S03.E01: Keep on Truckin' Six Feet Apart

[Pallas]

The Conners are dealing with a global pandemic and life in Lanford -- where, it turns out, The Lunch Box isn't the only local institution that's recently re-opened. 

 

[ESS]

I can't wait for tonight's episode!!  

[peacheslatour]

17 minutes ago, ESS said:

I can't wait for tonight's episode!!  

😍

[TomGirl]

What happened to John Goodman?  He looks terrible!

[SoMuchTV]

Okay, I’m good with how they’re handling current events overlaid with the Conners’ situation. Just saying, maybe they could cut the budget for those fancy blue paper towels 🙂

 

[Annber03]

Welcome back, Conners!

Poor Mark. Leave it to him to be extra diligent with the safety measures :D. 

LOL at the "Laverne & Shirley" bit with Darlene and Becky :). I'm glad Darlene got something more stable, but boy, did I sympathize with her frustration about her writing career and wanting to do better and whatnot. Hopefully this work will prove beneficial for her and Becky in general, at least. And hopefully Darlene can still keep at her interest in writing in general-even if she isn't making a career out of it, she can still do it on the side both for fun and to further hone her skills. Hell, if she really wanted, she could always self-publish some short story on some site or something just as a one-off thing. It wouldn't bring in a ton of dough, but she might get a little something out of that and it'd keep her love of writing afloat on some level. 

I also liked the bit with Emilio, when he was talking about how often the rules changed for immigrants. That was powerful. I really hope nothing happens to him, he's such a sweet guy and I want him to be part of Beverly's life. The bit about him passing for white was good, as was Becky's "Don't romanticize" comment regarding their night together :p.

And I'm glad Dan finally relented and is letting everyone else help him out with the house and stuff. Louise continues to be good for him, too. 

The Clooney flashback! That was fun. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Annber03

[SoMuchTV]

1 minute ago, Annber03 said:

Welcome back, Conners!

Poor Mark. Leave it to him to be extra diligent with the safety measures :D. 

LOL at the "Laverne & Shirley" bit with Darlene and Becky :). I'm glad Darlene got something more stable, but boy, did I sympathize with her frustration about her writing career and wanting to do better and whatnot. Hopefully this work will prove beneficial for her and Becky in general, at least. And hopefully Darlene can still keep at her interest in writing in general-even if she isn't making a career out of it, she can still do it on the side both for fun and to further hone her skills. Hell, self-publishing is a thing nowadays, she could always go that route-it wouldn't bring in a ton of dough, but she might get a little something out of that.

I also liked the bit with Emilio, when he was talking about how often the rules changed for immigrants. That was powerful. I really hope nothing happens to him, he's such a sweet guy and I want him to be part of Beverly's life. The bit about him passing for white was good, as was Becky's "Don't romanticize" comment regarding their night together :p.

And I'm glad Dan finally relented and is letting everyone else help him out with the house and stuff. Louise continues to be good for him, too. 

The Clooney flashback! That was fun. 

Yeah maybe that was a little more eloquent than my response. 

[Snow Apple]

14 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

What happened to John Goodman?  He looks terrible!

I wonder if they are having minimal makeup sessions because of Covid? The all look better last season and I noticed the lighting is dimmer in some scenes.

As for the episode, it's a bit depressing. Darlene could have had an office job that was offered at the old magazine. But who could have foreseen a freaking global pandemic? 

[SoMuchTV]

26 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

What happened to John Goodman?  He looks terrible!

 

1 minute ago, Snow Apple said:

I wonder if they are having minimal makeup sessions because of Covid? The all look better last season and I noticed the lighting is dimmer in some scenes.

I wonder if part of it is the not-getting-haircuts thing. Plus I guess he’s lost some weight over the past few years. I’ve been watching The West Wing episodes where he guest starred (maybe 15-20 years ago) and I was worried about how heavy/ puffy his face was then. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

38 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I wonder if they are having minimal makeup sessions because of Covid? The all look better last season and I noticed the lighting is dimmer in some scenes.

Yeah, he's thinner and needs a haircut. Jackie's gray on top.

47 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

And I'm glad Dan finally relented and is letting everyone else help him out with the house and stuff.

