S02.E08: Lanford, Toilet of Sin

[Pallas]

The Conners aren't so careful what they wish for, and Lanford isn't flush. But in the aftermath of Thanksgiving, Jackie, Becky and Darlene each make hard choices to care for others. 

[TV Doctor]

Did anyone catch that Darlene's boyfriend just called her son "Ames," his real-life given name?

[Annber03]

Aw, I like the idea of the townspeople coming to help out with the Lunch Box like that :). And yay for Becky getting her job back, and having a successful shift at that. Nice to end the episode on a positive note. 

I also love Ben helping out with Mark's school project, and being there with Darlene as she goes to check on Harris. I'm glad she got to see that Harris is okay, though hopefully she will return home soon. 

[Chaos Theory]

Fun all around episode.

Zombie Bev was hilarious.

I really loved out of control Darlene trying to get Harris to talk to her.  Also this episode shows how badly Darlene fucked up with Ben.   Not only did he help Mark with his project he went with Darlene to confront Harris and agreed to bail her out of jail.   
 

[DoubleUTeeEff]

How old is Harris that the police are like, she'll just run away again. Shrug. If you are a minor you can't live without a guardian, can you?

Who's the poor sap who is stuck taking care of baby Bev until 4 in the morning? Dan? 

I wonder if they really could have gotten someone to rent the place with a mold problem. That seems like something they'd have to take care of anyway even if they had decided to rent it out.

I'm glad the restaurant is going forward even with the setback. It's good to know that they will have a lot of customers.

How nice is Ben to take the laptop/tablet back to Darlene, help Mark with his school project, take Darlene over to Harris' at 2 in the morning and to bail Darlene out of jail? And why are the police even bothering to book her? Seems like a waste of resources on someone who is, yes, causing a noise nuisance but not doing anything too terrible beyond that. She wasn't yelling that loudly for that long. It sounds like there was going to be yelling one way or another anyway. At least it was outside instead of inside the apartment building.

Obviously, I spent way too much time this episode wondering about the mechanics of how things work.

I did like Ben telling Darlene that it was too soon to joke about the cheating. "You're not over it? It's been two weeks, I'm already remarried!"

Also liked the exchange between Jackie and that couple.

Woman: "Our grandmother died."

Jackie: "I'm so sorry!" "Did I have something to do with it?"

[mythoughtis]

Harris is under 18.  Police officer doesn’t get a choice in the matter.  Actually current Illinois law, Odessa being 18 gets arrested for harboring a minor runaway.   

[Chaos Theory]

All that is true but what the police officer said is essentially correct.   She could arrest Odessa.   Drag Harris home kicking and screaming.

But by morning she would be gone again and this time Darlene would never find her.

If Harris isn’t in any immediate danger it is actually best to deal with it in house.

[mythoughtis]

4 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

All that is true but what the police officer said is essentially correct.   She could arrest Odessa.   Drag Harris home kicking and screaming.

But by morning she would be gone again and this time Darlene would never find her.

If Harris isn’t in any immediate danger it is actually best to deal with it in house.

Maybe. And maybe what happens is what happened to my cousin’s daughter in a similar situation a few years ago.  She didn’t come home for months, she dropped out of school and the woman who let her stay with her got her hooked on drugs while she was gone.  So no, it’s not a good idea to let it ride. 

[UYI]

I was struck by just how similar the new Lunchbox looked to the old one. I really felt like I had stepped back in time for a second.

And hey, it's Pee Wee! 

[LBS]

Normally I can ‘its a sitcom’ wave away certain real life realities but this episode those realities took me out of it.  
1. you can’t just get a 4am liquor license that quick.  Even in Chicago, there are only 32 places allowed that and only on the weekends. There is no way that could happen in Lanford.

2. They didn’t get the place inspected?  But a franchisor was going to rent it and it was full of mold?

3. A free jukebox and tablecloths won’t cut it.  We are in the era of Go Fund Me.  I love the idea of it but I just didn’t buy it.

4. Odessa has been living on her own in a rented apartment for 5 years?  Who the heck is co-signing that rent?  I had to get my parents to co-sign on the lease when I was 21.  Maybe things have changed in 20 years but most landlords don’t rent until they get some sort of proof of secure income.

