S07.E10: Higgledy-Piggledy and a Cat Show

[jewel21]

Quote

Bonnie is forced to relive painful Christmas memories when Christy recounts tales from her childhood to Bonnie’s sponsee, Patty.

Airdate: 12/12/2019

[proserpina65]

Oh god, not more Kate Micucci!  I was hoping we wouldn't see her character again.  I really don't care for her as an actress.

[ams1001]

Hey, a Roscoe reference!

Can I hire Tammy to build me a house?

I also want to go caroling with Jill's versions of the songs.

Three seconds of Gus in his PJs  made my day.

Edited December 13, 2019 by ams1001

[Packerbrewerbadger]

She was an annoying character on Big Bang as Raj ‘s girl friend and equally annoying here as Bonnie’s sponsee. More Tammy and Jill instead of wasting precious screen time on her.  I get where they wanted to go with the story, but wish they had found a different way..  ... please, please , don’t make Patty a recurring character!! 

[jewel21]

I really enjoyed this episode despite Patty being back. So much so, that I saved it on my PVR so I can watch it again. 

Gus in the PJs was awesome. I loved Tammy the entire episode. From building that amazing gingerbread house, to telling Margorie and Bonnie that Patty was going to kidnap her daughter, to tricking Jill into caroling and telling Wendy that's how it's done, Tammy was just plain awesome. 

[ch1]

I can’t with Patty.  I agree about the actor.  I just don’t find her appealing.  I really hope she isn’t made a regular.

[Guest]

I don’t like Patty but I really like how they are using her to show Bonnie’s growth. It was also really nice to hear Christy’s telling stories about her childhood without bitterness. 

I loved everything with Tammy and Jill. Tammy making Jill uncomfortable has her “boyfriend”, Jill contracting out her gingerbread house and then Tammy manipulating Jill into caroling. 

This may be my favorite episode this season. It had a really good balance of drama and comedy. 

[Amazee-Dayzee]

Hey Christy! Just because your son chose to live with your ex doesn't mean you don't keep in contact with him. This is either another way to do a hatchet job on Christy and make Bonnie look better (not too hard at this point) or Roscoe doesn't want anything to do with Christy like Violet.

[Agent 817]

Am I the only one here who doesn't mind the Patty character? I was actually a bit surprised to see her back so soon, but I didn't mind it. Plus, I don't know much about Kate Micucci's role on The Big Bang Theory (Watched it at times, but never really got into it), but I did like her in some episodes of Raising Hope. I wouldn't mind her as a recurring character, but not to the point where she'll be promoted to regular. But then again, I hope she isn't another Jodi. Not that I think it will go there with her, but you catch my drift.

As for anything else, I did like the caroling sequences, and the gingerbread house scene. I thought that the house Tammy built looked great. Probably one of the greatest gingerbread houses I have ever seen. Back to the caroling sequence, I was touched a bit by the part with the family coming out, especially the son with his wife and child. Then you had the part with Bonnie being emotional. I am really liking how they are having this character grow a bit.

[TheLotusFlower]

Wow, Christy actually acknowledged the existence of her two kids.  It's a Christmas miracle!  So she doesn't even see Roscoe on the holidays?  What a strange situation.  Just because he lives with his dad that doesn't mean she can never see him again.  I wasn't aware that he hated her like Violet does.  I really liked seeing Bonnie actually acknowledge what a horrible person she used to be and realizing the kind of pain she caused.  I used to hate when Christy would try to tell Bonnie how painful her childhood was, and Bonnie would basically act like it was no big deal because it was in the past.  I know people who really do that, and some of them never fully acknowledge the damage they caused their loved ones.  Most importantly, I absolutely adore Tammy!  She's quickly becoming my favorite character on the show.

[Lily H]

6 hours ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

She was an annoying character on Big Bang as Raj ‘s girl friend and equally annoying here as Bonnie’s sponsee.

Agree. I couldn't stand her on TBBT, and I'm dismayed to see her again here. I really hope they don't make her a regular or even a semi-regular.