Once you've been foreclosed on, you can't simply show up with a few hundred or even a couple of thousand dollars and go back to square one. The sheriff is still going to show up in a few days to evict them. This needed to happen ages ago.

I wonder what everyone did with their stimulus checks.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Aileen]

I found this episode incredibly depressing. However, I feel like for the first time since the reboot, I was watching Darlene and not Sara Gilbert.

[Annber03]

9 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Once you've been foreclosed on, you can't simply show up with a few hundred or even a couple of thousand dollars and go back to square one. The sheriff is still going to show up in a few says to evict them.

Oh, yeah, I know it's not as simple as that in the real world...but perhaps they'll address that fact in a future episode? It would be interesting to sed how they'd deal with that scenario, and what happens after that. 

Mainly I'm just happy that Dan isn't trying to hide the financial struggles anymore. Even if the others' offer to help financially doesn't save them from leaving their house, at least he knows they're willing to help in general. And now that Darlene and Becky have more steady jobs, if everyone does have to split and move to separate places, hopefully they'll be able to have a little easier time finding their own places, even if it's just some cheap, tiny apartment for the time being or something. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Annber03

[AgentRXS]

I thought the minimal makeup and unkempt hair was purposefully done to reflect the realism of people not getting haircuts/their hair done or caring much about outward appearance during the pandemic.

Ben should be going to work for Dan at this point,even if it is  practically for free. He looks strong and abled bodied enough to handle that kind of work.

Loved the Booker shoutout.

Wonder if the eviction moratorium will pull through for them, just in the nick of time. 

[Bastet]

Poor Mark with the Lizard Day cake; that would never actually happen, and was probably a step too far, even for a tag.

This episode was just okay, but I'm glad to have the show back. 

I like that everyone's quarantine hair looked like varying degrees of shit (well, who can tell the difference with Darlene's?).

Danny Trejo's character was so disturbingly accurate in having a mask on but taking it off to talk to Dan - the time when he most needed to have it on - and also that he'd sunk to taking a shit job like serving his neighbors with eviction notices in an effort to save himself financially.

LOL at the Booker shout-out.

Dan referred to Louise as being in their bubble, which is what I assumed when I saw the clip of her at the house without anyone wearing masks, but then an article said she's yet another person who actually lives there now.  But she still has her place (as she should), since she tells Dan if everything goes to hell he can come stay with her.  So is she living or visiting?

Ben had a couple of great lines: "The mask will hide your general contempt for humanity" and "I lost my business, I've gone through my savings, and I'm sleeping in your childhood bed, but at least I have your sour face to look forward to."

Emilio as Chaz Johnson was funny, and thank the gods for Becky telling him not to romanticize the night that resulted in Beverly Rose; I so hope they keep up with the marriage of convenience rather than forcing a romance between those two.

Jackie dropping off Dan's lunch where he'll fall, and then telling the girls about his situation was pretty accurate.  And Becky and Darlene crying over going backwards was touching.  "Well, maybe our kids will do something."  That line was heart-wrenching, given how hard Roseanne and Dan worked in the belief that they could improve their kids' lives by at least 50 percent; that used to be possible, but blew up in the '90s, and now Becky and Darlene don't actually have that hope.  Nice humor break with the Laverne & Shirley song, but a moving sequence.

This was kind of an awkward introduction to a new version of an old show.  We'll see how it goes, but I appreciate the effort to incorporate the wide-ranging effect of the pandemic without making that the sole storyline, and hope they get more back in the groove.

[ESS]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

Dan referred to Louise as being in their bubble, which is what I assumed when I saw the clip of her at the house without anyone wearing masks, but then an article said she's yet another person who actually lives there now.  But she still has her place (as she should), since she tells Dan if everything goes to hell he can come stay with her.  So is she living or visiting?

I think she might be doing both it seems. 

I loved this episode. Poor Mark trying to keep everyone on their toes with the checking of temperatures and everything.

Still love Dan & Louise so much!! Also loved the Dan & Louise hug it was so sweet! She still fits right in with the family.

I hated that Dan got tricked with the eviction papers that was awful!!

Jackie was so funny! Poor Dan got hurt trying to work, but glad he was okay after a while. 

Beverly Rose was adorable!! 

