S02.E05: Nightmare on Lunch Box Street

[Pallas]

It's Halloween with the Conners!

And, the old Lunch Box location might be up for grabs...but as Jackie discovers, there's a secret. Who knows where all the loose meat's buried?

[UsernameFatigue]

I don't understand why, just because Darlene has power of attorney over Bev's affairs, that she gets to make the decision regarding the restaurant. I had POA for my Mom's affairs, but though she suffered from a debilitating stroke she was still able to make her own decisions regarding selling her house, etc. I helped her but did not make the decision. Bev hardly seems incapacitated.

I loved a couple of Dan's lines in this episode. When Darlene said that she slept with David and Ben and Dan said "Together?" I laughed out loud. Also when Bev said that Jackie had kicked her out onto the streets and Dan said "Then why aren't you on the streets?". Lol.

I really hope that Jackie and Becky make a go of the restaurant. My one quibble with this show is the constant struggle with nothing ever going right. It is exhausting and not entertaining to watch, at least to me. 

[Caseysgirl]

I think they are trying to represent real life. For a lot of people life is one setback after another.

[ams1001]

Ripped Van Winkle 😄 

[Chaos Theory]

Darlene just dug herself into a deeper and deeper hole with Ben didn't she?  It was fun to watch though.  By the end of the episode I think the only thing that will save the relationship is Darlene killing David as a romantic gesture.  

On the Jackie/Lunch Box front I think it is actually a good idea storyline wise.  It was actually the happiest time in her life when she ran the diner with Roseanne  and I can see Jackie, Beckie and even now Darlene all working there.  All there personalities could clash in fun and interesting ways.    That being said Bev keeping the building and not telling them or selling/giving it to them was rather cruel.  I can see a tired and frustrated Darlene is just asking for time to think it over and Jackie by this point being out of line but Bev was completely wrong by not telling her own daughter and grand daughter that she owned the building and then saying that she was flat broke so she could live with Jackie.

Oh and I really liked the conversation between Mark and Mary.  It was a small scene but it was a good one. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Annber03]

5 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Darlene just dug herself into a deeper and deeper hole with Ben didn't she? 

Seriously, I was like, "...do you need a shovel there, Darlene?" :p. 

I liked Dan trying to give her some advice on how to deal with that whole mess, though. 

Quote

Oh and I really liked the conversation between Mark and Mary.  It was a small scene but it was a good one. 

Same :). I'd be all for more scenes with those two together, whether they're looking out for each other or just having fun doing whatever.

I too am all for Jackie and Becky reopening the Lunch Box-and yes, it would be great if they could be successful with it besides. It'd be nice to see something good happen for this family.

[srpturtle80]

3 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I don't understand why, just because Darlene has power of attorney over Bev's affairs, that she gets to make the decision regarding the restaurant. I had POA for my Mom's affairs, but though she suffered from a debilitating stroke she was still able to make her own decisions regarding selling her house, etc. I helped her but did not make the decision. Bev hardly seems incapacitated.

There are different forms and types of POAs. A broad general durable POA with immediate effect would immediately give Darlene the power to execute a deed for the property on Bev’s behalf regardless of Bev’s mental capacity at that time. General durables do not require incapacitation of the grantor to take effect. I am an attorney who practices real estate law, I see this all the time. Of course, it all comes down to the specific language of the POA itself. But certainly possible. 
 

Was that Patrick Fabian playing Jackie’s real estate agent? Goodness that hair color is not doing him any favors! 
 

Not sure where they are going with Darlene and Ben. I really like him. And have a feeling that they wouldn’t be keeping him around if they weren’t going to get back together. Also loved Dan’s reaction to her saying she slept with both of them. Lol. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by srpturtle80

[Tigregirl]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Oh and I really liked the conversation between Mark and Mary.  It was a small scene but it was a good one. 