[ch1]

The reason why Christy has nothing to do with her kids is because this is the Bonnie show now.    At least that’s what it seems like to me.

[Harvey]

Jill's "WHO IS SHE" freakout was so funny and also when she was like "having a boyfriend is so good!!" despite being stressed about Andy for days. She was the episode highlight for me.

[Chaos Theory]

I am not really sure what people expect the show to do about Christy’s kids.   I know for a fact the actress who plays Violet is busy with other things.  FYI she was really good on Why Women Kill.     The they could probably recast Roscoe as he is young enough and other shows have done it.     But honestly the show’s focus has changes from Christy trying to be a good mother with the ladies as recurring characters to a story  about Alcholics and drug addicts trying to move on even when life hands them a bunch of lemons. I don’t think the show is Bonnie’s show.   I just think the show moved on years  ago from Christy’s show to a group ensemble.   

Of course every so often the show will throw in a new addict.  Whether they stay or go probably comes down to fan appeal and actress availability.    I remember a vocal minority really hating Tammy when she first became a recurring cast member.  So I am taking a wait and see when it comes to  Patty.   Who actually may just be a short term “do as I say not as I did” stand in for Christy as  a young mother trying to get back her kid.    You know “this is what I did.   Maybe you should try the other thing” approach to helping.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Bort]

The thing is that they seem to be holding Bonnie/Christie up to Patty to show that you can make disastrous mistakes as a mother to your young child and it might not ruin the relationship. 
 

Except that Christie/her kids is the elephant in the room because it also might totally ruin it. Now Christie didn’t seem upset about Roscoe so maybe she did talk to him/see him in Offscreenville but in an episode where a character was so distraught about not seeing her kid on Xmas, Christie being seemingly unemotional about hers not being around was kind of odd. 

[AnimeMania]

I don't hate Kate. I have been watching Kate Micucci since her Garfunkel and Oates TV show, I not mad at her for taking her clothes off in the TV show "Easy" and again in the movie "The Little Hours". Any actress that I have seen naked gets a lifetime pass in my book. I love her as Webby on the new "DuckTales". She was a downer in this TV show, but I think that was the point.

I really liked the scene when they were Christmas Caroling and Christy spots a potential new boyfriend... until his wife and kid comes out.

[Harvey]

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am not really sure what people expect the show to do about Christy’s kids.   I know for a fact the actress who plays Violet is busy with other things.  FYI she was really good on Why Women Kill.     The they could probably recast Roscoe as he is young enough and other shows have done it.     But honestly the show’s focus has changes from Christy trying to be a good mother with the ladies as recurring characters to a story  about Alcholics and drug addicts trying to move on even when life hands them a bunch of lemons. I don’t think the show is Bonnie’s show.   I just think the show moved on years  ago from Christy’s show to a group ensemble.   

Of course every so often the show will throw in a new addict.  Whether they stay or go probably comes down to fan appeal and actress availability.    I remember a vocal minority really hating Tammy when she first became a recurring cast member.  So I am taking a wait and see when it comes to  Patty.   Who actually may just be a short term “do as I say not as I did” stand in for Christy as  a young mother trying to get back her kid.    You know “this is what I did.   Maybe you should try the other thing” approach to helping.

I am not one to complain about the lack of kids, because the show was awesome when they were included but it is also awesome now. However, the ones who keep bringing it up do have the right to do it. The show is literally called MOM!!! As for what could the show runners do? So many things. A really easy thing is to just have 1-2 episodes per season that include Roscoe (that really is not a lot anyone who wants to do it, can). Or just mention him sometimes. Like "oh you can use the downstairs bedroom, Roscoe is spending the week with his dad". Something like that. So easy, so simple, and it takes care of the whole thing.

As for Violet her storyline was beautifully wrapped up in the last episode she appeared in so I think she is taken care of.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Harvey

[MarthaEllisanne]

I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't care for Kate Micucci's performances. She's probably a lovely person, but the characters I've seen her play annoy me.  Otherwise a solid episode.  I can see Violet & Roscoe doing the same scenes with Christie twenty years from now since Christie was apparently as bad a mother to her kids as Bonnie was to her. I am in the minority that wishes the kids would breeze through every once in a while.  