I'm so glad the show is back now. I was missing it. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by ESS

[Racj82]

I didn't think about it until Tara said it on the podcast but the pandemic is the worst situation for the Connors work wise. All their occupations got hit hard this year. 

I often laugh at people who have talked about being stuck indoors and quarantine and all that because my job as courier meant I never even got a chance to that. My life didn't change at all. The world around me did. I'm extremely lucky but I wanted to quarantine properly and just couldn't.

I love this fictional family warts and all. And I still miss Roseanne being here. Not excusing anything she said. They should have never done the reboot if they were worried about such things because her showing her ass is nothing new.

I want the best for them. I've never struggled the way they have but I relate more to them than the typical sitcom families. And I have struggled. It was just different.

[qtpye]

9 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

I wonder if they are having minimal makeup sessions because of Covid? The all look better last season and I noticed the lighting is dimmer in some scenes.

As for the episode, it's a bit depressing. Darlene could have had an office job that was offered at the old magazine. But who could have foreseen a freaking global pandemic? 

 

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

Poor Mark with the Lizard Day cake; that would never actually happen, and was probably a step too far, even for a tag.

This episode was just okay, but I'm glad to have the show back. 

I like that everyone's quarantine hair looked like varying degrees of shit (well, who can tell the difference with Darlene's?).

Danny Trejo's character was so disturbingly accurate in having a mask on but taking it off to talk to Dan - the time when he most needed to have it on - and also that he'd sunk to taking a shit job like serving his neighbors with eviction notices in an effort to save himself financially.

LOL at the Booker shout-out.

Dan referred to Louise as being in their bubble, which is what I assumed when I saw the clip of her at the house without anyone wearing masks, but then an article said she's yet another person who actually lives there now.  But she still has her place (as she should), since she tells Dan if everything goes to hell he can come stay with her.  So is she living or visiting?

Ben had a couple of great lines: "The mask will hide your general contempt for humanity" and "I lost my business, I've gone through my savings, and I'm sleeping in your childhood bed, but at least I have your sour face to look forward to."

Emilio as Chaz Johnson was funny, and thank the gods for Becky telling him not to romanticize the night that resulted in Beverly Rose; I so hope they keep up with the marriage of convenience rather than forcing a romance between those two.

Jackie dropping off Dan's lunch where he'll fall, and then telling the girls about his situation was pretty accurate.  And Becky and Darlene crying over going backwards was touching.  "Well, maybe our kids will do something."  That line was heart-wrenching, given how hard Roseanne and Dan worked in the belief that they could improve their kids' lives by at least 50 percent; that used to be possible, but blew up in the '90s, and now Becky and Darlene don't actually have that hope.  Nice humor break with the Laverne & Shirley song, but a moving sequence.

This was kind of an awkward introduction to a new version of an old show.  We'll see how it goes, but I appreciate the effort to incorporate the wide-ranging effect of the pandemic without making that the sole storyline, and hope they get more back in the groove.

 

5 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I didn't think about it until Tara said it on the podcast but the pandemic is the worst situation for the Connors work wise. All their occupations got hit hard this year. 

I often laugh at people who have talked about being stuck indoors and quarantine and all that because my job as courier meant I never even got a chance to that. My life didn't change at all. The world around me did. I'm extremely lucky but I wanted to quarantine properly and just couldn't.

I love this fictional family warts and all. And I still miss Roseanne being here. Not excusing anything she said. They should have never done the reboot if they were worried about such things because her showing her ass is nothing new.

I want the best for them. I've never struggled the way they have but I relate more to them than the typical sitcom families. And I have struggled. It was just different.

I felt like this episode was going back to the original heart of Roseanne, where they showed people financially struggling people with some dignity and not just as trash meant to be laughed at.

In the a lot of other shows, the character's biggest problems seem to be that they can no longer visit their favorite coffee houses or show off fancy designer clothes.

The pandemic has ruined many lives and some people might never get back on track. Many millennials were just recovering from the Great Recession when the pandemic wiped them out again.

Darlene and Becky are not even as young as Millennials...they are Gen X.  A college degree did not save Darlene from being much worse off then her parents...who were able to buy a house and raise a family on just high school degrees.

I saw an episode of Laverne and Shirley where they talked about how pathetic it was that the ladies were still bottle cappers at 28. Darlene and Becky have them beat. 