But I laughed and got sentimental during the episode so there is that.  😉

[Nordly Beaumont]

33 minutes ago, LBS said:

1. you can’t just get a 4am liquor license that quick.  Even in Chicago, there are only 32 places allowed that and only on the weekends. There is no way that could happen in Lanford.

That bugged me too. And also that Becky decides the bar should be open until 4 solely so she can get hours and tips (and I believe she said she'd need a fry cook - so not just paying Becky). Louise thinks about it for just two seconds and says okay. Wouldn't that be nice? A business doesn't need any more help, so you just suggest they stay open more hours to accommodate your needs and they do it! Employment is easy peasy!

[Bastet]

I'm hitting the road early tomorrow, so I have a shit ton to do tonight and could only pay sporadic attention; I'll watch properly when I get back from my Thanksgiving trip.

From what I saw, there are indeed several things that followed TV logic, not actual logic.

But Jackie's Bev zombies nightmare being rooted in her fear she's ruining things for everyone is the blend of emotions the franchise is known for. 

And Bev's "you've just blown your inheritance on another get poor quick scheme" note with the plant is fantastic.  As is the way Jackie asks Louise for a favor.  

Three generations believing it impossible to wash comforters is a funny little thing.  Speaking of the little things, I like that Mark's necklace was caught on his button; on most TV shows, they'd fix that, and avoid using a take from before they did, but it just adds realism.

The Conners strike me as the type who'd do well to have one smoke/carbon monoxide detector in the house, never mind one on each floor, so having two in the living room and one in the kitchen (two rooms in which you wouldn't normally find one - carbon monoxide/combo detectors in the hallways and smoke detectors in the bedrooms is code in my area, and I think that's fairly common) was a little odd.  Plus, Modern Family already did the "dammit, which one is doing the replace battery beep?" storyline and included a resolution (I may have missed the payoff in this one, though).

[kitkat343]

Harris is 17. I can actually believe for a kid that age the cops would discourage police intervention.  The cop did seem to indicate it was Darlene’s choice, and I think if Darlene had insisted she’d have dragged harris out of odessas apartment and dropped her off at home, where she’d promptly run away again.   A bigger question is how old is Odessa   If she’s under 18 they can put her in foster care if she has no legal guardian   

I really hope ben doesn’t take Darlene back again. I’d have loved to see him doing all these things for her if she hadn’t cheated on him a few weeks ago.  He deserves a lot better than this. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by kitkat343

[Snow Apple]

With Bev's letter, I like to think she has a separate account that's handled by a lawyer because she suspects what will happen to the inheritance. It just happened earlier than she thought. That's why she didn't stop them. Bev is a smart cookie who knows her family, so might not be putting all her eggs in one basket and not even Darlene knows about her entire estate.

[chitowngirl]

No one in the Connor household has ever washed a comforter?  Ewww

[Chaos Theory]

Ben isn’t David he isn’t going to just take Darlene’s bullshit but it would actually be an interesting story if they do actually work on the relationship.   My sister and her now husband broke up three times before they got married.  One time because my sister wanted to date other people.   A couple years later a friend set her on a blind date with this great guy who happened to be the guy who she ended up marrying.    Not every relationship goes in a straight line.  
 

Now that Darlene and David are over over it would be an interesting story to have Darlene actually have to work at a relationship.

[readster]

8 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

Harris is 17. I can actually believe for a kid that age the cops would discourage police intervention.  The cop did seem to indicate it was Darlene’s choice, and I think if Darlene had insisted she’d have dragged harris out of odessas apartment and dropped her off at home, where she’d promptly run away again.   A bigger question is how old is Odessa   If she’s under 18 they can put her in foster care if she has no legal guardian   

I really hope ben doesn’t take Darlene back again. I’d have loved to see him doing all these things for her if she hadn’t cheated on him a few weeks ago.  He deserves a lot better than this. 

The problem is, Odessa's story is getting more ridiculus. Seriously, who is paying the rent? How has she not be taken away by child services. I know it was a focus on Darlene and Ben, but Dan would have been over there going: "Who the hell are you?" "The father of my grandchild can be hauled off back to Mexico, yet you are living here, buying pot and no one bats an eye!" 