[iMonrey]

My favorite line was when Patty was headed out the door to kidnap her daughter and Christie said "OMG we're going to be on Dateline."

Quote

Oh god, not more Kate Micucci!  I was hoping we wouldn't see her character again.  I really don't care for her as an actress.

She's definitely an acquired taste. And she doesn't seem to have much of a range either. She has played the same kind of sad-sack character in everything I've seen her in, except Another Period.

Quote

The reason why Christy has nothing to do with her kids is because this is the Bonnie show now.    At least that’s what it seems like to me.

Yeah, that. I thought this episode did a better job than usual in including all the characters. Jill had something going on and both Marjorie and Wendy had more than just one or two lines. That said, the episode once again revolved around Bonnie and her problems.

Quote

 I just think the show moved on years  ago from Christy’s show to a group ensemble.   

The show perhaps aspires to be an ensemble, at best, but if you count up the number of episodes that revolve around Bonnie you'll find them to be in the vast majority. It's clear whoever's in charge has decided that Allison Janney is the big draw, since she's won all the Emmys and an Oscar. And maybe she is. But I can't help wonder how Anna Faris feels about being the Richie Cunningham to Janney's Fonz. Hell, lately Christie is even more Potsie than Richie. 

Even when another character has a main storyline like Jill or Marjorie, Bonnie still has a main storyline too. That's not true of any other character. Every week Bonnie has either the A story or the B story (usually the former) and the rest of the cast - including Christie now - rotates weekly in the other slot.

Edited December 13, 2019 by iMonrey

[Agent 817]

2 hours ago, Harvey said:

I am not one to complain about the lack of kids, because the show was awesome when they were included but it is also awesome now. However, the ones who keep bringing it up do have the right to do it. The show is literally called MOM!!! As for what could the show runners do? So many things. A really easy thing is to just have 1-2 episodes per season that include Roscoe (that really is not a lot anyone who wants to do it, can). Or just mention him sometimes. Like "oh you can use the downstairs bedroom, Roscoe is spending the week with his dad". Something like that. So easy, so simple, and it takes care of the whole thing.

As for Violet her storyline was beautifully wrapped up in the last episode she appeared in so I think she is taken care of.

While I would agree about her storyline being wrapped up, it wouldn't hurt to at least have her and Roscoe appear on occasion. Hell, when the time comes for the finale, I would like to see them return.

[nodorothyparker]

I don't have any strong feelings either way about Kate Micucci, but it doesn't feel unreasonable to me that in a show that's about alcoholics and the group dynamics of trying to support each other than we're occasionally going to see different faces pop up.  The story that she came to spend Christmas with her sponsor because she's been such a train wreck in the past with her own family that they don't want her around rings true enough.  I did like her line asking what was the point of having 85 days if that didn't let her off the hook as occasionally it feels like Bonnie especially wants to use oh I'm a better person now as her own get out of jail free card for what she was and the damage she did to Christy.  It's interesting to see her finally taking some of those terrible awful no good very bad stories seriously just as Christy's reached the point where they don't have any power over her anymore and now she's the one who thinks they're just funny stories, where in the early seasons Bonnie seemed to shrug a lot of them off for a punchline.

I'm generally neither here nor there about the lack of Christy's kids as the show is less about that aspect now than it was in the early seasons, although it did feel like in an episode specifically focusing on what bad mothers some of them have been and that's why they are where they are now that Christy needed at least another line or two explaining why she didn't seem to be seeing Roscoe for Christmas at all or if that even matters to her.  Maybe he's like Violet and now that he's had some time out of the vortex of insanity, he wants to stay out of it.  But then tell us that.  Tell us something.  Bonnie's not the only mother in that group that's messed up badly with her own kids and should be feeling some things about it.  When was the last time Marjorie even mentioned her own son?  