It was nice to see Darlene show some humility after she was so nasty about working at the Wal-Mart like big box store.

I am glad that they finally let the stupid print magazine idea go...it never made sense.

Nice to see Jackie being able to hustle so well at her age. I can imagine the Lunchbox staying afloat on delivery/pickup...particularly now that they have a good cook in Emilio.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

Dan referred to Louise as being in their bubble, which is what I assumed when I saw the clip of her at the house without anyone wearing masks, but then an article said she's yet another person who actually lives there now.  But she still has her place (as she should), since she tells Dan if everything goes to hell he can come stay with her.  So is she living or visiting?

Emilio as Chaz Johnson was funny, and thank the gods for Becky telling him not to romanticize the night that resulted in Beverly Rose; I so hope they keep up with the marriage of convenience rather than forcing a romance between those two.

I can believe that Louise is avoiding people other than the Conners, and that Jackie is being very careful with her deliveries, but Emilio must be living with his aunts (who may still be watching other babies)-that's a very big bubble.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ItCouldBeWorse

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Had Becky completely quit her job as a waitress in order to work at the Lunchbox? If not, and the show was being realistic and Becky lost her waitressing job due to the pandemic (and assuming she had been paid on the books), she should have been receiving $600 per week in federal unemployment for months in addition to state unemployment benefits, plus the $1200 stimulus check plus a $500 check for Beverly Rose.  She would have been one of the working poor who was temporarily much better off than she had ever been.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Chaos Theory]

I don’t actually live with my parents but I visit them often since I live closest to them.   This has been true except for the first few months of the pandemic.   Since I work from home I often go there for a quick lunch and dinner.  I am bringing this all up because I think that might be what Louise is doing.  It is far too soon To have her sleeping full time in Roseanne’s bed so she might spend a lot of time with the family but still go back to her place.   That might change now that money problems have become a real issue.   

And yeah forgetting Mark’s birthday was the only joke this episode that really missed.

Loved the Booker callback.

I think it was a great move to reopen Wellman Plastic.  

I am willing to give Ben a mourning period for the paper but if he doesn’t get an actual paying job in the next few episodes  I may lose my patients with him.  

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Originally, no one but Jackie knew that they all were potentially being further exposed by Emilio's unmasked presence in their bubble.  Dan still doesn't know, and he's the one most likely to fare poorly if he gets sick.  It really wasn't fair of Becky to do that.

Other than Emilio, I was impressed with how the show only had the regular characters remove their masks outside the house when they were with others within their official bubble.  (I agree that Danny Trejo was an unfortunate exception-Dan should have stepped way back.)  Blackish couldn't resist having Bow remove her mask when close to other medical personal, which I don't believe would have happened in a California hospital during the height of the pandemic (or likely even now.)  Even when eating outside, doctors would sit at separate tables, not clustered around a small one for an extended period of time.  It sends a very confusing message.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ItCouldBeWorse

[readster]

10 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Yeah, he's thinner and needs a haircut. Jackie's gray on top.

Once you've been foreclosed on, you can't simply show up with a few hundred or even a couple of thousand dollars and go back to square one. The sheriff is still going to show up in a few days to evict them. This needed to happen ages ago.

I wonder what everyone did with their stimulus checks.

Wish that happened with two houses near my in-laws. The guy was foreclosed on and sadly, they let him live there for 2 months and then decided to commit suicide. Many said if they would have truly "kicked him out" he would have lived with his brother and most likely would not have went down that road. While another one refused to leave and they let the woman live there for almost a year money free, even shut off the power to the house and they wouldn't leave. Once the house was sold at auction, she got up and left finally because a new family owned the house. She got ZERO, but kept acting: "Well, if they aren't going to arrest me, I'm staying." 

[qtpye]

31 minutes ago, readster said:

Wish that happened with two houses near my in-laws. The guy was foreclosed on and sadly, they let him live there for 2 months and then decided to commit suicide. Many said if they would have truly "kicked him out" he would have lived with his brother and most likely would not have went down that road. While another one refused to leave and they let the woman live there for almost a year money free, even shut off the power to the house and they wouldn't leave. Once the house was sold at auction, she got up and left finally because a new family owned the house. She got ZERO, but kept acting: "Well, if they aren't going to arrest me, I'm staying." 