  I see what they are doing with Jackie now. She is spiraling more into depression, her dream and telling the Zombi Bevs that: "She just wants to be happy again." As she said to Dan last season, the Lunchbox was the last time EVERYONE was happy with everything. The show doesn't want to talk about Andy or really admit that Jackie has screwed her life up all these years since not taking the desk job with her old police force. She is a spinning, single woman who wishes her mother would just die, her sister was still alive and she be happy and nothing BAD would happen to her because she is in her 60s. That's depression. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

This episode disappointed me. The writers don’t seem to be making much of an effort. 

I love Ben. Clearly he wants Darlene back but why? He can do better.

[joanne3482]

11 hours ago, LBS said:

1. you can’t just get a 4am liquor license that quick.  Even in Chicago, there are only 32 places allowed that and only on the weekends. There is no way that could happen in Lanford.

I wondered about that. I didn't know Illinois had a 4AM liquor license but my first thought was isn't there state required closing times.  I could see it make more sense if they kept it open with food and non-alcoholic drinks because I could see Lanford as being a place that doesn't necessarily have a 24 hour diner. But I've never lived in a state that had some sort of extended closing time.  Maybe they already had a 4AM liquor license but never used it? 

11 hours ago, LBS said:

2. They didn’t get the place inspected?  But a franchisor was going to rent it and it was full of mold?

The mold is Bev's issue. She is the owner of the building. Had she rented it out and the franchise found the mold she would have had to fix it or else I presume the franchise could have gotten out of their lease. I would think a building being unusable would be a lease-breaker. 

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Ben isn’t David he isn’t going to just take Darlene’s bullshit but it would actually be an interesting story if they do actually work on the relationship.

I agree. 

[izabella]

2 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

No one in the Connor household has ever washed a comforter?  Ewww

They have apparently never heard of a duvet cover, either. 

[JenLily]

12 hours ago, LBS said:

1. you can’t just get a 4am liquor license that quick.  Even in Chicago, there are only 32 places allowed that and only on the weekends. There is no way that could happen in Lanford.

2. They didn’t get the place inspected?  But a franchisor was going to rent it and it was full of mold?

These two things really bothered me, too. For one, they didn't even mention making a change to their liquor license so it sounded to me like they just decided to stay open until 4am and serve booze, which. . . well, that's a real fast way to get your liquor license suspended and your restaurant closed. And I was shocked that no one would have done any inspections before they decided to open a restaurant there, or even lease it out to someone else. Doubly shocked that the people interested in leasing the place wouldn't have asked for an inspection in the first place.

12 hours ago, LBS said:

4. Odessa has been living on her own in a rented apartment for 5 years?  Who the heck is co-signing that rent?  I had to get my parents to co-sign on the lease when I was 21.  Maybe things have changed in 20 years but most landlords don’t rent until they get some sort of proof of secure income.

My biggest concern here is that if Odessa is currently 18, that would mean that she's been living alone since she was 13 years old. How is the police not interested in investigating *her* situation? If nothing else, Darlene reporting Odessa's living arrangements anonymously could get Harris back home with little blowback on Darlene. It seems Odessa's home life is an open secret so while Harris might have her suspicions, she couldn't prove it was Darlene that dimed her out.

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Ben isn’t David he isn’t going to just take Darlene’s bullshit but it would actually be an interesting story if they do actually work on the relationship.   My sister and her now husband broke up three times before they got married.  One time because my sister wanted to date other people.   A couple years later a friend set her on a blind date with this great guy who happened to be the guy who she ended up marrying.    Not every relationship goes in a straight line.  
 

Now that Darlene and David are over over it would be an interesting story to have Darlene actually have to work at a relationship.

My sister-in-law's husband cheated on her and they managed to work things out. It took a while and there was a lot of heartache but they're still together and happy now so yeah, I agree that I'd be more interested in seeing how Ben and Darlene manage to work things out (or if they even do) than watch Darlene hit the dating life again.

