S03.E01: Keep on Truckin' Six Feet Apart

[mamadrama]

21 hours 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, 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. 

My book sales have doubled during the pandemic. I think this would be a great time for Darlene to start self publishing stuff. The publishing industry is one of the few industries that's seen an uptick in 2020. 

This episode was bleak, but I appreciate them doing it. I just hope to see SOME kind of upswing in the future for them. 

[mamadrama]

20 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.

Do we know when this episode is meant to have taken place? That money didn't go very far around here. If my friends or family are examples then that money was used to play catch up with the utilities, car payments, and other bills that had been backed up. Some people didn't get their unemployment until months after they applied and some didn't qualify for it. Some are still waiting to get their stimulus money. We used our stimulus checks to get our second vehicle up and running so that I wouldn't be here alone with the kids without a way into town. We're 45 minutes to the nearest hospital. 

Becky quit her waitressing job before she knew there was going to be a pandemic. Had she stayed on then she might have qualified for the unemployment. She didn't know that, though. The benefits were meant to help cover the self employed, but that's been hit and miss. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by mamadrama

[qtpye]

7 hours ago, Arcadiasw said:

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

This.

My friend built a writing career from scratch after she got her English degree. At the beginning, she was barely paid anything and often had to take odd jobs to make ends meet. Now, even though she does not make huge money, she has a stable job that pays nicely and she can do it from home. This also allowed her to continue working during the pandemic and she schools her kids at home without having to worry about childcare. She is very personable and networked her ass off to get opportunities.  She never belittled anything she did or anyone she worked with (she was a bartender for a little while and was grateful for the cash).

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

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. 

I understand what you are saying. However, truthfully in the beginning Mark was very supportive of Becky going to community college and then transferring to a four year university. He was even willing to pay for all of it through hard work. It was not till later that he became insecure about it.

Roseanne always love to say that she "sacrificed" a great writing career by marrying Dan. She also believed all her daughter's failures laid at the feet of the men they chose. I think she was going through a weird feminist stage that seemed to say that women only fail because of men. The truth was the character was lazy and never had the hustle to make it in the first place. It is hard to believe this same character voted for Trump all these years later.

5 hours ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

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.

 

It is crazy how much money influencers make. I just saw a 25 year old buy and renovate like a million dollar house in LA and now she is redoing a luxury apartment in another expensive city. It feels like all of them are rich (though I am sure that is not at all the case). It seems like all you need to be successful is to be young, cute, be somewhat personable, and willing to share some personal stuff about yourself with strangers. Heck, some of them do nothing but play video games.

I honestly wish the opportunity existed when I was in my early 20's

And on the flip side you have Dan, a 70 year old who has not paid off a $20,000 mortgage in 50 years. That is mind boggling.

 

5 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

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.

This has always confused me but I think some of the posters were kind enough to explain her situation in previous threads.

4 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

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?

It always annoyed me that they called Lanford such a loser town when it was in fairly close proximity to the third largest metropolis in the United States. Particularly, in the mid 90's (when Beck and Darlene were young) the place was filled with opportunity. When I graduated from college, I commuted a hour away for a job in Atlanta, until I could afford something closer.

3 hours 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. 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.
 

It reminded me of the time when Mark and Becky were living with Dan and Roseanne rent free and announce that they are trying for a baby and Roseanne is so pleased. Truthfully, the girls have always taken it for granted that they have parents that are more than willing to support them. 

3 hours ago, rmontro said:

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...

Dan has always been incredibly stupid with money, though I like the character. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he had successfully ran a drywall business for so many years.

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

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.

Lord, how I loved Aunt Jackie. She was a million times cooler than Roseanne and dated guys like George Clooney. I miss the cool single gals on TV who just lived life to the fullest, unencumbered by children and family.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

19 minutes ago, qtpye said:

Lord, how I loved Aunt Jackie. She was a million times cooler than Roseanne and dated guys like George Clooney. I miss the cool single gals on TV who just lived life to the fullest, unencumbered by children and family.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/conners-premiere-story-behind-george-013006228.html

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

Quote

 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 imagine Dan is very old school and acts like it's his JOB to take care of his family (all grown up with kids, but still his KIDS). He probably didn't ask them to help because he wanted to be the "bread winner" and backbone of the house. Meanwhile the whole lot of them took advantage of Dan's good graces. It's the same reason I always try and pick up the check when my grown kids and I go out to dinner (and sometimes they let me if I'm quick enough). 