It could be a situation like when the housing bubble burst and banks were very busy foreclosing, so people stayed in their houses for months before they were officially kicked out.

I have a feeling if The Connors ever truly lost the house, it would be the end of the show...in any form. It just would not have the classic Roseanne feel. Maybe, that will be a series finale episode (though what a depressing way to end the series).

[Arcadiasw]

Depressing but accurate first episode. I was annoyed with Darlene and Becky's treatment of Dan when he's lying on the sofa. Sure they can be upset Dan's being stubborn to ask for help but they've should've been more aware of things and contributing anyway. They are in their 40s and not teens. 

I laughed but cringe at Ben on financially contributing. 

I understand Darlene's sadness at not achieving her dream of being a writer but she has been so arrogant thinking she's too good for some jobs it makes me wonder what opportunities she blew before coming to Lanford.

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, Arcadiasw said:

Depressing but accurate first episode. I was annoyed with Darlene and Becky's treatment of Dan when he's lying on the sofa. Sure they can be upset Dan's being stubborn to ask for help but they've should've been more aware of things and contributing anyway. They are in their 40s and not teens. 

I laughed but cringe at Ben on financially contributing. 

I understand Darlene's sadness at not achieving her dream of being a writer but she has been so arrogant thinking she's too good for some jobs it makes me wonder what opportunities she blew before coming to Lanford.

Well, she's not dead yet. She can still freelance and who knows? Maybe she has a novel in her.

[Arcadiasw]

13 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Yeah, he's thinner and needs a haircut. Jackie's gray on top.

Once you've been foreclosed on, you can't simply show up with a few hundred or even a couple of thousand dollars and go back to square one. The sheriff is still going to show up in a few days to evict them. This needed to happen ages ago.

I wonder what everyone did with their stimulus checks.

I wonder if Dan and Jackie's appearances were due to a skeleton crew at the time of filming but I don't know when California open salons🤷‍♀️

12 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

 

Ben should be going to work for Dan at this point,even if it is  practically for free. He looks strong and abled bodied enough to handle that kind of work.

I was surprised Ben wasn't there helping Dan. And where is D.J.? Did they mention him still working or did I miss that? He has to be taking a hit at work since some businesses are closed with people working from home. Lanford is a small town and not a big city. 

4 hours ago, qtpye said:

.

I am glad that they finally let the stupid print magazine idea go...it never made sense.

Agree. Ben would be outside the average age but it would have made more sense if he's a Youtuber. 

 

[Arcadiasw]

14 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Well, she's not dead yet. She can still freelance and who knows? Maybe she has a novel in her.

Definitely but I think Darlene's flaw was putting everything into writing and not accepting other jobs in the meantime. 

[greekmom]

Missed the Connors and glad they are back. My thoughts:

• Everyone should have been paying some type of rent from day 1.  I can't believe that Dan would be that prideful. Back on Roseanne David was paying rent to them when he was living in the basement and working part time at the pizza place.
• Loved the Booker shout out.  Shows how much they have changed Jackie's character (for the worst in my opinion). They need to dial her back to season 2/3 of Roseanne.
• I never understood Darlene's employment situation.  She has a college degree. At the very least that would have made her eligible to apply for some type of middle management position somewhere.  There were probably many opportunities that she let slide to find "the perfect job" or a writer's job.  I remember the episode of Roseanne where she got the job offer in Chicago for 30K starting and Roseanne and Dan chewed her out about that. I am glad they killed the magazine storyline as really it's more of a pet project than an actual job with benefits.  (like people podcasting on the side).
• The fact that Darlene forgot Mark's birthday. That would never happen.
• Loved that Emilio is back!  
• Loved that Louise has integrated so well into the family.  
• Hated that the neighbour stooped so low as to serve Dan the eviction notice.  I guess it's a dog eat dog world there now?

 

[TheLastKidPicked]

4 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Had Becky completely quit her job as a waitress in order to work at the Lunchbox? If not, and the show was being realistic and Becky lost her waitressing job due to the pandemic (and assuming she had been paid on the books), she should have been receiving $600 per week in federal unemployment for months in addition to state unemployment benefits, plus the $1200 stimulus check plus a $500 check for Beverly Rose.  She would have been one of the working poor who was temporarily much better off than she had ever been.