[Angeltoes]

10 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

Harris is 17. I can actually believe for a kid that age the cops would discourage police intervention.  The cop did seem to indicate it was Darlene’s choice, and I think if Darlene had insisted she’d have dragged harris out of odessas apartment and dropped her off at home, where she’d promptly run away again.  

Like in the original when Becky eloped with Mark.  Roseanne said there was no point trying to get it annulled because Becky would be 18 soon, anyway, and she'd run right back out and marry him again and hate them, too.

I'd love to see Vicki Lawrence show back up as Phyllis Zimmer and go toe-to-toe with Louise over Dan, since they probably knew each other in high school.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Angeltoes

[Chaos Theory]

There was also that whole thing with Darlene and writing school.   Roseanne was against it not wanting Darlene to go to Chicago alone but then realized if she didn’t let her Darlene would eventually go anyway.   

[bobalina]

What Odessa said about her parents lead me to believe they were currently serving 5 year sentences. Not that they left 5 years ago. At 16 she could have been emancipated and she could work, they've never really said much. I kinda thought they were setting up a situarion where she moves in with the Conners.

[peacheslatour]

14 minutes ago, bobalina said:

What Odessa said about her parents lead me to believe they were currently serving 5 year sentences. Not that they left 5 years ago. At 16 she could have been emancipated and she could work, they've never really said much. I kinda thought they were setting up a situarion where she moves in with the Conners.

If they're in jail for bank robbery, say, she might know where the loot is stashed and she's been paying her expenses out of that.

[iMonrey]

While we're picking this episode apart, I'd like to know why the Landford Lunchbox sign was already up outside the restaurant. There had been at least one other business there since the Lunchbox closed down (a Chinese restaurant) so I'm assuming there would have been some other signage. Did Jackie save the original sign and put it back up? Where was she saving something that big? In her apartment? That was the exact same sign from the original series.

Bev's involvement in this whole scheme (or lack thereof) is a sticking point. She apparently doesn't approve of the plan, given the note she sent to Jackie and Becky, so what exactly prevents her from stopping it? As I understand it, Darlene's power of attorney gives her the right to make financial decisions for Bev if she happens to be incapacitated. Which she is not. I don't think it gives her the right to go against Bev's wishes, and even if it does, that makes Darlene look rather villainous.

Quote

 Odessa has been living on her own in a rented apartment for 5 years?  Who the heck is co-signing that rent?

It's possible that's her parent's apartment and she's just been living there since they've been gone. How she's paying the rent is anyone's guess, but it's possible the landlord doesn't care who lives there so long as the rent is paid. It didn't exactly look like a high-end building.

Quote

How old is Harris that the police are like, she'll just run away again. Shrug. If you are a minor you can't live without a guardian, can you?

I thought that was actually pretty realistic. The officer asked if Harris was in danger or a danger to anyone else, she's undoubtedly dealt with situations like this before. And what she said would most likely happen is almost certainly what Harris would do if she went up there and dragged her home.

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

No one in the Connor household has ever washed a comforter?  Ewww

It's impossible.

[MarthaEllisanne]

This show gets crazier and crazier.  Jackie needs to smoke some of Odessa's weed and calm the heck down - she is way too hyper all the time.  Darlene becomes more of a mess each week.  I actually think Harris is better off with Odessa right now; at least she seems to be going to school. Did not care for zombie Bev.  Mark is somehow relatively normal in the center of all this spiraling.  Good idea, Becky.  The after-hours at the restaurant worked.  Except the after-hours stoner crowd with the munchies won't be coming to the Lunch Box because there is Mexican food (and apparently booze) available. It almost seemed as if the writers read some of these boards because they made a point about "this family needing a win." It will be interesting to see what happens.  

[ams1001]

6 hours ago, izabella said:

They have apparently never heard of a duvet cover, either. 

I just took mine to the dry cleaner. Cost me 35 bucks but so worth it rather than dragging it to the oversize machines at the laundromat and sitting there for hours just to wash and dry one thing (and I think it cost me 12 bucks just to do that, the one time I did). No way a queen size reversible comforter is going in my machine, or my parents'. 

