S02.E14: The Sleepover

[MadeleineElster]

On 2/20/2020 at 8:12 PM, break21 said:

I'll do my usual "Ron Livingston" is in the credits  Hoping for a Jon flashback.  Hasn't worked out the past couple of weeks.

I might be mistaken, but I think he's been providing the voice-over narration for the past two episodes.  That might explain the credit. 

[MadeleineElster]

I think this show is hitting a slump big-time. And I'm disappointed because it had so much promise the first year. I don't think it's jumped the shark yet, but it feels like the writers had a great concept for the first season, and created an interesting set of characters but now they are locked into the roles they created and there's nowhere to go.

The writing is lazy.  It's weirdly written and too simplistic-- and kind of sexist.  They create "saints" out of certain female characters like Delilah and Katherine, particularly when they are in traditional roles of being a wife or mother. Why must they be so unrealistically perfect? Delilah's little-girl demeanor is just annoying. She needs to grow up and stop expecting everyone to take care of her. I would like to see the writers take her in a new direction with a career, etc.  Get a backbone and a life. And I keep waiting for Katherine to blow up.  No one is that patient and understanding.  And when the women do work, it's almost irrelevant because they are never there.  They are always fixing some personal problem. Does Maggie even have any clients? And I get the feeling they will "solve" Maggie's issues by getting her back with Gary. Then she can be a wife and mother, too. 

Then they create "sinners" (male characters primarily) but never have them pay for their sins. Jon commits suicide, starting this whole mess. (Well I guess you could argue he paid.) Gary faces no consequences (internal or external) for basically stealing someone's dog.  And I'd like to know how he can afford to be without a job.  I know he worked in the insurance industry, but I suspect he still has medical bills from his cancer treatments. Rome is so depressed he almost commits suicide and yet no one sees that as a possible reason why he's so obsessed with having a child. So far Eddie has skated on his affair-- other than losing a guitar, I guess. He was doing some serious flirting with that musician-- and he was sober.  So let's wait and see...Katherine is right; there will always be another one.  I'm not saying they all need to be punished somehow; I'd just like them to show some understanding and self-awareness of their role in things.  Rome could focus on his script instead of adopting. Get his life together first before adopting. And Gary could give the dog back and get a new one. 

It's a shame because the cast is good and I believe they could play characters who are more interesting and have more depth but no one is giving them good material. I'm an old Psych fan so I watch the show for James Roday, but I wish they'd write a better show.  They are squandering talent and potential .

[Gothish520]

On 2/20/2020 at 11:32 PM, Lady Calypso said:

Now, with Sophie, at least it looks like she's not totally over things. Sneaking weed into the house and Delilah had no idea? LOL. I'm not surprised that Delilah didn't notice at ALL. That seems to be her forte. 

Unless one frisks their kids and searches their belongings every day, sneaking weed past a parent is a breeze.

On 2/22/2020 at 12:51 PM, Madding crowd said:

I don’t believe Eddie and Katherine need to tell Theo every detail of their marriage and its problems. Therapist usually say don’t treat your child like a friend, and talking to them about your problems is doing just that. Children need to feel safe, listened to and loved. Adults are not required to tell their kids of any age every detail of their lives. 

I actually thought Theo ‘s comments didn’t seem realistic for him. I could see him feeling uneasy with his dad talking to Dakota, but not thinking about him making a baby with her. 

I didn’t have an issue with Danny’s sleepover because Delilah made it clear she would be watching things. 

Agree on all counts, except I could possibly see Theo thinking about the baby-making with Dakota.

I just find that Eddie and Katherine are seriously coddling that kid. The way they talk to him, it's like he holds all the power. I kind of wish someone would just tell him to get over himself, jaysus.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Gothish520

[Clanstarling]

8 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

I just find that Eddie and Katherine are seriously coddling that kid. The way they talk to him, it's like he holds all the power.

He does hold all the power. It's a good thing to be thoughtful and compassionate to your child, it's quite another to let him rule the household. I like Theo, for the most part, but their parenting needs to be a bit firmer, imo.  They're teaching him the world adjusts to him, which is not reality and doing him a disservice.

[DFWGina]

On 2/21/2020 at 9:37 PM, KaveDweller said:

The only TV show I can think of where the couple ended up with the baby they were told they were getting was Friends, and that was probably only cause it was the series finale.

And they got 2 babies!    So they kinda ended up different than the plan 🙂

[KaveDweller]

On 2/23/2020 at 10:26 AM, MadeleineElster said:

I might be mistaken, but I think he's been providing the voice-over narration for the past two episodes.  That might explain the credit. 

I seriously have no memory of voice-over narration. Did they just start doing it?

[Pristine]

Theo's character strikes me as having some Asperger's traits.

[Katie111]

Did anyone else find it weird that Gary slept with the kids on the couch?  I know that "we" know he is a good guy, but if my son had a sleepover and the mom's male friend slept on the couch with my son I would probably be calling protective services.   It's not even an uncle (which would also be weird), it's just a random family friend.   Also, do Elliot's parents know he's gay?  I can't imagine both sets of parents would be okay with the sleepover.

Totally agree with the restaurant running itself.   It was a Saturday and yet neither Delilah nor the head chef/owner had to be there?  

Theo just drives me nuts.  He is such a spoiled brat.   Yes, what his father did was terrible, but even before he knew any of that, they just completely do anything & everything for him.   Like the food fight scene last week, anything to make Theo happy.   I guess it could be a fairly accurate portrayal of an only child, but I've never been one or had one so it just drives me crazy.  

And Delilah....wow, she just thinks she is the best thing ever.   Hate that Sophie just forgave her.  But this show seems to like to introduce big topics and then wraps them up in an episode or two with little explanation.  Or they introduce a big storyline, i.e. the brother dying, guy gets his heart and then just have the whole storyline just disappear into the sunset as if it never happened.  