This is something touched on in the original show.  The problem with Dan taking side jobs for cash is that he is not eligible for unemployment, worker's comp, or other benefits.  The problem with Becky and Darlene taking side jobs is they also are not eligible for these benefits.  

The Connors came along at the perfect time because with the gig economy, many people working for Uber, Lyft, and delivering packages for Amazon are thinking they will be compensated if they are injured, they think they will receive unemployment if the works dries up.  Then, when it's too late, they find out that as "independent contractors" they have no safety net.

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by TheLastKidPicked

[iMonrey]

Quote

And where is D.J.? Did they mention him still working or did I miss that?

There was no mention of him, but Michael Fishman's name is still in the opening credits. Also, when Ben said he was sleeping in Darlene's childhood bed, I was waiting for her to correct him because they are actually in DJ's old room. Mark and Harris are sleeping in Darlene and Becky's old room.

When Darlene was bemoaning the fact that her writing career never went anywhere, I was expecting Becky to bring up the fact that she passed on college to be with Mark. That was a big plot point towards the end of the original Roseanne show.

Lots of missed opportunities here, but continuity has been a big problem since the reboot. They still managed to get a Clooney callback in though. Hit or miss. 

[TheLastKidPicked]

38 minutes ago, greekmom said:

I never understood Darlene's employment situation.  She has a college degree. At the very least that would have made her eligible to apply for some type of middle management position somewhere.  There were probably many opportunities that she let slide to find "the perfect job" or a writer's job.  I remember the episode of Roseanne where she got the job offer in Chicago for 30K starting and Roseanne and Dan chewed her out about that. I am glad they killed the magazine storyline as really it's more of a pet project than an actual job with benefits.  (like people podcasting on the side).

Good points!

And this is the problem when the kids see Youtubers getting rich overnight.  They see others their age doing it and figure they can too.  So they don't want to take a job bagging groceries at the supermarket because it takes time away from them building their Youtube (or Tik Tok or Twitter) counts.  

It's the modern day equivalent of hopping on the bus to L.A. to make it big in the movies.

 

[lovett1979]

I would have preferred the Clooney line without the actual flashback. If Jackie had just mentioned that he looked like George Clooney, it would have been funny. But I feel like they put in the clip to show that it was ACTUALLY George Clooney, but most of the viewers know that already (and would have gotten a chuckle at the line) so the clip was unnecessary.

Overall, I really loved this episode. And seeing Becky and Darlene back at Wellman, looking like Roseanne and Jackie from 20 years ago, was extremely poetic, if not horribly depressing.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

 I never understood Darlene's employment situation.  She has a college degree. At the very least that would have made her eligible to apply for some type of middle management position somewhere.

I don't think it was a four year degree. She went to Art School which doesn't carry a lot of weight in the tech industry. If she had pursued graphic design, she would at least have a working knowledge of computers so she wouldn't be in a position like her mom, who didn't know an algorithm from the rhythm method. I agree she could have gotten a middle management job except she has zero people skills which is pretty much a requirement in that line of work.

[Chaos Theory]

Does Darlene have a college degree?  I was never clear about that.  Didn’t she go to a writing/art  school that ultimately doesn’t translate well into the real world market?   Yes she is slightly more educated then her family but I don’t think she has an actual degree from a school that matters.  I have three degrees myself.  Two of them are from computer schools that have since shut down.  I got them after I realized my English major in college didn’t translate well into the workforce.   Then again neither did two degrees from schools that don’t exist anymore.
 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Chaos Theory

[Winston Wolfe]

4 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Loved the Booker callback.

"Should have hit that until I broke it," you can always count on this show for great one-liners.

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Winston Wolfe

[Winston Wolfe]

45 minutes ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

The Connors came along at the perfect time because with the gig economy, many people working for Uber, Lyft, and delivering packages for Amazon are thinking they will be compensated if they are injured, they think they will receive unemployment if the works dries up.  Then, when it's too late, they find out that as "independent contractors" they have no safety net.

 

For some reason this episode made me appreciate more how fortunate I am. Having been self-employed with a stable income base since way before the Pandemic, it barely touched me financially. You watch the news and hear about families struggling, but it's somehow different from watching it play out, even fictionally, on a day-to-day basis.