Agreed.  So many people think that a conspicuous family is an open invitation for comments, stares, invasive questions, judgements, unwelcome “praise” for how wonderful we are, etc.  As a parent of a child of a different race than mine, and in hearing the experiences of my brother and sister in law as parents of a man with significant non-physical disabilities, it gets old fast.  We get asked questions never asked of a family that fits their picture of a “typical” family.  But that’s getting off the topic of this thread, and I’ll step down from my soapbox.

[LBS]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Ripped Van Winkle 😄 

Omg! I just got the joke!  Seriously I’m ashamed at myself but in my defense I was chortling at Darlene as Becky. 😂

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, LBS said:

Omg! I just got the joke!  Seriously I’m ashamed at myself but in my defense I was chortling at Darlene as Becky. 😂

I was trying to figure out from the previews what his costume might be but I never would have come up with that. I'm a sucker for a good pun costume.

Edited October 30, 2019 by ams1001

[BookWoman56]

1 hour ago, srpturtle80 said:

There are different forms and types of POAs. A broad general durable POA with immediate effect would immediately give Darlene the power to execute a deed for the property on Bev’s behalf regardless of Bev’s mental capacity at that time. General durables do not require incapacitation of the grantor to take effect. I am an attorney who practices real estate law, I see this all the time. Of course, it all comes down to the specific language of the POA itself. But certainly possible. 

Exactly. For example, I have a durable POA that gives me the right to make legal, medical, financial, etc. decisions for my mother, and specifically mentions real estate transactions and decisions.  When it was executed roughly a year and a half ago, she was theoretically capable of making some of those choices herself, but now, not so much. In Darlene’s case, if the POA gave her the right to make that decision for Bev, she was within her rights to do so. 

[UsernameFatigue]

2 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

There are different forms and types of POAs. A broad general durable POA with immediate effect would immediately give Darlene the power to execute a deed for the property on Bev’s behalf regardless of Bev’s mental capacity at that time. General durables do not require incapacitation of the grantor to take effect. I am an attorney who practices real estate law, I see this all the time. Of course, it all comes down to the specific language of the POA itself. But certainly possible. 
 

Was that Patrick Fabian playing Jackie’s real estate agent? Goodness that hair color is not doing him any favors! 
 

Not sure where they are going with Darlene and Ben. I really like him. And have a feeling that they wouldn’t be keeping him around if they weren’t going to get back together. Also loved Dan’s reaction to her saying she slept with both of them. Lol. 

Oh I totally understand a general POA. It is what I had with my mom, and what my husband and I have with each other. (I live in Canada, at at the time we did ours I don't remember there being any other kind, but maybe there is and we just didn't need an alternative). However I would never with my husband or would have with my mother make such big decisions when they are/were perfectly capable of making them themselves. Especially in this case where what Darlene decides impacts the whole family. I don't blame Jackie and Becky for being PO'd. 

[jewel21]

Audrey would have been a much nicer name than Beverly.

I laughed when Dan walked into the living room and told Bev he hoped he was dealing with her ghost,  heh. Bev living with Dan could be incredibly fun. I really do enjoy the actress playing Beverly. She's wonderful and looks amazing all these years later. 

[Bastet]

I'm not a Halloween person, but I've always enjoyed watching the Conners get so into it.  They've had some great costumes over the years; I appreciate the creativity.  Bev Rose (or Audrey, heh) as a Chicago Dog was cute, but Mary needs to step it up.  Her aunts never went so basic at her age, and just saying she's a queen rather than a princess is not going to hack it.  Ripped Van Winkle isn't Dan's best, but it's not bad.  Darlene as Becky before the baby gave me a good laugh.  (As did Dan hoping Bev getting ready for bed on his couch was a Bev's Ghost costume.)

Mary's scene at the restaurant was touching, with D.J. knowing what was possibly coming and trying to get rid of that woman before it could happen, and Mary wanting to skip ice cream just to get the hell out of there.  The scene between Mary and Mark, with the two kids tempering their parents' advice with reality, was nice.