 

 

[Dowel Jones]

21 minutes ago, Katie111 said:

Totally agree with the restaurant running itself.

Delilah will go back and find the refrigerators and wine cellar emptied, dozens of dirty plates and glasses on the tables, the staff gone, and a note on the bar - "You were the best ever!"

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, Katie111 said:

Did anyone else find it weird that Gary slept with the kids on the couch?  I know that "we" know he is a good guy, but if my son had a sleepover and the mom's male friend slept on the couch with my son I would probably be calling protective services.   It's not even an uncle (which would also be weird), it's just a random family friend.   Also, do Elliot's parents know he's gay?  I can't imagine both sets of parents would be okay with the sleepover.

I thought it was weird too. I am not sure if he was planning to, or if he just fell asleep while watching the movie. But either way, I would be weirded out if I was Eliot's parents.

Last season they said Elliot's parents didn't know he was gay. It is unclear if he came out to them since then or not. I'm guessing not, and that's why they were okay with the sleepover.

[LisaM]

I was getting bored too. Totally over Gary and Maggie. Not looking forward to Eve's baby daddy assaulting Rome and Regina. Theo acts as if he is age 7. Danny acts as though he is age 45. 

Agree with the above posters in that nobody seems to ever go to work here. 

[smartymarty]

Quote

I thought it was weird too. I am not sure if he was planning to, or if he just fell asleep while watching the movie. But either way, I would be weirded out if I was Eliot's parents.

Last season they said Elliot's parents didn't know he was gay. It is unclear if he came out to them since then or not. I'm guessing not, and that's why they were okay with the sleepover.

Delilah was NOT Best Mom Ever in this episode. She initially tried to trick Danny into sleeping in the living room so that she could watch him (what, all night??) rather than have a discussion with him about having his boyfriend sleep over. She doesn't check that Elliott's parents are okay with it -- yes, last season Elliott didn't want to be Danny's boyfriend because he was afraid of his parents disapproving of him being gay. Fine for Delilah to disagree with his parents on that, but not to go around them to do what you want.

I'm not as bothered in general about Gary sleeping in the living room, as Delilah knows he is heterosexual and I think it's a bit extreme to suspect every male of being a pedophile without no evidence. That said, she still should have advised Elliott's parents.

I said this on the last episode's forum, but I got there late b/c we were backed up on watching this show: Rome and Regina cannot adopt a baby without terminating the FATHER'S parental rights. Is baby-mama (can't remember her name) going to lie to the court about who the father is? Even if she said "I slept with 15 men the week Baby was conceived," the court would make her get all 15 to consent to terminating parental rights. She will have to let Abusive Boyfriend know about the baby. But that's IRL. On AMLT, I expect this all will be hand-waved away (or they'll kill Abusive Boyfriend).

I was a bit on Team Theo this episode for calling out Eddie, who was definitely flirting with Dakota. (And why were they practicing in the garage? It's not set up as a studio, and Katherine was not home, so they wouldn't bother her in the house.) Eddie's "I broke my vows" speech did not convince me at all. Both parents should have said "Yes, Dad has to earn our trust back. This will take time, but Mom is committed to doing it, are you?" And Eddie, a hint: flirting with your protege is not a way to earn trust.

I thought Gary would find a condom (unused) rather than weed. Big whoop on the weed.

Danny, you can't write a non-family member's height on the wall.

Barbecue sauce on popcorn is just a terrible idea. Classic popcorn all the way!!

Edited February 27, 2020 by smartymarty
typos

[Sandman]

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2020 at 2:00 PM, ams1001 said:

Eddie got sober when Theo was born. He's 10 but half the time they talk to him like a preschooler.

Theo was introduced in the first season as experiencing night terrors, and, it seemed to me, had some pretty high levels of anxiety and other specific needs. I had the impression, certainly in the first season, that Theo wasn't very socially advanced for his age; it makes no sense to me at all that his parents are only connecting him with a therapist now.

[iwasish]

On 3/10/2020 at 4:44 PM, Sandman said:

Theo was introduced in the first season as experiencing night terrors, and, it seemed to me, had some pretty high levels of anxiety and other specific needs. I had the impression, certainly in the first season, that Theo wasn't very socially advanced for his age; it makes no sense to me at all that his parents are only connecting him with a therapist now.

My guess is that living with Eddie and Katherine wasn’t a calm peaceful situation. Maybe not a lot of outward fighting but plenty of silence and a sense of resentment. Kids pick up in that stuff really quickly. When my folks marriage was circling the drain, they tried to fake it, but I knew it was bad, I tried  lots of  ploys to make them spend time together with me, hoping they’d like each other again. Maybe that’s why Theo insists on his nightly cuddles. And why he has night terrors and other anxiety issues. 

[Sandman]

10 hours ago, iwasish said:

My guess is that living with Eddie and Katherine wasn’t a calm peaceful situation. Maybe not a lot of outward fighting but plenty of silence and a sense of resentment. Kids pick up in that stuff really quickly.

This seems highly likely to me as well.

[OpalNightstream]

On 2/26/2020 at 8:26 AM, LisaM said:

 Theo acts as if he is age 7. 

Agree with the above posters in that nobody seems to ever go to work here. 

I have all sorts of issues with Theo. First, couldn’t they find a child actor who looked more half Asian (I’m half Asian as is most of my extended family and we all have at least some Caucasian features). They also make him too cutesy and precious and it’s annoying. Just stop already. If they wanted a wee little toddler they should’ve started with the character as a 3 year old. Soon enough baby Charlie will be acting more mature than Theo.