Were the people in town really so attached to the Lunchbox? Seems they would have done better the first time around if that was the case.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

Quote

And maybe what happens is what happened to my cousin’s daughter in a similar situation a few years ago.  She didn’t come home for months, she dropped out of school and the woman who let her stay with her got her hooked on drugs while she was gone.  So no, it’s not a good idea to let it ride. 

Are you related to me? This is nearly word for word what happened to a relative in my extended family.  Except the girl is now couch hopping and managed to barely escape being sex-trafficked. 

I HATE whiny Darlene.  There. . . I said it.  I keep remembering all the stuff Roseanne did when her kids did sneaky things and it's like Darlene didn't learn anything from her mom's motherly ways. 

I'm speculating that Odessa's parents are the kind that perhaps travel a lot, either for work or to a boyfriend's house for long-term sleepovers and Odessa is left alone a LOT. My daughter was friends with a latchkey kid that pretty much ran her life at age seven while her mom worked and partied with her BF. 

I'm also guessing that maybe the Lunchbox sign was underneath the signs for the other businesses that came afterwards. And people are all about nostalgia these days. Perhaps a lot of those people that donated random stuff went to the Lunchbox as kids or young adults. 

Zombie Bev was hilarious and frightening at the same time. I wish Zombie Andy would show up .  #freeandy

[peacheslatour]

Quote

While we're picking this episode apart, I'd like to know why the Landford Lunchbox sign was already up outside the restaurant. There

Right? And the sign was in pristine condition, like freshly painted, brand new condition.

[txhorns79]

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

That was the exact same sign from the original series.

I'm fairly certain they just used the same establishing shot they used during the original series for that place.  I vaguely recall that truck always being parked outside the restaurant whenever they would have a scene there during the original run. 

[pinkandsparkly13]

55 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I'm fairly certain they just used the same establishing shot they used during the original series for that place.  I vaguely recall that truck always being parked outside the restaurant whenever they would have a scene there during the original run. 

I thought they were just using that old shot as a throwback, and to show that the Lunch Box was coming back. I don't think they meant it to be the restaurant now, and that they already put the old sign up.

[BeachDays]

Just watched the ep and I’m all kinds of confused for all the reasons mentioned.   First of all, where is David???  I know Galecki is only going to be on a few eps but SUPER strange to have this storyline and not have him involved because she might actually talk to him, and this is something Darlene should probably tell him about.  Hell she would probably even talk to Mark.  How old is Odessa???  Is she in her 20s?  I’m just so so confused.
I thought Ben was great in this.  You can see he still really loves Darlene.   I honestly don’t thing the triangle is resolved but it’s nice to see the characters interact.   
The whole Lunchbox happy ending threw me.  It seemed weird that everyone cared so much. But Paul Ruebens character was great.   I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him.  

[Lili]

I don't think Darlene should have been arrested. She was only trying to look after Harris. So what if she was yelling for her on the streets? If your kid is ignoring you, and you have no other way of reaching them, chances are, you would do the same thing.

[bobalina]

46 minutes ago, Lili said:

I don't think Darlene should have been arrested. She was only trying to look after Harris. So what if she was yelling for her on the streets? If your kid is ignoring you, and you have no other way of reaching them, chances are, you would do the same thing.

It was 2am.

[BeachDays]

1 hour ago, bobalina said:

It was 2am.

Yup and the officer could have gotten her-  I don’t have a 17 year old yet and I doubt either of them will be nearly as wretched as Harris (knocking on wood), but damn can’t Darlene grow a backbone and bring her daughter home ??  She is almost an adult but she isn’t one yet-  and Harris has never been a runaway risk.   But I know it’s a show so I gotta just watch things unfold.   It’s hard though!  Lol 

[femmefan1946]

When DD was 16, her boyfriend (15) and his sister (17) lived in a very high end condo, owned by their parents. The parents had built their dream home near a ski hill, 40km outside of the city, but wanted the kids to stay in their school, which was two blocks from the condo.
Totally selfish. And yes, the kids turned out badly.

Fortunately, DD is very tight with money and we had told her that if she could honestly tell us she hadn't smoked tobacco by the time she was 16, we would give her $1000. BF decided a girlfriend who wouldn't do drugs with him was boring, so the relationship was over after a few months.