Bev giving Darlene so much authority via POA proves Roseanne's "oh yeah, and she's nuts" summation in the original series finale.  And one has to do some fanwanking for the missing years to come up with how Bev has sole ownership of the building.  But her not telling anyone about it, then Darlene signing on - the resentment and ugly actions in all their lack of nuance are an undercurrent of this modern version of the franchise, and the various showdowns were fun so I just go with it.

Most independent restaurants do not make it long term, but The Lunch Box could give them another good run for a time.  Jackie was its biggest proponent the first time around, and she enjoyed it, so it makes sense for her to be gung-ho again, and for Becky to latch on, and for the family to once again be divided on whether it's a good idea.  It would be nice for a new version of the old set to be a mainstay again.

Dan's grossed-out reaction to Darlene's confession was perfect, and him endorsing killing David as a romantic gesture was even better.

The Darlene and Ben relationship is so ridiculous and forced to me - and he's still, you know, HER BOSS - but he's written better this season than last, and if it's what has to happen to finally let Darlene and David move the fuck on, I'm in.  But if Darlene's love life could become less of a focus, I'd be happier about the whole thing.  Because, good gods, she's infinitely more interesting with her dad, sister, aunt, or kids than she is with either guy.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

17 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

I laughed when Dan walked into the living room and told Bev he hoped he was dealing with her ghost,  heh. Bev living with Dan could be incredibly fun. I really do enjoy the actress playing Beverly. She's wonderful and looks amazing all these years later. 

She'd have to live in the living room.  It doesn't seem like a long-term plan.

[Amello]

I always enjoy the show, including this episode, but it is extremely disappointing that we didn't get to see Becky react to learning Darlene was sleeping with two men. Becky deserved that win and so did the audience. A complete crime.

Edited October 30, 2019 by Amello

[MSterling]

I'm just happy that lady didn't ask where DJ bought Mary, which I was worried she might when she started staring. Someone asked one of my best friends where she bought her infant grandson a couple months ago, and a few years ago someone else asked if she was her oldest grandson's nanny.

[Snow Apple]

Audrey is a pretty name but........Audrey Rose? 

Anyone else remember that? LOL

[Chaos Theory]

Just now, Snow Apple said:

Audrey is a pretty name but........Audrey Rose? 

Anyone else remember that? LOL

It’s hard out there for a pimp.

I think the funniest line of the night was probably by Darlene coming home after getting dumped again by Ben and seeing Jackie and Becky standing there and asking if this was an intervention “because I don’t drink that much and my sex addiction cleared up on its own.”  Funny because it’s kinda true.

[qtpye]

12 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Darlene just dug herself into a deeper and deeper hole with Ben didn't she?  It was fun to watch though.  By the end of the episode I think the only thing that will save the relationship is Darlene killing David as a romantic gesture.  

On the Jackie/Lunch Box front I think it is actually a good idea storyline wise.  It was actually the happiest time in her life when she ran the diner with Roseanne  and I can see Jackie, Beckie and even now Darlene all working there.  All there personalities could clash in fun and interesting ways.    That being said Bev keeping the building and not telling them or selling/giving it to them was rather cruel.  I can see a tired and frustrated Darlene is just asking for time to think it over and Jackie by this point being out of line but Bev was completely wrong by not telling her own daughter and grand daughter that she owned the building and then saying that she was flat broke so she could live with Jackie.

Oh and I really liked the conversation between Mark and Mary.  It was a small scene but it was a good one. 

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Seriously, I was like, "...do you need a shovel there, Darlene?" :p. 

I liked Dan trying to give her some advice on how to deal with that whole mess, though. 

Same :). I'd be all for more scenes with those two together, whether they're looking out for each other or just having fun doing whatever.

I too am all for Jackie and Becky reopening the Lunch Box-and yes, it would be great if they could be successful with it besides. It'd be nice to see something good happen for this family.