The caroling stuff and the pajamas sight gag at the end were a hoot.  Jill was giving off some seriously unpleasant dysfunctional girlfriend vibes in a reminder of what a mess she was.   The writing and execution of it were great, but still.  Loved "Oh God, we're going to be on Dateline."

[Chaos Theory]

I don't want to get into a debate on this because it is a zero sum game but with a lot of shows the "odd ball" character in a pairing usually does get most of the good writing.   It harder to play the straight man and for better and worse Christy is the straight man.   Its far more interesting to write for Bonnie who gets into weird situations and to have the rest of the characters respond to them.  The same thing happened on the Big Bang Theory (somewhere in the show it became the Sheldon Cooper show and a lot of scenes were the group reacting to HIS crazy even though the show started out as a three way ensemble).   and it goes all the way back to Night Court.  Dan Fielding is the one everyone knows about and I think even got nomitated/won awards while other characters might have been better drawn out or not written for as well for no other reason then it is not as fun to write for them.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[eel21788]

15 hours ago, Amazee-Dayzee said:

Hey Christy! Just because your son chose to live with your ex doesn't mean you don't keep in contact with him. This is either another way to do a hatchet job on Christy and make Bonnie look better (not too hard at this point) or Roscoe doesn't want anything to do with Christy like Violet.

All this time he has been living with Candace, he has probably been poisoned against Christy. If fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Candace had left Baxter, but Roscoe continued to live with her. I might think that Christy's first case as a lawyer would be to try to regain legal custody of her son; however, by the time Christy passes the bar, Roscoe will be an adult.

Edited December 13, 2019 by eel21788

[Callietwo]

On 12/11/2019 at 4:19 PM, proserpina65 said:

Oh god, not more Kate Micucci!  I was hoping we wouldn't see her character again.  I really don't care for her as an actress.

If she happens to become another regular, it will be the end of my viewing.  I cannot stand her acting and her voice.  I actually heard her before I saw her... my first reaction was 'son of a bitch!"  

[Sarah 103]

13 hours ago, TheLotusFlower said:

So she doesn't even see Roscoe on the holidays?  What a strange situation.  Just because he lives with his dad that doesn't mean she can never see him again.  I wasn't aware that he hated her like Violet does.  

I agree. My understanding was that Christy and Baxter agreed it was best for Roscoe to live with Baxter and Candace, but that she could still see him. 

5 hours ago, Harvey said:

 A really easy thing is to just have 1-2 episodes per season that include Roscoe (that really is not a lot anyone who wants to do it, can). Or just mention him sometimes.

Other shows have done a much better job about dealing with characters that are no longer on-screen. They mention the character every once in awhile, so it feels like the character still exists, even though you don't see them. They could have done this on Mom. Christy needs to answer a text from Roscoe, or Christy can't do something because she has plans with Roscoe, or any number of variations on that. 

2 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

I'm generally neither here nor there about the lack of Christy's kids as the show is less about that aspect now than it was in the early seasons, although it did feel like in an episode specifically focusing on what bad mothers some of them have been and that's why they are where they are now that Christy needed at least another line or two explaining why she didn't seem to be seeing Roscoe for Christmas at all or if that even matters to her.  Maybe he's like Violet and now that he's had some time out of the vortex of insanity, he wants to stay out of it.  But then tell us that.  Tell us something. 

This is a major problem for the show. The writers just need to give us a quick line or two to explain the situation with Roscoe. They tied up Violet's storyline pretty well.  

[kwnyc]

I think they have to keep bringing in characters who are in different stages of sobriety unless they want to have more of the core group "slip," and we've already seen Jill and Bonnie do that. And, as pointed out, it does show the growth of the core group in their sobriety.

In my mind, Christie is spending time with Roscoe and he's staying over, but not on Thursday nights. 😉

[ch1]

14 minutes ago, Callietwo said:

If she happens to become another regular, it will be the end of my viewing.  I cannot stand her acting and her voice.  I actually heard her before I saw her... my first reaction was 'son of a bitch!"  