DD put the money into her university savings account.

I actually think one reason they got away with effectively abandoning the kids was that it was an expensive building and the neighbours didn't pay much attention to each other. Social workers don't often get involved with rich families.

[Snow Apple]

7 hours ago, bobalina said:

It was 2am.

And the cop warned her. Darlene knew what would happen. I don't know what she thought getting arrested would accomplish with Harris.

Harris wasn't going anywhere. Darlene could have went back during normal hours to yell.

[readster]

16 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Were the people in town really so attached to the Lunchbox? Seems they would have done better the first time around if that was the case.

If they were that attached, then the place would have never gone out of the business either. Especially, after the last two years they said it was successful until 2008 crash happened. Because if the town loved it that much, then they would have made it out out of the 08 crash.

[andidante]

Maybe Darlene should look into Harris living with David for awhile. Not sure if that would work, but he is her father. 

[Snow Apple]

58 minutes ago, readster said:

If they were that attached, then the place would have never gone out of the business either. Especially, after the last two years they said it was successful until 2008 crash happened. Because if the town loved it that much, then they would have made it out out of the 08 crash.

I don't know. Just because they loved it doesn't mean they can afford to eat there enough to save the business. 

I used to buy lunch almost everyday without thinking about it, but can't afford it these days. Not even fast food.

[MarthaEllisanne]

12 hours ago, BeachDays said:

The whole Lunchbox happy ending threw me.  It seemed weird that everyone cared so much

This puzzled me, too.  I know small towns do come together to help people, but Roseanne pissed off nearly everyone she met when she was alive, so were there townsfolk she didn't get to? Or perhaps the people are supporting the Lunch Box now that Roseanne is gone? I get that they'd come out for Dan - everyone loves Dan.  But Jackie seems to be following in Roseanne's steps in antagonizing people, and Darlene is better at this than Roseanne.  Becky, while more sympathetic, has also started lashing out.  No wonder this family can't get ahead. 

[fraykis]

Just watched this and the previous episode back to back...wow.  A couple of thoughts:

1. Seeing Darlene try to physically manhandle her way through Odessa into the apartment was both hilarious and affecting.  I think she's so used to dominating through sheer force of her personality that she forgets how tiny she actually is.  Being physically large is simply an undeniable advantage in some situations, although if she had been able to force her way in, that would have opened up another set of problems.

2. It was fascinating to see DJ's non-participation during the big fight scene.  I think this is a reflection of Becky and Darlene using up all the oxygen in their formative years.  Growing up, DJ also saw Roseanne as the active one, and that seemed to repeat in his own marriage with his wife calling the shots.  With Gina overseas, however, he and Dan are both somewhat passive men on their own.  It's a refreshing reminder that men can't be stereotyped into one fixed role in family dynamics.  One major complaint I've had about the reboots is DJ barely registering on the radar.  There have been glimmers of plotlines (PTSD as a vet, raising a mixed daughter), but nothing has been fleshed out.  

3. For the longtime fan, the omission of Andy is such a gaping hole.  To retcon a character out of existence who was present for four years...that's longer than most TV series last!  I am fanwanking that the reason Darlene didn't mention Andy in her epic battle with Jackie is that she understood it to be the one taboo topic.  When you're very close to someone, you come to understand the things that will cause the deepest wound, so even in the midst of a heated throwdown, I imagine that Darlene wouldn't throw Andy's absence in her face.  Jackie's situation with Roseanne has been openly discussed and Darlene knew that would hurt, but she still loves her aunt and intuited that bringing up Andy would be crossing the line.  At least that's my theory.  :)

4. In Roseanne, and especially The Conners, the show has struggled to balance its want to showcase realistic scenarios for a lower-middle class family with its need to adhere to sitcom basics.  The reboot's bleak outlook has done a good job of depicting the cycle of near-poverty.  I feel like a lot of the humor has been sacrificed...I don't usually LOL the way I did at the original...but I love the reboot and don't need it to be a laugh riot.  The challenge is in frustrating the viewing audience with the characters' poor choices or repeated mistakes; they are usually true to life, but in a sitcom, they don't make for tidy TV.  This restaurant situation is the perfect example.  IRL, their restaurant idea would probably fail (especially with the severe mold problem); as a sitcom, the restaurant will almost need to succeed.  Do we want to see 40-something Becky with a new baby living in poverty?  Is that entertaining/interesting?  Probably.  Is it funny?  Not really.