12 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

There are different forms and types of POAs. A broad general durable POA with immediate effect would immediately give Darlene the power to execute a deed for the property on Bev’s behalf regardless of Bev’s mental capacity at that time. General durables do not require incapacitation of the grantor to take effect. I am an attorney who practices real estate law, I see this all the time. Of course, it all comes down to the specific language of the POA itself. But certainly possible. 
 

Was that Patrick Fabian playing Jackie’s real estate agent? Goodness that hair color is not doing him any favors! 
 

Not sure where they are going with Darlene and Ben. I really like him. And have a feeling that they wouldn’t be keeping him around if they weren’t going to get back together. Also loved Dan’s reaction to her saying she slept with both of them. Lol. 

11 hours ago, Tigregirl said:

Agreed.  So many people think that a conspicuous family is an open invitation for comments, stares, invasive questions, judgements, unwelcome “praise” for how wonderful we are, etc.  As a parent of a child of a different race than mine, and in hearing the experiences of my brother and sister in law as parents of a man with significant non-physical disabilities, it gets old fast.  We get asked questions never asked of a family that fits their picture of a “typical” family.  But that’s getting off the topic of this thread, and I’ll step down from my soapbox.

7 hours ago, MSterling said:

I'm just happy that lady didn't ask where DJ bought Mary, which I was worried she might when she started staring. Someone asked one of my best friends where she bought her infant grandson a couple months ago, and a few years ago someone else asked if she was her oldest grandson's nanny.

I am a woman of color. My cousin is married to a white man and for lack of a better description, her children look more "white" than mixed. In the mostly white suburb she lives in, it has lead to many awkward situation where most people thought she was the nanny. My cousin does not really mind, but there was this one time where she actually had a woman tell her "There is no way those are your kids!" and my cousin's response was "Tell that to my stretch marks". I think the Connors would like my cousin.

I just can not believe that Darlene hurt a great guy like Ben to be with the wet blanket that is David. I understand that David is the father of her kids and the flashback to their cute teenage selves in the last episode made me a little sad. However, David has abandoned Darlene(not to mention the kids, Mark barely knows him) and their relationship has been toxic for both of them.

I am a handful of years younger than Darlene and a good guy that has the sensitivity to be cool with your gender fluid son and have the patience to handle your snarky teenager does not come along all that often.

Plus cheating on a man who literally holds your paycheck in his hands is beyond stupid. Work is now going to be awful when it was so awesome before.

Edited October 30, 2019 by qtpye

[StaceyNotStacie]

I’m completely over Darlene’s story.  I’m hoping that she’ll quit her job, help at the Lunch Box and be single for a while. 
 
The whole dynamic between Jackie and Bev is interesting and sad at the same time. I could understand Jackie’s hurt that Bev didn’t trust her to be her POA as her only living child, yet I understand why she chose Darlene. Despite her issues, she seems more stable than Becky and Jackie (at times) and the family as a whole would have probably used her as the family ATM for years had they known she was still collecting rent money from the building. 
 

I know it’s been mentioned over and over, but I really want to know what happened with Jackie’s son (if he still exists in this version of the show). It’s starting to become the elephant in the room with Jackie’s scenes/story and it makes me wonder if the Andy/Jackie dynamic isn’t too different than the Jackie/Bev dynamic. 

[DoubleUTeeEff]

12 hours ago, LBS said:

Omg! I just got the joke!  Seriously I’m ashamed at myself but in my defense I was chortling at Darlene as Becky. 😂

Becky BEFORE the baby! *takes swig of beer*

I think it's a great idea for Becky and Jackie to re-open the Lunch Box even though everyone was pointing out that it hadn't worked out the last time. I just think it will be fun story to watch.

I gotta admit, that freaky stare that Mark demonstrated for Mary was scary. What ever happened to that Muslim family? I want a friend for Mary and I think their kid would be great for that.

Not only is it ridiculous to assume that people aren't biologically related based on skin color, it is straight up rude to go up to someone and talk about how their kid is adopted in front of their kid. DJ needs a snarky response to deal with those people.