Same.  Whereas Kristen Johnson is a great comedic actress and adds to the show KM sucks the life out of it for me.  If it was a different actor playing Patty I would have zero problem with her.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

She's definitely an acquired taste. And she doesn't seem to have much of a range either. She has played the same kind of sad-sack character in everything I've seen her in, except Another Period.

Every time I see her on a show I expect her to look at the camera like this. 

Edited December 13, 2019 by Guest

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

All this time he has been living with Candace, he has probably been poisoned against Christy. If fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Candace had left Baxter, but Roscoe continued to live with her. I might think that Christy's first case as a lawyer would be to try to regain legal custody of her son; however, by the time Christy passes the bar, Roscoe will be an adult.

Baxter works at Candace's family Car Dealership, if Candace left Baxter, he would no longer have a job.

[eel21788]

8 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

Baxter works at Candace's family Car Dealership, if Candace left Baxter, he would no longer have a job.

Exactly why Candace would get custody of Roscoe instead of Baxter or Christie. Baxter probably wouldn't stay functional enough to move on to another job if they separated. He would also probably "forget" to mention to Christie that he and Candace aren't together anymore, but he left their son with his ex-wife.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

I'm generally neither here nor there about the lack of Christy's kids as the show is less about that aspect now than it was in the early seasons, although it did feel like in an episode specifically focusing on what bad mothers some of them have been and that's why they are where they are now that Christy needed at least another line or two explaining why she didn't seem to be seeing Roscoe for Christmas at all or if that even matters to her.  Maybe he's like Violet and now that he's had some time out of the vortex of insanity, he wants to stay out of it.  But then tell us that.  Tell us something.  Bonnie's not the only mother in that group that's messed up badly with her own kids and should be feeling some things about it.  When was the last time Marjorie even mentioned her own son?  

I doubt the writers care enough to think about it but in the last Christmas episode with Roscoe he went skiing with Candace and Baxter. I’m going to assume that’s a regular trip and he see’s Christy occasionally throughout the year. The older Roscoe gets the less it bothers me because when I was that age a set schedule with my parents went out the window. I saw my dad all the time but probably only spent a handful of nights at his house. 

The last time Marjorie mentioned her son was in the episode with Violet last season. They don’t talk but Marjorie is still hopeful that will change one day. 

[ams1001]

21 hours ago, Agent 817 said:

Plus, I don't know much about Kate Micucci's role on The Big Bang Theory (Watched it at times, but never really got into it), 

Her character was painfully shy with serious social anxiety (on her first date with Raj she goes to the bathroom and climbs out the window); her line reading and mannerisms were pretty much the same. 

14 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I remember a vocal minority really hating Tammy when she first became a recurring cast member. 

I remember thinking she was just a bit too much when she first appeared; a character I would only like in small doses, but they toned her down just enough that I think she works well with the rest of the group.

[TheLotusFlower]

On 12/13/2019 at 8:38 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I am not really sure what people expect the show to do about Christy’s kids.   I know for a fact the actress who plays Violet is busy with other things.  FYI she was really good on Why Women Kill.     The they could probably recast Roscoe as he is young enough and other shows have done it.     But honestly the show’s focus has changes from Christy trying to be a good mother with the ladies as recurring characters to a story  about Alcholics and drug addicts trying to move on even when life hands them a bunch of lemons. I don’t think the show is Bonnie’s show.   I just think the show moved on years  ago from Christy’s show to a group ensemble.   

Of course every so often the show will throw in a new addict.  Whether they stay or go probably comes down to fan appeal and actress availability.    I remember a vocal minority really hating Tammy when she first became a recurring cast member.  So I am taking a wait and see when it comes to  Patty.   Who actually may just be a short term “do as I say not as I did” stand in for Christy as  a young mother trying to get back her kid.    You know “this is what I did.   Maybe you should try the other thing” approach to helping.