Wacky Jackie started unraveling after she and Fred broke up, but that last season and a half of the original show, she busted out of the mold. She starting to turn out more like Original Recipe Big Bev in her wackiness. 

Didn't they halt evictions during the pandemic? Wouldn't they also halt a foreclosure? 

Darlene and Becky breaking down was hard to watch. I hope at least a few of the Connor clan can catch a break during the next few episodes. It's hard watching it on TV when we've all been living it for months. 

[lovett1979]

Regarding Louise, this TVLine article confirms that she IS living in the house with the rest of the Connors. They probably decided that it would be best to quarantine together (though Jackie lives elsewhere and still pops in and out, so their Civid-Bubble is awfully large and multi-located). She still has her apartment, because this is a temporary situation and they were not at the "living together" stage.

https://tvline.com/2020/10/18/the-conners-season-3-louise-moves-in-katey-sagal/

[readster]

12 hours ago, qtpye said:

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).

It was just 2 years ago, was basically the local people feeling sorry for them. 

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, qtpye said:

 

It is crazy how much money influencers make. I just saw a 25 year old buy and renovate like a million dollar house in LA and now she is redoing a luxury apartment in another expensive city. It feels like all of them are rich (though I am sure that is not at all the case). It seems like all you need to be successful is to be young, cute, be somewhat personable, and willing to share some personal stuff about yourself with strangers. Heck, some of them do nothing but play video games.

That is a phenomenon that fascinates me because as you note, there was nothing like that when I was younger.  This is a new route to becoming a celebrity, but it's completely independent of needing to sign a contract with a studio, a network, or an agent.  The problem is it may not be sustainable for some because what happens when they get a little older and aren't as cute and charming?  Some are putting out substantive content and may be all right but others aren't and can be easily replaced.  

[CrystalBlue]

Well, that was pretty depressing, barely saved with a couple of good one-liners.  It was nice seeing Danny Trejo again but he was the "bad guy" in a depressing storyline.  Ben should have been helping Dan with the absent work crew.  Where did Jackie get the fancy Lizard cake and why did everyone forget Mark's birthday?  A box of hair color isn't that expensive and she has plenty of people to help her if she doesn't want to do her hair alone.

Can't wait for next week's riveting laughfest that is The Conners.

[tessaray]

14 hours ago, 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 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. 

 

MF is directing the next episode, so usually actors aren't as visible due to all the preparation required. I guess we'll catch up with DJ and Mary next week.

[Yeah No]

18 hours ago, qtpye said:

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.

I thought this episode was depressing, but then I realized how close to my own life it was.   I actually felt it was already far more realistic than last season.  I like that it showed how people from every age group can be negatively affected by the pandemic, and how people are trying to survive when life throws them yet another curve ball.  

6 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Do we know when this episode is meant to have taken place? That money didn't go very far around here. If my friends or family are examples then that money was used to play catch up with the utilities, car payments, and other bills that had been backed up. Some people didn't get their unemployment until months after they applied and some didn't qualify for it. Some are still waiting to get their stimulus money. We used our stimulus checks to get our second vehicle up and running so that I wouldn't be here alone with the kids without a way into town. We're 45 minutes to the nearest hospital. 

Becky quit her waitressing job before she knew there was going to be a pandemic. Had she stayed on then she might have qualified for the unemployment. She didn't know that, though. The benefits were meant to help cover the self employed, but that's been hit and miss. 

Now this is something I know about since I'm way deep in being financially affected by this pandemic.  The rules surrounding eligibility for unemployment were seriously changed/relaxed due to the pandemic.  I'm not sure if it's the same in every state but some of it is nationwide.  Becky might have qualified for unemployment benefits anyway even if she quit, and even if she did so months prior to the pandemic - the rules about the length of time are way more flexible now.  In my case I qualified because my job ended within a year of filing.  If her employer didn't contest it it would go through especially if her immediate future work prospects are slim to none due to the pandemic (which would be the case for a waitress).  And from my experience employers aren't even paying into it right now.  Also, self-employed people are often still eligible for special CARES Act "Pandemic Unemployment" if their source of income has dried up due to the pandemic and they are not eligible for regular unemployment.  This applies to contractors and even self-employed single person business owners like lawyers and limousine owner/drivers (like my husband).  Plus if they own a business they also qualify for the small business loans that supposedly are forgiven by the government.

