S01.E03: Care Package

[Guest]

Airs November 10, 2019

Quote

Brendan visits a peer support group and makes a new friend; after a troubling encounter with her ex-husband, Ted, Eve bonds with her community college writing class at a local bar.

[scrb]

That writing class turns into a dating circle?

Meanwhile, Brendan can fit in with any group until he encounters the autism support group, because turns out Brendan has some depth to him, sees his father struggle with his half-brother.

The idea is that Eve becomes frivolous, starts to have fun, while her loutish son starts to become more serious?

[Sunnykm]

scrb I like your insight into this show. I'm not sure about it yet but I love K Hahn so I'm sticking around trying to like it.  

I got the yuckies when she was looking at the nineteen year old from the writing group.  I have sons and just the thought of a relationship with one of their peers is off-putting and a certain buzz kill.

13 minutes ago, scrb said:

That writing class turns into a dating circle?

Meanwhile, Brendan can fit in with any group until he encounters the autism support group, because turns out Brendan has some depth to him, sees his father struggle with his half-brother.

The idea is that Eve becomes frivolous, starts to have fun, while her loutish son starts to become more serious?

Well now that I think about it, Brendan did not fit in with the lax guys at lunch.  Despite being jocks, they were having a lively debate about global warming/change and he brought a glib remark that fell flat.  Probably the first time something he said was not taken with admiration and adulation no matter the degree of ignorance, given his status in high school as handsome and an athlete.

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, Sunnykm said:

scrb I like your insight into this show. I'm not sure about it yet but I love K Hahn so I'm sticking around trying to like it.  

I got the yuckies when she was looking at the nineteen year old from the writing group.  I have sons and just the thought of a relationship with one of their peers is off-putting and a certain buzz kill.

Well now that I think about it, Brendan did not fit in with the lax guys at lunch.  Despite being jocks, they were having a lively debate about global warming/change and he brought a glib remark that fell flat.  Probably the first time something he said was not taken with admiration and adulation no matter the degree of ignorance, given his status in high school as handsome and an athlete.

Yeah, he's not even old enough to drink! My friend dated a 20-year-old when we were 28 and we were like " ... Okay?" (He was nice but a very young 20. It did not work out.) It's not even really the age difference, although 26 years is BIG; it's that he just graduated from high school.

Brendan's story seems to be about realizing that his basic dude thing is not that charming and he needs to find another thing. Very interested to see how parents' weekend with his stepmom and half-brother goes; I'm guessing not well.

(I also don't think the actor is particularly good-looking - not BAD-looking, but average.)

[pasdetrois]

I'm a viewer-nerd because all I could think was why were they were serving that kid so much alcohol that he was stumbling. Did the writers make one of the characters the bar owner to try to make this scenario plausible?

And yeah I can't get my head past the age difference. I know these situations happen a lot, especially in fleeting moments of drunkenness and desperation, but I don't like seeing it.

I love Hahn but I'm struggling to find anything really compelling about this series. It's been done before.

[Dminches]

19 hours ago, scrb said:

That writing class turns into a dating circle?

Meanwhile, Brendan can fit in with any group until he encounters the autism support group, because turns out Brendan has some depth to him, sees his father struggle with his half-brother.

The idea is that Eve becomes frivolous, starts to have fun, while her loutish son starts to become more serious?

What makes you think Brendan has depth?  The lax players didn't think so and the support group coordinator didn't appreciate him hitting on her.  Plus, I think he is looking for excuses as to why his father constantly disappoints him so he decides it is because the father has to deal with the son with autism.

[scrb]

2 hours ago, Dminches said:

What makes you think Brendan has depth?  The lax players didn't think so and the support group coordinator didn't appreciate him hitting on her.  Plus, I think he is looking for excuses as to why his father constantly disappoints him so he decides it is because the father has to deal with the son with autism.

But I can kind of see the writer going for a symmetry there, or mirror symmetry, with Eve and Brendan changing in opposite ways.

[yourmomiseasy]

The first two episodes I was annoyed with how much time was spent on the asshole son, but I'm all in on watching him be lonely and not fit in with anyone at college.  And honestly, I'd rather spend time on that than on watching her rub another one out on the kitchen floor.

Edited November 12, 2019 by yourmomiseasy

[AnimeMania]

It would be funny if the autistic support group girl meets Brendan's step-brother and finds out he isn't autistic and Brendan just made it up to get closer to her.

It seems like a cheat to have almost all the nudity on the show come from watching porn from the internet.

Julian's parents should have the bar shut down for selling alcohol to minors. Julian seems to have a little foot fetish, he should have mentioned this to Mrs. Fletcher. It might have been funny to see Mrs. Fletcher trying to discreetly satisfy Julian's kink without alerting the rest of the class.

[Dminches]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

It would be funny if the autistic support group girl meets Brendan's step-brother and finds out he isn't autistic and Brendan just made it up to get closer to her.

It seems like a cheat to have almost all the nudity on the show come from watching porn from the internet.

Julian's parents should have the bar shut down for selling alcohol to minors. Julian seems to have a little foot fetish, he should have mentioned this to Mrs. Fletcher. It might have been funny to see Mrs. Fletcher trying to discreetly satisfy Julian's kink without alerting the rest of the class.

Why do you think the half-, not step-brother isn’t autistic?  The father talked about his autism so I assumed he isn’t lying about it.

In episode 2 Eve was completely naked before entering the pool, while swimming and then after she got out.  That’s more nudity for one character than on most shows.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Isn't Julian the kid Brandon bullied in high school? Wonder if he knows who Eve is? Might he deliberately sleep with her to get back at Brendan?