I don't see anybody saying that the kids need to actually be shown on the show.  But they can at least be mentioned more than once a year.  Especially Roscoe, considering he's still a minor.  Characters can be referred to without actually being on screen.  It happens all the time.  So I don't really get your "I am not really sure what people expect the show to do about Christy’s kids" comment.  Perhaps just acknowledge their existence like they did in this episode.  It's not a difficult concept for the show to address.

Edited December 14, 2019 by TheLotusFlower

[TheLotusFlower]

10 hours ago, kwnyc said:

I think they have to keep bringing in characters who are in different stages of sobriety unless they want to have more of the core group "slip," and we've already seen Jill and Bonnie do that. And, as pointed out, it does show the growth of the core group in their sobriety.

I agree with this.  There's only so much they can do with the core group considering they've all been sober for a while now.  Plus Christy and Bonnie's relationship has pretty much healed now, so they can't keep going back to that well for material either.  They seem to cycle new characters in and out pretty regularly, so who knows how long Patty will be around.  Regina was there for the first 3 seasons, went to jail, got out of jail, lived with Jill, moved out on her own, started drinking again, and then disappeared.  So that's another important character whose story wasn't wrapped up but we never hear anything about.  I know Octavia Spencer has been busy making movies, but a quick "Hey, Regina moved away" or something would have sufficed.  Then we have Jodi, who was there for a few episodes and then died.  Nora was Christy's new sponsor for a while, then moved out of state.  Then there's Tammy.  I'm surprised she has lasted this long, but I guess the viewers really like her.  I didn't care for her when she first came on the show but I love her now.  I think she provides balance, and her comedic timing is great.  So maybe Patty is just there to serve as a catalyst for growth for Bonnie.  So far, I don't have strong feelings about the character either way.  I certainly don't hate her like some viewers do.  That could be because I like Kate Micucci in general.  I think she's quirky and cute.

[MissLucas]

Great Christmas episode - made me laugh and cry as it should be.

I don't mind Patty or the actress (she was cute on Scrubs) and I also remember that Tammy was not universally welcomed. I think everyone got some great scenes and Marjorie got an awesome sweater. I also liked the two scenes where mild-mannered Wendy hulked out. Gus really is a good boy taking all the weird things humans put on his body in stride.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I remember a vocal minority really hating Tammy when she first became a recurring cast member. 

I'll cop to that. But my objection had nothing to do with Kristen Johnson, who I have always liked, or the character of Tammy who was funny right out of the gate. My gripe was that they were adding another regular to an ensemble that was already spread too thin story-wise. Jill, Marjorie and Wendy already get so little material it didn't seem like a good idea to add a fourth.

Overall they've done a better job this season spreading the wealth but there's still work to do on that front. 

[ctlady]

So.....are we going to ignore 'why' Andy's HS girlfriend was at his parents for Christmas?

[Harvey]

36 minutes ago, ctlady said:

So.....are we going to ignore 'why' Andy's HS girlfriend was at his parents for Christmas?

She was there so Jill would have something to obsess over.

She's probably just someone who remained good friends with Andy's mom even after she and Andy broke up.

[AnimeMania]

10 hours ago, ctlady said:

So.....are we going to ignore 'why' Andy's HS girlfriend was at his parents for Christmas?

Depending on how big the town is and how long it has been since Andy had been back, Andy's mom might have told half the town that Andy would be coming back home this Christmas to see her.

[Bort]

Andy’s parents and his old girlfriend’s parents might live in the same neighborhood. He’s visiting, she’s visiting... there’s a zillion plausible reasons that she'd be around.

[nodorothyparker]

I thought it was implied if not outright said that it was a small town.  Shared church, shared public places, shared friends or former classmates.  It happens.  

[iMonrey]

We might not be through with the Andy story. I still think it's suspicious he didn't invite Jill to go with him and that he deliberately cropped the ex out of the photo. Jill says she believes him but she may be fooling herself.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

We might not be through with the Andy story. I still think it's suspicious he didn't invite Jill to go with him and that he deliberately cropped the ex out of the photo. Jill says she believes him but she may be fooling herself.