I saw a lot of posts upthread mention a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions - yes, there is one.  I am hoping the show will be realistic and show them benefitting from this.  Something has to save them at the 11th hour or this show would be in deep trouble without that house.  Also, there are mortgage deferments being granted and extended again and again.  I'm just amazed that Dan is just now asking the others to contribute.  It's way past time to do that.  How could that possibly help them when he's so close to losing the house that the bank wouldn't accept mortgage payments anyway?

Speaking of stimulus payments, my husband and I only just got ours.  We had filed 2019 taxes but had refiled right before the pandemic in light of new information that would get us a better refund.  When that was finally processed (which took months), we got it.  Despite the fact that the deadline to file 2019 taxes was extended to just a few days ago, stimulus payments were being delayed until 2019 taxes were filed and processed.  And this is contrary to what a lot of websites were saying, which was that you'd get your stimulus payments based on 2018 taxes.

Also, I appreciated the flashback scene with George Clooney or I would never have understood the deeper significance of that line since I was not a big fan of the show back in the day and only watched it here and there.  When I think about why I didn't love the show back then, I realize now that I could only stomach Roseanne Barr in very small doses.  I guess my stomach got stronger, so when they rebooted the series I was OK with watching her.  I had just started to become OK with it when she was axed from the show.  Since then the show seemed to be limping along looking for a direction.  Perhaps the pandemic in its own way can provide a way for the show to embark on a new chapter and find that direction.  It's too soon to tell yet if it will do that well or not.  We'll see!

[mamadrama]

11 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I thought this episode was depressing, but then I realized how close to my own life it was.   I actually felt it was already far more realistic than last season.  I like that it showed how people from every age group can be negatively affected by the pandemic, and how people are trying to survive when life throws them yet another curve ball.  

Now this is something I know about since I'm way deep in being financially affected by this pandemic.  The rules surrounding eligibility for unemployment were seriously changed/relaxed due to the pandemic.  I'm not sure if it's the same in every state but some of it is nationwide.  Becky might have qualified for unemployment benefits anyway even if she quit, and even if she did so months prior to the pandemic - the rules about the length of time are way more flexible now.  In my case I qualified because my job ended within a year of filing.  If her employer didn't contest it it would go through especially if her immediate future work prospects are slim to none due to the pandemic (which would be the case for a waitress).  And from my experience employers aren't even paying into it right now.  Also, self-employed people are often still eligible for special CARES Act "Pandemic Unemployment" if their source of income has dried up due to the pandemic and they are not eligible for regular unemployment.  This applies to contractors and even self-employed single person business owners like lawyers and limousine owner/drivers (like my husband).  Plus if they own a business they also qualify for the small business loans that supposedly are forgiven by the government.

I saw a lot of posts upthread mention a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions - yes, there is one.  I am hoping the show will be realistic and show them benefitting from this.  Something has to save them at the 11th hour or this show would be in deep trouble without that house.  Also, there are mortgage deferments being granted and extended again and again.  I'm just amazed that Dan is just now asking the others to contribute.  It's way past time to do that.  How could that possibly help them when he's so close to losing the house that the bank wouldn't accept mortgage payments anyway?

Speaking of stimulus payments, my husband and I only just got ours.  We had filed 2019 taxes but had refiled right before the pandemic in light of new information that would get us a better refund.  When that was finally processed (which took months), we got it.  Despite the fact that the deadline to file 2019 taxes was extended to just a few days ago, stimulus payments were being delayed until 2019 taxes were filed and processed.  And this is contrary to what a lot of websites were saying, which was that you'd get your stimulus payments based on 2018 taxes.

Also, I appreciated the flashback scene with George Clooney or I would never have understood the deeper significance of that line since I was not a big fan of the show back in the day and only watched it here and there.  When I think about why I didn't love the show back then, I realize now that I could only stomach Roseanne Barr in very small doses.  I guess my stomach got stronger, so when they rebooted the series I was OK with watching her.  I had just started to become OK with it when she was axed from the show.  Since then the show seemed to be limping along looking for a direction.  Perhaps the pandemic in its own way can provide a way for the show to embark on a new chapter and find that direction.  It's too soon to tell yet if it will do that well or not.  We'll see!

That's one of the reasons why I was wondering when the episode was meant to have taken place. I hope they'll address the halt of foreclosures, stimulus checks, etc. 