I like that Ben is not into forgiving Darlene but I hope they'll give it rest for a while. Darlene should just let him be and if he wants to come around on his own he can. Basically, I don't agree with a "grand gesture" but rather a sincere apology and space.

[chitowngirl]

Maybe they’ll find Jackie’s son in the storeroom of the Lunch Box. He was there all along! 😆

[MarthaEllisanne]

18 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I really hope that Jackie and Becky make a go of the restaurant. My one quibble with this show is the constant struggle with nothing ever going right. It is exhausting and not entertaining to watch, at least to me. 

I agree. I hoped that 20+ years later would find them doing better. Becky was a smart kid; she did not have children earlier; she could have taken classes. Darlene went to school and  had potential. Not sure what Jackie does, but she's always been a hot mess. What happened to Bev's money? Dan blew it in the former show by quitting a government job that could have provided  a pension and healthcare in retirement for a short-term gain building a prison. At least D.J. and his spouse seem to be doing okay. (I guess they can convert the garage if D.J's family has to move in.) Most of this family are patron saints of bad choices, which can indeed be exhausting and depressing to watch.

Edited October 30, 2019 by MarthaEllisanne

[funky-rat]

I thought Ben's reaction to a lot of what Darlene said was ludicrous.  No, she shouldn't have slept with David...at all...once she got with Ben, but she was abandoned and therefore separated - for many years - so it's not like she was sleeping around while living with a husband.  Divorce is not free, and requires input of both parties IN MOST CASES (not all), and isn't always a quick and easy thing.  I watched a co-worker go through it while they tried to track down her absentee ex - it took several years.  It's not out of the realm of possiblity to go to a round or two of counseling to be sure you're making the correct decisions for you and your children, etc.  They're in their 40's.  Grow up and be adults.  I understand the ire about sleeping with your soon-to-be-ex while at the same time as your current boyfriend, but the rest is much ado about nothing.  Hopefully he gets over it, and hopefully they're done with David.  I NEVER liked David - I thought he de-railed Darlene's character, and I found her so much more unlikeable after they got together.  I couldn't stand seeing his slobby, slacker character in the reboot.

Edited October 30, 2019 by funky-rat

[DoubleUTeeEff]

1 minute ago, funky-rat said:

I thought Ben's reaction to a lot of what Darlene said was ludicrous.  No, she shouldn't have slept with David...at all...once she got with Ben, but she was abandoned and therefore separated - for many years - so it's not like she was sleeping around while living with a husband. 

I think he was upset that she hadn't bothered to mention that she was still technically married, not that he cared that she was still technically married. I think it's reasonable to be upset that she hadn't shared that with him.

[Homily]

1 hour ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

Most of this family are patron saints of bad choices, which can indeed be exhausting and depressing to watch.

Agreed.  If they want this show to stick around for a few more years (and I'm betting they do!) then they really do need to scale back the screwing up and have some positives happen.  I get totally that they're doing a show about people who can't catch a break but for most of us life isn't one unrelenting sequence of Bad Things Happening.  

Edited October 30, 2019 by Homily

[funky-rat]

35 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I think he was upset that she hadn't bothered to mention that she was still technically married, not that he cared that she was still technically married. I think it's reasonable to be upset that she hadn't shared that with him.

I can see that, but just find it hard to belive that at absolutely no point in their relationship did she not mention that she was separated (which means not legally divorced).  I know it's just a TV show and the producers will never allow this family to catch any type of break whatsoever, but still, just seems a bit ludicrous to me.  YMMV.

[peacheslatour]

12 minutes ago, Homily said:

Agreed.  If they want this show to stick around for a few more years (and I'm betting they do!) then they really do need to scale back the screwing up and have some positives happen.  I get totally that they're doing a show about people who can't catch a break but for most of us life isn't one unrelenting sequence of Bad Things Happening.  

If there's one thing that I've learned
While waiting for my turn,
It's that in each life some rain falls
But you also get some sun
 

They definitely need some sun at this point.