I really hope they don’t go there. Jill trusts him which is a huge step and I would hate to see that undermined. So far their relationship has been refreshingly healthy and mature. I would hate to see that thrown away for another men suck plot. 

Edited December 15, 2019 by Guest

[ctlady]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

We might not be through with the Andy story. I still think it's suspicious he didn't invite Jill to go with him and that he deliberately cropped the ex out of the photo. Jill says she believes him but she may be fooling herself.

Exactly why I was so suspicious about the whole 'cropped out ex in the photo' picture. 

My initial concerns are this:  she and Andy have been exclusive for a while.  There's no reason Jill should not have received at least the option to accompany him home for Christmas.  Either a) he didn't want to invite her b) his family didn't extend the invitation because perhaps they were hoping to get Andy together with his ex or c) Andy hasn't told his family about Jill so they didn't even know she exists to extend the invitation.  If they were casually dating I would think nothing of it, but something is....off.  Of all the people those 'fingers in the photo' could've belonged to (a cousin, etc) the writers purposefully made it Andy's HS gf. 

And kudos to the writers for having Wendy tell Jill to just stop whining and worrying and just call the man!

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, ctlady said:

My initial concerns are this:  she and Andy have been exclusive for a while.  There's no reason Jill should not have received at least the option to accompany him home for Christmas.  Either a) he didn't want to invite her b) his family didn't extend the invitation because perhaps they were hoping to get Andy together with his ex or c) Andy hasn't told his family about Jill so they didn't even know she exists to extend the invitation.  If they were casually dating I would think nothing of it, but something is....off.  Of all the people those 'fingers in the photo' could've belonged to (a cousin, etc) the writers purposefully made it Andy's HS gf. 

d) Andy's family drinks a lot during the holidays, and he knew Jill wouldn't be comfortable with that.

[ctlady]

12 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

d) Andy's family drinks a lot during the holidays, and he knew Jill wouldn't be comfortable with that.

I get that, but he should've at least given her the option rather than assume she'd be uncomfortable only to have her be miffed about not even being invited

[bichonblitz]

Dang! I missed another episode. I moved out of state and haven't figured out yet how to work this antiquated DVR system I now have. Anybody know where I can pick up this season's episodes? Thx. 

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, ctlady said:

50 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

d) Andy's family drinks a lot during the holidays, and he knew Jill wouldn't be comfortable with that.

I get that, but he should've at least given her the option rather than assume she'd be uncomfortable only to have her be miffed about not even being invited

Unless he wanted to drink with his family and knew he couldn’t with Jill there. There are a lot of possibilities. I hope that if it comes back up then the ex-girlfriend will just be a red herring.

I actually don’t find not inviting Jill to be a problem. They’re exclusive but it’s been less than a year and they’ve had problems. Families bring scrutiny and stress that he just might not want to deal with yet. 

12 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

Dang! I missed another episode. I moved out of state and haven't figured out yet how to work this antiquated DVR system I now have. Anybody know where I can pick up this season's episodes? Thx. 

The last five are available for free on the CBS app. The first five of the season require a CBS all access subscription. 

[Bastet]

40 minutes ago, Dani said:

I actually don’t find not inviting Jill to be a problem. They’re exclusive but it’s been less than a year and they’ve had problems. Families bring scrutiny and stress that he just might not want to deal with yet. 

I don't think it's any big deal not to invite your romantic partner of less than a year to your family holiday, either.  No big deal if you want to, either.  But no big deal if you don't, for whatever reason.  Hell, I know three married couples (all child free) who spend Christmas separately - he goes to his family, she goes to hers - simply because it's easier and a little more enjoyable that way.

[nodorothyparker]

If I had ever brought home someone I was dating to my Midwestern family for Christmas (which is the scenario we're talking about here) they automatically would have assumed a marriage or at least an official engagement was imminent and would have responded accordingly.  In the episode we first meet Andy he talks like his divorce is still a relatively recent thing and did a real number on him.  Even if he and Jill are exclusive and have been for awhile he may not be ready to open that door yet.