Brendan seems to be immensely vapid socially (plus not very smart, apparently). Might he be on the spectrum like his brother? He'd be on the higher functioning end of course and he's clearly used to having his status as a high school jock encourage people to tolerate his behavior.

I couldn't believe Eve's classmates let her drive herself home much less the drunk kid too. It almost took me out of the show because I have a hard time believing any but the most irresponsible bar owners would let that happen given how obvious it was that she wasn't in a condition to drive. They'd be asking to get sued out of business if an accident happened on the way home.

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Isn't Julian the kid Brandon bullied in high school? Wonder if he knows who Eve is? Might he deliberately sleep with her to get back at Brendan?

Yes, Julian knows that Eve is Brendan's mother.

[scrb]

4 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Isn't Julian the kid Brandon bullied in high school? Wonder if he knows who Eve is? Might he deliberately sleep with her to get back at Brendan?

I don't think the kid is suppose to be that wily or so confident with women that he'd be able to pull that off.

He seems to genuinely be physically attracted.

And Eve is having this midlife sexual awakening since Brendan left and she discovered porn.

So it appears they're going to go there.

[Dewey Decimate]

I'm genuinely enjoying this show. I started watching because as a single 40-something thought I might relate, and love Ana Gasteyer in other t.v. roles. Then I realized, hey dumbass, that's Katherine Hahn, not Ana Gasteyer, who is nonetheless still terrific.

Guess I might be immoral, perverse, or simply atypical, but I don't find the May-December (or maybe February-July?) attraction too squicky. If she had met the kid at a high school function when her son was still there - yeah, ew. If he were underage - disgusting and illegal. If she were trawling specifically for milf-lovers as a fetish - uncomfortable. If she were still married - gross. But she flirts with an interested young man in a college-level (or continuing ed?) course when it seems the other main males in her life are completely shitting on her. I'm from a slightly different perspective (child-free and unmarried), but hell, will admit that I'd feel a bit giddy in a similar situation and would not hesitate to ride that wave while it lasted.

Eve's fantasy and masturbation scenes crack me up; damn realistic is all I'll say.

And her downright despicable kid make me thank TPTB that I have none of my own. Bless you, makers of the pill. I so hope that the girl from the autism support group does not "see the good" in him and help become "a better man". That little shit deserves to be ostracized for a good long time. The only reason I might root for his partial redemption is that it will probably pain Eve less. I'm not expecting a happy ending.

[AnimeMania]

6 hours ago, Dewey Decimate said:

Eve's fantasy and masturbation scenes crack me up; damn realistic is all I'll say.

OK, women masturbate hand free and fully clothed, check! As a man, I find that too much exercise and I already dread laundry day, I would hate adding another layer to it, literally and figuratively.

[Joimiaroxeu]

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May-December (or maybe February-July?)

I see it more like February-November. He is literally less than half her age. Now if he was in his 20s I'd probably be okay with it but that kid is still wet behind the ears. If the genders were reversed I think the squickiness would seem more apparent.

[tennisgurl]

The bar owner was really pushing his luck serving alcohol so openly to a teenager. A teenager who still very much looks like a teenager! Yeah he is eighteen or nineteen, but still, he didnt even have a fake ID. And I still think that Eve having a thing with someone who literally her sons age is pretty skeevy. I mean, I dont normally judge relationships by age all that much, as long as everyone is an adult, but this is a really big age difference, and while Eve certainly does seem to like him, it seems to be indicative of her exploring her new freedom, and he might get more attached to her than vice versa. 

Brandon is such an entitled little dick, but I do feel bad for him and I am really interested in seeing how college changes him. College really can be a time when people change and grow a whole lot, and it already looks like he is learning that his jerk jock bro persona isnt going to play very well in college. Especially as he sat down with the "jock" table, thinking that this would be like high school all over again, only for his dumb cracks to be shut down as the jocks have a serious debate about climate change! It does suck that his parents clearly cant stand each other (I thought Eve leaving the huge voice mail about how awful his dad was was in poor taste) and that his dad is pretty checked out from him. 

[HaaCHOO]

On 11/12/2019 at 6:43 PM, scrb said:

He seems to genuinely be physically attracted.

At that age it's easy to be physically attracted to almost any friendly female. 

[Cheezwiz]

I really like the young actor who plays Julian - I had to look him up because I KNOW I've seen him in other things, but couldn't remember what they were. He was in Part One of the latest Stephen King IT reboot.

It seems Brendan's dude-bro persona is not really winning people over (his roomie seems to be increasingly giving him the side-eye), but it's not enough of a comeuppance for me. He is such a little jerk, and I have no sympathy for him.

[jeansheridan]

On 11/11/2019 at 6:17 PM, pasdetrois said:

love Hahn but I'm struggling to find anything really compelling about this series. It's been done before.

When? I can't think of another show that rejoices in a 45 year old's sexual experience. 

I do agree her attraction to.the kid is icky in that he is literally her son's classmate. Like someday they may meet at a class reunion. Plus that actor is so painfully awkward. I get her being kind to him or even motherly but not sexy. 

Of course if she is 45 and her son is 18, she had him at 27...oh that's a normal.age. She wasn't a young mom.

 

 

[jeansheridan]

On 11/13/2019 at 3:21 AM, AnimeMania said:

OK, women masturbate hand free and fully clothed, check! A

Yes we do. I find her masturbation scenes very realistic if she is just trying to please herself versus being on display.