 

[iMonrey]

Well I was pleasantly surprised to see them mention The Lunch Box since it has been something we've been speculating about since Day 1 of the reboot, and I was never sure whether they were retconning it out of existence like so much of the later seasons. Apparently in this timeline it failed but it seemed to be doing OK in the original series. I wonder what happened to Leon and Nancy's interest in it. And why Bev owns the building - Bev was only a one-quarter owner at the time Roseanne, Jackie and Nancy went in on buying it. She then sold her share to Leon. WTF.

I really hate some of the liberties they have taken with the original show to justify current story. I get why some of it has to be ignored, especially that awful final season. But stuff like this and Jackie's kid going unmentioned really irks.

I did enjoy  Darlene's spiraling conversation with Ben though. I'm guessing the show plans on getting them back together some time down the road if they are keeping Jay R. Ferguson as a regular cast member.

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Well I was pleasantly surprised to see them mention The Lunch Box since it has been something we've been speculating about since Day 1 of the reboot, and I was never sure whether they were retconning it out of existence like so much of the later seasons.

Last season, we saw Jackie breaking down in the Chinese restaurant that had taken its place.  She had been really happy there, co-owning something and working with Roseanne, so after Roseanne's death she found herself going back there - drunk and upset, of course, so they had to drag her out.  So we already knew they weren't treating it like Andy and pretending it never happened.

[Snow Apple]

If they bring back the Lunch Box, Darlene can introduce fake meat which is all the rage these days. 

I hope it happens since there's so many potential stories and interactions with each other and different people in one place, like in the original.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Last season, we saw Jackie breaking down in the Chinese restaurant that had taken its place.  She had been really happy there, co-owning something and working with Roseanne, so after Roseanne's death she found herself going back there - drunk and upset, of course, so they had to drag her out.  So we already knew they weren't treating it like Andy and pretending it never happened.

Thanks, I had forgotten all about that. Though the show has not addressed any of the specifics in my post above, RE: Leon and Nancy owning 50% of the biz and Bev selling her share. It's easy enough to guess the business eventually just failed and they had to shut down but saying Bev owns the building is just baffling and an obvious retcon for plot purposes.

Edited October 30, 2019 by iMonrey

[BeachDays]

I loved this episode.  Honestly I thought we were going to get more Mary and DJ dealing with that lady and the feelings Mary had but I’m just glad they were included, it’s an important topic, and that Mark helped her out. And he made me laugh with the vacuum comment.  And then of course I got annoyed that Harris had been doing pot in there.  At any rate, scenes with just the kids is what has been missing from this show. It was great on the original show so I’m glad they are starting to incorporate them in.

I laughed so hard the entire episode with Jackie and Becky and the Lunchbox, Darlene’s issues, Beverly being Beverly, and honestly I felt like Dan was the most old-school Dan we have seen since the show had been rebooted and I got all the feels.  

And yes, I STILL think Darlene will end up with David.  But honestly please pause the love-life woes for a bit.   The Ben stuff was hilarious but let’s take a break now.  

[UYI]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Last season, we saw Jackie breaking down in the Chinese restaurant that had taken its place.  She had been really happy there, co-owning something and working with Roseanne, so after Roseanne's death she found herself going back there - drunk and upset, of course, so they had to drag her out.  So we already knew they weren't treating it like Andy and pretending it never happened.

And there was a strong implication when the show first returned in 2018 that it had gone under--there were lines about Dan and Roseanne nearly losing their house at one point. The Lunch Box didn't come up by name, but I think it was mentioned that they had gone "out of business", at least.

I'm dense--what was Mark dressed as for Halloween?

I had forgotten that David and Darlene were still technically married, tbh. 

Also, I can easily believe the years when the Lunch Box was around were the happiest of Jackie's life--after all, ANDY was born during those years! 😉 

Edited October 30, 2019 by UYI

[andipandi]

Mark appeared to be David Bowie a la Ziggy Stardust.

