemble either parent (e.g., my husband does not look like he comes from the same family as his parents and brothers, and my daughter does not look anything like me). We don't know the ethnicity of the grandson's father, or what he looks like, so that may be where the looks come from.

Edited by Paloma
ethnicity and race are not the same
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On 11/10/2019 at 6:48 PM, SailorGirl said:

I feel like he's the cousin Oliver of TKM. I for one do not want to see him back next season.  

Yeah, I'm not loving his character either. I don't find his relationship with Mindy believable at all, and I don't think he brings anything to the show. I'd prefer to just have more Norman and Sandy scenes.

Also wishing they had cast someone other than Haley Joel Osment as Norman's grandson. He looks ridiculous in the role. The Scientology goons were great though! I sure hope we get more glimpses of Kathleen turner if there are future seasons - she's always a delight!

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