[Cherpumple]

My favorite part of this episode was that the whole "Ben and Darlene might have a baby" storyline wasn't mentioned at all. Woohoo! Hopefully the Covid storyline killed that idea for good.

My second favorite part was the bonding and joking between Becky and Darlene. I always loved the scenes when they helped each other out and gave each other advice way more than all their bickering, and it was nice to see the sisterly bond on display again. More of that, please!

[qtpye]

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

That is a phenomenon that fascinates me because as you note, there was nothing like that when I was younger.  This is a new route to becoming a celebrity, but it's completely independent of needing to sign a contract with a studio, a network, or an agent.  The problem is it may not be sustainable for some because what happens when they get a little older and aren't as cute and charming?  Some are putting out substantive content and may be all right but others aren't and can be easily replaced.  

The influencer I was talking about realizes how this can be taken away in an instant. She actually is saving her coin and plans to go back to college and invest. She probably has already earned more money in the last 5 years than many people do in a lifetime. Of course, the Kardashian have been going strong and now no longer need their stupid tv show. Kim says she makes more in 1 day on Instagram than in a whole season of the show.

However, having to constantly produce content and share your life online with strangers has got to be stressful.  

It is both infuriating and impressive.

I would really like a survey on how many people under age 25 earn some form of income from social media.  I know most are not making the big bucks but it is probably a pretty decent side hustle

2 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

My favorite part of this episode was that the whole "Ben and Darlene might have a baby" storyline wasn't mentioned at all. Woohoo! Hopefully the Covid storyline killed that idea for good.

My second favorite part was the bonding and joking between Becky and Darlene. I always loved the scenes when they helped each other out and gave each other advice way more than all their bickering, and it was nice to see the sisterly bond on display again. More of that, please!

Oh praise the TV Gods that they no longer have Darlene and Ben trying to have a baby! They are now two broke middle age people, living with Darlene's elderly father and Darlene can not even be bothered to remember the birthday of her youngest child.

I always found it interesting that Roseanne and Jackie were almost joined at the hip in their closeness but Darlene and Becky never got along.

Hopefully, they both will be able to lean on each other now as they face an uncertain future (along with the rest of the nation).

[Snow Apple]

6 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

  Ben should have been helping Dan with the absent work crew. 

I read this from several posters but Dan, stubborn and prideful, didn't tell anyone what's happening. Jackie only found out he laid off his crew by accident.

Hopefully Ben will help out now that it's all out in the open. And is DJ still working at that vending machine company? Many machines in my area have been shut off due to Covid. He can help too.

Since it's a tv show, I'm sure they'll save the house at the last minute. Whether by some government thing or another handout from Bev. 

[theredhead77]

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said but I am so glad The Connors is back.

Re: appearances. John Goodman lost a significant amount of weight late in life and his appearance is a reflection of his skin not bouncing back + age + pandemic lack of haircuts and whatever costume designs they made for Dan.

Maybe Laurie Metcalf doesn't care about her hair and doesn't want to mess around with coloring it so Jackie doesn't have died hair. It also wouldn't be out of character for Jackie not giving her hair color a thought when she is busting her ass to make ends meet. Sure, hair color isn't that expensive to most of us, but to the working poor that $10 can be groceries for several meals.

I appreciate that only the main cast removed their masks. Sure, it happened when it wasn't supposed to (talking) and sends a conflicting message but it does reflect reality and my guess would be they had to lower them when speaking for filming purposes.

Edited October 23, 2020 by theredhead77

[Winston Wolfe]

17 hours ago, DanaK said:

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

I'd rather not see Covid-storylines, but Roseanne as a show was always about topicality. I agree about John Goodman, he always seems to look tired these days. The "Wacky Jackie" persona wore thin even in the original's final seasons. Never sure why the show-runners felt it necessary.

19 hours ago, iMonrey said:

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.

I really can't get into the "woe-is-me" attitude where Darlene and Becky are concerned. The two of them winding up like younger versions of Roseanne and Jackie was never a predetermined outcome. They have both made tons of bad decisions along the way, things go bad, and then they default to "oh we never had a chance to escape poverty" card. You could make the argument that the two of them are still making bad decisions, especially in Darlene's case.

Edited October 23, 2020 by Winston Wolfe

[theredhead77]

26 minutes ago, Winston Wolfe said:

They have both made tons of bad decisions along the way, things go bad, and then they default to "oh we never had a chance to escape poverty" card. You could make the argument that the two of them are still making bad decisions, especially in Darlene's case.