Edited October 30, 2019 by andipandi

[UYI]

Just now, andipandi said:

Mark appeared to be David Bowie a la Ziggy Stardust.

Thank you! That totally went over my head.

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, andipandi said:

Mark appeared to be David Bowie a la Ziggy Stardust.

Which made me laugh all the more when Toby referred to Miguel as "Miggy Stardust" on This Is Us an hour or so later.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

 At any rate, scenes with just the kids is what has been missing from this show. It was great on the original show so I’m glad they are starting to incorporate them in.

Yes! You've hit the nail on the head, that's exactly what's been missing! Great catch.

[izabella]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Thanks, I had forgotten all about that. Though the show has not addressed any of the specifics in my post above, RE: Leon and Nancy owning 50% of the biz and Bev selling her share. It's easy enough to guess the business eventually just failed and they had to shut down but saying Bev owns the building is just baffling and an obvious retcon for plot purposes.

Maybe when Bev sold her share, she bought the building with that money.

9 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

I know it’s been mentioned over and over, but I really want to know what happened with Jackie’s son (if he still exists in this version of the show). It’s starting to become the elephant in the room with Jackie’s scenes/story and it makes me wonder if the Andy/Jackie dynamic isn’t too different than the Jackie/Bev dynamic. 

Considering we're in the second season of the reboot, I think we have to accept that Andy does not exist.  If he existed, they wouldn't be waiting this long to mention him.  Becky's pregnancy as a single woman, is when he should have been mentioned if he existed if not sooner. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Maybe when Bev sold her share, she bought the building with that money.

That doesn't make any sense. I'm assuming the original investors (Roseanne, Jackie, Nancy and Bev) bought the building space, and their overhead went towards taxes, equipment, and supplies. Roseanne and Jackie were told they did not have enough money to start the business with Nancy alone which is why they had to bring in Bev. If they were just leasing the space they would have had enough money to afford the first month's rent and supplies without Bev. It just wasn't that big or ambitious a venture. 

They must have been doing well enough at the time Leon bought out Bev otherwise Leon wouldn't have invested. Plus Bev kept lowering her price to make the offer more tempting because she wanted to punish Roseanne. There's no way her quarter share would have been enough to buy the building.

I suppose it's possible Bev bought the building at some point after the original show's timeline ended in an effort to save them if she still had enough money saved up from the sale of her house although that sounds unlikely as well.

I think this was just a way of inserting Bev into the plot

Which, OK, maybe nobody will care. But reruns of this show have aired constantly since its original run ended, up until Roseanne's real life meltdown. It's not like fans don't know the story like the back of their hands. Why retcon so much of it? Just seems lazy to me.

[StaceyNotStacie]

Didn’t Bev get a decent divorce settlement?  Maybe her ex husband never bothered to change his will after the divorce and she ended up with the life insurance and the rest of his assets. She might not have told anyone since she assumed they would want their share of the money. 

[Bastet]

55 minutes ago, Stacey1014 said:

Didn’t Bev get a decent divorce settlement?  Maybe her ex husband never bothered to change his will after the divorce and she ended up with the life insurance and the rest of his assets.

I'm sure Joan (his mistress of 20 years) made sure he took care of that once the divorce was finalized.  🙂

And, yes, she got a good divorce settlement; that's why she bought herself a new car, even though hers was perfectly good (Roseanne got her old one and Becky got Roseanne's, after Dan and Roseanne wouldn't let Bev give Becky her car), and why she was able to give Roseanne and Jackie $10k each and then buy into the restaurant when that wasn't enough.

[MaryMitch]

I just gotta say - does Estelle Parsons ever age? One month short of 92, people!

[Pete Martell]

I know the old show is gone and dead, but I miss the early Halloween years where we got story-based moments for their costumes, whether it be pranking the hell out of their neighbors, or Roseanne being stuck in a bar mistaken for a man. I think it would have been nice to have some fun with the theme rather than just people wearing costumes. Not having Darlene in two heavy stories the same week would have been a needed breather. 