Did not mean to write that much!  Whichever way they go, I'm glad that this series is running and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

[tessaray]

This episode wasn't quite as bad as I feared from reading the comments. I know newspapers are dying out but for the people of Lanford, the Lunchbox article could have triggered tons of reminiscing about better times. It worked for me anyway.  

Also, I'm a state over but the Harris/Darlene/police situation rang true. Well, except for running Darlene in once Harris came out. Though I don't blame the officer because Darlene didn't listen to her. 

Next time Jackie has a nightmare, maybe it should be about an Andy who never was.  Though I did laugh at the zombie Bevs. (I doubt I would have if I hadn't known they were coming.) 

[tessaray]

Another random thought... I actually like Ben better now that he and Darlene are broken up. I never saw any real heat with them though I did see chemistry with David.  (Note: I don't think she should be with either one because sleeping with your boss and/or your ex is not a smart decision but Sara and Johnny still click onscreen, imo.) 

In fact, I could sympathize with Ben using the tablet as an excuse to drop by. He didn't just lose Darlene when she cheated on him, but a family he unexpectedly acquired as part of the package.  

[BeachDays]

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

Another random thought... I actually like Ben better now that he and Darlene are broken up. I never saw any real heat with them though I did see chemistry with David.  (Note: I don't think she should be with either one because sleeping with your boss and/or your ex is not a smart decision but Sara and Johnny still click onscreen, imo.) 

In fact, I could sympathize with Ben using the tablet as an excuse to drop by. He didn't just lose Darlene when she cheated on him, but a family he unexpectedly acquired as part of the package.  

I agree I actually like him better now- my completely “this is tv so this is what I think will happen” guess is we will see Ben and Darlene get to a place where they have an opportunity to start anew, and she re-thinks her past with David, and then she makes a choice and sticks with it.  There needs to be a true learning moment, and I think her past will inform her future.  
 

I could be completely wrong of course as well lol 

[msrachelj]

7 hours ago, fraykis said:

1. Seeing Darlene try to physically manhandle her way through Odessa into the apartment was both hilarious and affecting.  I think she's so used to dominating through sheer force of her personality that she forgets how tiny she actually is.  Being physically large is simply an undeniable advantage in some situations, although if she had been able to force her way in, that would have opened up another set of problems.

Image if it was Harris who is twice her size and weight. How did two small people have such a large child? Terrible casting. Takes me out of it every time. 

[CrystalBlue]

14 hours ago, readster said:

If they were that attached, then the place would have never gone out of the business either. Especially, after the last two years they said it was successful until 2008 crash happened. Because if the town loved it that much, then they would have made it out out of the 08 crash.

Not necessarily.  Because of the 08 ensuing recession, people had to give up a lot of "luxuries" like dining out, even at cheap or fast-food places.  People lost jobs and sat home a long time before they could find another one.  Restaurants are the most vulnerable businesses and are the first to go under when times are tough.

[Bastet]

On 11/28/2019 at 6:16 AM, readster said:

If they were that attached, then the place would have never gone out of the business either.

A local restaurant (which was terrible, and this is an area where great independent restaurants abound) recently closed its doors after nearly 40 years, and people were all upset about it on social media, but increasing rent wasn't the only reason for the closure - the other half was declining sales.  Not all these folks who go on and on about the family establishment and oh how sad that it's closing actually eat there regularly to keep it open, and people being attached to a local joint isn't enough to keep it in business.

Add in the fact many people in Lanford know the Conners, and know about Roseanne's death, and it stands to reason Dan's sentiment about local folks wanting to see someone get a win would be brought out in this situation.  The Lunch Box probably lasted there longer than anything else that's come and gone since, so people get all nostalgic upon reading that newspaper article and try to help.  Whether that will translate to being a regular customer (those who can afford to in the first place) once it's reopened is quite the open question, though.