[TheLastKidPicked]

19 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

If she had pursued graphic design, she would at least have a working knowledge of computers so she wouldn't be in a position like her mom, who didn't know an algorithm from the rhythm method.

You paint with words, Peacheslatour!

 

[Snow Apple]

It's probably difficult to find a middle management job at Landford these days, and Darlene turned down the job at the old magazine company and burning bridges.

Chicago is only an hour away though and she may have better luck there, except she probably won't make the effort. The plastics company is easy so she went for it. Nothing wrong with factory work; my own family worked in factories. But Darlene, like Roseanne, won't work towards a realistic goal and looking down on jobs they managed to get hired for.

Talent alone is not enough. You need to network, take continuing classes, dig for exclusive stories, create an online presence. It seems Ben was out there finding sponsors all by himself. What was Darlene doing except writing stories that the other magazine probably already got the scoop on?

[PradaKitty]

Darlene is just where her mother was - working  in a factory and wanting to use her talent as a writer. Becky is turning into Jackie. It just took the them 40 years to get there. 

[Chaos Theory]

The biggest problem I have with Darlene’s story is something you just kinda have to hand wave away.   She would in fact (pre pandemic at least) have a lot more job opportunities in the city where I think she was living before all this began.   Even if she lost her job and her marriage her children aren’t exactly young so her spending hours looking for another job and putting in the work isn’t exactly a big ask   Even if there was a short term reason for them to stay in Landford (which I think there was)  the prospects for Darlene are just better in a city.  Even if she has to commute.  

 

But then this show has never been about success it’s be about trials and tribulations and the hardships of the lower middle classes. 

[nokat]

3 hours ago, Arcadiasw said:

should've been more aware of things and contributing anyway

I paid room and board when I lived home briefly before I moved for a better job. I can't believe these adult women expect Dan to support them and their kids. Dan shouldn't even see that mortgage bill, but that's just me and the way I was raised. I can't remember how many times he and Roseanne re-mortgaged the house, but to live always under that debt and never getting out from under it is probably way too common.
 

[wonderwoman]

37 minutes ago, nokat said:

I paid room and board when I lived home briefly before I moved for a better job.

when i got my first job in high school, i had to pay something (not a lot, but something) to my parents. found out later they used it to insure the car my sister and i shared.

[rmontro]

45 minutes ago, nokat said:

I paid room and board when I lived home briefly before I moved for a better job. I can't believe these adult women expect Dan to support them and their kids. Dan shouldn't even see that mortgage bill, but that's just me and the way I was raised.

It doesn't sound like Dan was willing to even accept any money from the kids.  But I agree with you.  If they are in such dire straits that they are about to all be evicted, he's not doing them any favors by getting them all tossed out into the street.  Pride is one thing, but this also includes stupid. 

I wonder how they're going to write themselves out of this hole?  I don't see them getting a new set with the Connors living under a bridge somewhere dressed in garbage bags.  Maybe they can win the lottery?  No, wait, that's not a good idea...

[peacheslatour]

Quote

It doesn't sound like Dan was willing to even accept any money from the kids.  But I agree with you.  If they are in such dire straits that they are about to all be evicted, he's not doing them any favors by getting them all tossed out into the street.  Pride is one thing, but this also includes stupid. 

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." 

[iMonrey]

Quote

The biggest problem I have with Darlene’s story is something you just kinda have to hand wave away.   She would in fact (pre pandemic at least) have a lot more job opportunities in the city where I think she was living before all this began.   Even if she lost her job and her marriage her children aren’t exactly young so her spending hours looking for another job and putting in the work isn’t exactly a big ask   Even if there was a short term reason for them to stay in Landford (which I think there was)  the prospects for Darlene are just better in a city.  Even if she has to commute.  

Yeah that's been a problem with Darlene since the reboot. If she couldn't find another job in Chicago then how in the hell did she expect to find work in Lanford? This really does tend to feel more like a problem with Darlene's attitude than her abilities and/or experience, and that makes it really hard to sympathize with her.

Quote

I can't remember how many times he and Roseanne re-mortgaged the house, but to live always under that debt and never getting out from under it is probably way too common.