I don't have a lot of investment in Darlene and Ben, but I thought the way the show handled the fallout was refreshing. In the later seasons of the old show, the men were often ground into the dust, weak and pathetic and unworthy. That wasn't the case here. Ben was cold toward Darlene, but not particularly unfair, and we weren't asked to jeer him for the way he felt. I thought the scene where Darlene tried to reconcile with Ben, only to keep tripping over her own how many secrets she'd kept and how much she'd taken for granted, was great. 

I wish they'd done the material with Mary when her mother was still on the show, but I do appreciate the idea, and I thought most of the scenes, like DJ not knowing what to do, and Mary feeling defeated, were strong. I had mixed feelings about her conversation with Mark, mostly because I wish the show had pointed out that a black girl making faces to "scare" people away is not going to get the same response that a white boy doing that will. I did like seeing them talk and seeing more family connections. 

The material with Jackie, Darlene, Bev and Becky felt more like the old Roseanne than just about anything in the revival. Very emotionally fraught material that leaves you feeling or understanding the position of everyone involved. It's nice to see Jackie as her old self again. And yes, as said above, I can't believe Estelle Parsons is 92. Her acting is actually better now than it was 25 years ago.

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

I just gotta say - does Estelle Parsons ever age? One month short of 92, people!

I know, it's amazing!  My Dad is a few months into 92 and is also amazing.  Speaking of whom, I have a pretty all-encompassing durable power of attorney on him but don't evict him from his house, which I also own, because he is still capable of living on his own.  I gave him "life estate" there but the DPA supersedes that .  The only time I would ever use it is if I felt he could no longer live there with visiting assistance and needed even more care than that.  I just think passing any decisions on the Lunch Box on to Darlene was a cop out on Bev's part.

[Lili]

I'm kind of hoping Darlene and Ben get back together. Or who knows, maybe she'll find a new guy. I would say the latter is more likely at this point.

[andipandi]

It's possible Leon or Nancy gave their share to Bev? For some reason?

If they owned the land, it's more surprising they went under. Most restaurants have rent issues, when property values go up.

Re Andy: I was fully expecting someone to mention, during becky's pregnancy/birth/hospital, how overboard Jackie was being, and how she was compensating for loss.

[peacheslatour]

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I know, it's amazing!  My Dad is a few months into 92 and is also amazing.  Speaking of whom, I have a pretty all-encompassing durable power of attorney on him but don't evict him from his house, which I also own, because he is still capable of living on his own.  I gave him "life estate" there but the DPA supersedes that .  The only time I would ever use it is if I felt he could no longer live there with visiting assistance and needed even more care than that.  I just think passing any decisions on the Lunch Box on to Darlene was a cop out on Bev's part.

I have DPA over my dad and last February I moved him into a very high end senior care facility because he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was falling a lot. I am in the process of selling his house so I can take care of him for the rest of his life. It's heartbreaking. 

[t7686]

14 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I wish they'd done the material with Mary when her mother was still on the show, but I do appreciate the idea, and I thought most of the scenes, like DJ not knowing what to do, and Mary feeling defeated, were strong. I had mixed feelings about her conversation with Mark, mostly because I wish the show had pointed out that a black girl making faces to "scare" people away is not going to get the same response that a white boy doing that will. I did like seeing them talk and seeing more family connections. 

Good point. Is the actress who played Mary's mother no longer on the show? I know Michael Fishman isn't the most... natural actor but I wish they'd dig deeper into his story (unless they did on the originally reboot with Roseanne? I had all the episodes saved on hulu to watch later but when they cancelled it, Hulu deleted it before I could watch and I can't find the season anywhere, though I digress). Mary as a POC in a white family is a interesting plot point and I'm glad they touched on it, if even for a minute. 

Also, I too wish they would say if Andy and Jerry are in this reboot or not. Drives me crazy.