I don't think they were playing that card. I think they were realizing they had good shots at doing better but royally messed up when they were younger and while they probably realized it, reality is really sinking in, like it does for a lot of us once we hit our 40s. I'm sure having a lot of "man, I wish I made other decisions in my 20s and 30s" moments these days so while my situation isn't even close to Becky and Darlene's, the internal realization of reality moment felt pretty spot on.

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

Re: appearances. John Goodman lost a significant amount of weight late in life and his appearance is a reflection of his skin not bouncing back + age + pandemic lack of haircuts and whatever costume designs they made for Dan

The best way to get in shape is to never get out of shape at all.  Some people can bounce back and look great, but some people show lasting effects.

[Cherpumple]

Jackie's hair was a bit jarring at first, but now I'm rooting for her to embrace her natural gray/silver tones. If she got a cute pixie cut again (like when Andy was a baby) it would look great.

[ams1001]

 

20 hours ago, qtpye said:

It reminded me of the time when Mark and Becky were living with Dan and Roseanne rent free and announce that they are trying for a baby and Roseanne is so pleased. Truthfully, the girls have always taken it for granted that they have parents that are more than willing to support them. 

My parents would be willing to support me if I really needed it (and, while not rich, are in a much better financial position than Dan), but they still made me pay rent when I lived with them after college. Granted, it was less than I would have paid anywhere else, and I got six months after graduating before I had to start paying, but I still had to pay. (They wouldn't have kicked me out if I truly couldn't afford it, though.) There's supporting, and then there's enabling. Dan enables them to continue making bad decisions (not that he's been a great example, himself). 

[snarkylady]

I can't recall -- does David pay alimony to benefit his children? 

Overall an extremely realistic depiction of what many families are going through with Covid, but I have to admit that I am really tired of watching the Conner family struggle financially and I found this episode terribly depressing. 

[Browncoat]

I really wish they'd film a new opening.  The plate switch is not well done, and I'm over the whole sausage thing.

Loved the Clooney flashback.  I always thought Booker was a good match for Jackie.  Well, except for that whole he's her boss thing, of course.

Laurie Metcalf's legs look great!  

It is kind of a step backward for Darlene and Becky to work at Wellman, but when Roseanne worked there, the Conners were never hurting for money in the same way as they were after they all quit.  Plus, those jobs should come with benefits, right?  

Solid, realistic ep, IMO.

[TheLastKidPicked]

28 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

It is kind of a step backward for Darlene and Becky to work at Wellman, but when Roseanne worked there, the Conners were never hurting for money in the same way as they were after they all quit.  Plus, those jobs should come with benefits, right?  

It would be interesting to see them go even deeper into this storyline.

If you grew up in the midwest, you have seen this many times.  A person graduates from High School or college and sets out to make her mark on the world.  She'll be a writer, exploring the world and sharing her adventures with others.  Or a journalist, covering that big story.  Or an entrepreneur, building that great new business.

And when they return and have to take that factory job, it's often very depressing.  It's almost admitting to yourself that the big plans are not going to happen.  As they showed in the Lavern and Shirley comparison, the future is not bright.  They see people ten or twenty years older than they are, and those people are still stuck in exactly the same job.

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by TheLastKidPicked

[Aileen]

On 10/22/2020 at 5:43 PM, DanaK said:

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

It didn’t look to me like the baby was actually on set. When Emilio approached the pack n play you couldn’t see her. Then they cut to a shot of her. I didn’t think they showed the baby interacting with any of the cast.

[Snow Apple]

2 hours ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

And when they return and have to take that factory job, it's often very depressing.  It's almost admitting to yourself that the big plans are not going to happen.  As they showed in the Lavern and Shirley comparison, the future is not bright.  They see people ten or twenty years older than they are, and those people are still stuck in exactly the same job.

 

Yeah that was sad. They were having fun pretending to be Laverne and Shirley, and then realized the characters were in their 20's and still have decades to dream about making it big. In your 40's, dreams are harder to come by and you just want some peace and survive.

[Winston Wolfe]

6 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I really wish they'd film a new opening.  The plate switch is not well done, and I'm over the whole sausage thing.