They were going to take out a second mortgage to open the bike shop, but then Ziggy left them a bunch of money. So I don't remember if they did end up taking out another mortgage for the bike shop. However, after they closed down the diner at Rodbell's, Roseanne told Bonnie they had two mortgages on their house. I doubt anyone would have given them a third mortgage.

It's possible they might have paid off at least one of them in the interim but when the reboot started it was clear they were in dire financial straits and that was before the pandemic. We don't really know how they got there because the reboot has ignored a lot of canon from the original.

Edited October 22, 2020 by iMonrey

[rejnel]

That flashback scene was a real eye-opener. I never watched the show when Roseanne was on it (couldn't stand her), but when she was kicked off I checked it out because I heard good things. And there were definitely things I responded to and liked. But I was completely baffled by Laurie Metcalf. I've seen her on stage (wonderful) and in other TV/movies (very watchable), but on The Conners she enters yelling, yells a bunch, makes giant muggy faces, and yells. And this was a lauded role of hers? 

The 20+-year-old scene with Clooney suggests that Aunt Jackie was once a recognizably human character. If Metcalf is now just phoning it in at top volume and picking up a paycheck, it's not a crime, but I'm glad to know this wasn't always the case. 

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, rejnel said:

That flashback scene was a real eye-opener. I never watched the show when Roseanne was on it (couldn't stand her), but when she was kicked off I checked it out because I heard good things. And there were definitely things I responded to and liked. But I was completely baffled by Laurie Metcalf. I've seen her on stage (wonderful) and in other TV/movies (very watchable), but on The Conners she enters yelling, yells a bunch, makes giant muggy faces, and yells. And this was a lauded role of hers? 

The 20+-year-old scene with Clooney suggests that Aunt Jackie was once a recognizably human character. If Metcalf is now just phoning it in at top volume and picking up a paycheck, it's not a crime, but I'm glad to know this wasn't always the case. 

Oh how we miss Cool Aunt Jackie. She was more together than Roseanne in a lot of ways and she lived on her own, saved money and loaned Dan and Roseanne money on more than one occasion. I think it was the Tom Arnold influence turned her into Wacky Jackie.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 10/21/2020 at 10:40 PM, AgentRXS said:

I thought the minimal makeup and unkempt hair was purposefully done to reflect the realism of people not getting haircuts/their hair done or caring much about outward appearance during the pandemic.

Agreed.

On 10/22/2020 at 11:41 AM, Arcadiasw said:

I wonder if Dan and Jackie's appearances were due to a skeleton crew at the time of filming but I don't know when California open salons🤷‍♀️

I doubt it.  Ben's and Mark's hair was cut.  Louise's hair was colored. None of them are main cast members. I thought Dan and Jackie's lack of styling was meant to add a touch of realism. (If Laurie Metcalfe didn't want gray hair and didn't want someone else coloring it, she could easily use a rinse at home.)

On 10/22/2020 at 12:42 PM, TheLastKidPicked said:

This is something touched on in the original show.  The problem with Dan taking side jobs for cash is that he is not eligible for unemployment, worker's comp, or other benefits.  The problem with Becky and Darlene taking side jobs is they also are not eligible for these benefits.  

Right, but any adult citizen who had an adjusted gross income of under $75,000 would have received the $1200, no matter the legality of their employment.  If they hadn't filed income taxes, there was a simple form to fill out to get it.

Edited October 25, 2020 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Chaos Theory]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

 

 Right, but any adult citizen who had an adjusted gross income of under $75,000 would have received the $1200, no matter the legality of their employment.  If they hadn't filed income taxes, there was a simple form to fill out to get it.

But they have never been good with money.   Jackie more then likely put it into the restaurant.   Dan is paying most if not all of the bills so his money probably was gone the minute he got it.   Darlene and Ben more then likely put it into their paper idea.   Becky into her daughter and hiding Emilio.   

[DanaK]

I enjoyed the episode, though any Covid-related storylines are not going to be an easy watch while the pandemic is still happening. It may be a comedy, but this show was always bittersweet

i hate to say it but John Goodman’s weight loss didn’t do him any favors. He didn’t look well last season and he doesn’t look well now

i cringed at seeing the baby on set. That can’t be safe for her

i loved the George Clooney callback scene. I agree that Jackie isn’t written well these days