This may sound silly, but the sausage thing always made me nervous, part of me worried that JG might have swallowed the whole damn thing by accident and then needed the Heimlich maneuver. Although it is such a Dan Conner move, lol.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Winston Wolfe

[CrystalBlue]

30 minutes ago, Winston Wolfe said:

This may sound silly, but the sausage thing always made me nervous, part of me worried that JG might have swallowed the whole damn thing by accident and then need the Heimlich maneuver. Although it is such a Dan Conner move, lol.

I was never a fan of the sausage thing.  It's the one thing I dislike about the opening scene.  I'd be happy if they filmed a new opening scene to reflect Ben being permanent cast.  A shot of Louise lurking in the corner somewhere or passing by wouldn't hurt either, but please add Ben and subtract any sausage shenanigans.

[qtpye]

15 hours ago, snarkylady said:

I can't recall -- does David pay alimony to benefit his children? 

Overall an extremely realistic depiction of what many families are going through with Covid, but I have to admit that I am really tired of watching the Conner family struggle financially and I found this episode terribly depressing. 

One of the reasons Darlene is in the situation that she is in is because David abandoned her and has no relationship with his children. His excuse has been his brother's death. I hated when Roseanne embraced David (like he is the one who is suffering...not his innocent children) in the first season. David abandoned his family

People think David is nice because he is incredibly meek and passive. I always thought he was very self centered.

14 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I really wish they'd film a new opening.  The plate switch is not well done, and I'm over the whole sausage thing.

Loved the Clooney flashback.  I always thought Booker was a good match for Jackie.  Well, except for that whole he's her boss thing, of course.

Laurie Metcalf's legs look great!  

It is kind of a step backward for Darlene and Becky to work at Wellman, but when Roseanne worked there, the Conners were never hurting for money in the same way as they were after they all quit.  Plus, those jobs should come with benefits, right?  

Solid, realistic ep, IMO.

Hate the sausage scene.

The truth is Darlene and Becky are sort of lucky that there is a factory job to fall back on when you look at the state of American manufacturing. Many rustbelt towns no longer have the factories that supported a lot of the population.

Edited October 24, 2020 by qtpye

[Robert Lynch]

I noticed that even in The Goldbergs with Jeff Garlin. That pale and grey skin tone does not do them any favors. Even Jeff is losing weight, too, but his skin tone is atrocious. Same with Goodman. They must be competing who can lose the most weight or something. Even with the pandemic, I cringed with the amount of yelling that goes on. This can't be easy at all.

[readster]

2 hours ago, Robert Lynch said:

I noticed that even in The Goldbergs with Jeff Garlin. That pale and grey skin tone does not do them any favors. Even Jeff is losing weight, too, but his skin tone is atrocious. Same with Goodman. They must be competing who can lose the most weight or something. Even with the pandemic, I cringed with the amount of yelling that goes on. This can't be easy at all.

I agree, and I was reading over at one of my favorites, Stargirl since they started filming season 2. They said they are trying to be supportive of each other and have fun. Yet, they have talked to other actors trying to do the same, but everyone feels tired, stressed, ect. Which you can't blame people for, it's just that kind of a time. Doesn't help you have people doing stupid things, because they want to feel "normal" yet rise problems in the country from acting like: "I'm not here, the house isn't on fire, this is fine... lalala."

[needschocolate]

The Connors don't lose their house (at least not right away).  When Dan gets the eviction notice, Jackie's hair was only an inch gray at the roots.  At the end, during Lizard Day/Mark's Birthday, Jackie's hair had about 3-4 inches of gray.  Hair grows about a half inch per month, so was obviously a few months later and and they were still in the house.  I hope they explain how that happened.

On 10/22/2020 at 5:36 AM, Chaos Theory said:

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

It would have worked better if someone made a joke about how no one can remember what day it is anymore, thanks to the pandemic and every day being the same as the one before it. 

 

 

 

[readster]

11 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

The Connors don't lose their house (at least not right away).  When Dan gets the eviction notice, Jackie's hair was only an inch gray at the roots.  At the end, during Lizard Day/Mark's Birthday, Jackie's hair had about 3-4 inches of gray.  Hair grows about a half inch per month, so was obviously a few months later and and they were still in the house.  I hope they explain how that happened.

 

I agree, you know there was a time lapse. Plus, the next episode seems to pick up weeks later, so unless the bank was given too many notices with: "You can't evict people right now due to the pandemic." Or Ben had one of his finance guys basically argue it was not possible throw people out of the house due to the pandemic. Either way, the writers keep going: "Well, it's a real thing, but it doesn't have to make sense as long as it comes across as funny and keeping the characters 'stuck" in the same house."

[Winston Wolfe]

3 hours ago, Robert Lynch said:

I noticed that even in The Goldbergs with Jeff Garlin. That pale and grey skin tone does not do them any favors. Even Jeff is losing weight, too, but his skin tone is atrocious. Same with Goodman. They must be competing who can lose the most weight or something. Even with the pandemic, I cringed with the amount of yelling that goes on. This can't be easy at all.

I watched the Season Premiere of The Goldbergs and noticed that Jeff did look somewhat smaller, but didn't notice the skin tone. It might be that whatever dietary changes the actors are making might not be the healthiest and it's showing in their skin.

[snarkylady]

19 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Loved the Clooney flashback.  I always thought Booker was a good match for Jackie.  

I always thought Booker was a good match for me.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Winston Wolfe said:

I watched the Season Premiere of The Goldbergs and noticed that Jeff did look somewhat smaller, but didn't notice the skin tone. It might be that whatever dietary changes the actors are making might not be the healthiest and it's showing in their skin.

That could be, but I'm also wondering if they don't have the same makeup artists or are doing their own makeup.  Plus they may not be going for whatever skin treatments they might have had during normal times.  It's amazing how many expensive treatments there are for facial/body rejuvenation, etc. that a lot of famous/rich people have all the time.  I've noticed the same thing with Conan O'Brien since he's been doing his show from home.  He looks paler than normal, puffy, pasty-faced and out of shape, plus his hair is a total mess.  I guess we're getting a glimpse of what some people look like without all that stuff.

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

That could be, but I'm also wondering if they don't have the same makeup artists or are doing their own makeup.  Plus they may not be going for whatever skin treatments they might have had during normal times.  It's amazing how many expensive treatments there are for facial/body rejuvenation, etc. that a lot of famous/rich people have all the time.  I've noticed the same thing with Conan O'Brien since he's been doing his show from home.  He looks paler than normal, puffy, pasty-faced and out of shape, plus his hair is a total mess.  I guess we're getting a glimpse of what some people look like without all that stuff.

Bingo. We're seeing that very much on the Soaps. Actors wearing wigs, pasty skin, etc. It's been slightly jarring.

[Arcadiasw]

On 10/22/2020 at 2:24 PM, PradaKitty said:

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. 

That's a harsh reality the Gen X and older Millennials are going through. They haven't done better than their parents. Half of them can't afford to move out or own a home. 

On 10/22/2020 at 3:53 PM, rmontro said:

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 understand Dan not wanting to ask for help but Darlene and Becky could've done more if they really wanted to. They can get the mail before Dan and pay a bill. The writing has made them lazy and entitled adults. Becky was like that in the original show but Darlene, as others have said, changed a lot under this reboot.

 

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, Arcadiasw said:

That's a harsh reality the Gen X and older Millennials are going through. They haven't done better than their parents. Half of them can't afford to move out or own a home. 

Older millennial here, and yep, this is accurate. The recession a little over a decade ago really kicked a lot of people's asses in that regard. And now this. 

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Arcadiasw said:

That's a harsh reality the Gen X and older Millennials are going through. They haven't done better than their parents. Half of them can't afford to move out or own a home. 

In the end, though, they stand to inherit their parents' money if their parents have any to leave them - and that's a big if when you're talking about middle and lower classes.  A lot of millennials stand to inherit a lot of money in the future, but only if their parents have money to begin with.  This show is realistic because it shows that boomers don't necessarily have tons of money nor did they do so well financially.  As usual when it comes to the distribution of wealth, the massive wealth attributed to Baby Boomers is held by a relatively small percentage of the generation.  The rest of us are struggling like anyone else.  Some middle class boomers stand to lose whatever they saved even if they were diligent about their finances.  Lord knows we've endured a few stock market crashes that many of us have never recovered from.  And it's a myth that we were all in well paying jobs all our lives.  We had to start at the bottom making nothing and prove ourselves before we were allowed by previous generations to get higher paying jobs.  Plus a lot of us were laid off in the previous recession and have been under-employed ever since.  And now with the pandemic?  Forget about it, more money lost.  I'm too young to retire, too old to get hired....

Edited October 24, 2020 by Yeah No

[qtpye]

15 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

In the end, though, they stand to inherit their parents' money if their parents have any to leave them - and that's a big if when you're talking about middle and lower classes.  A lot of millennials stand to inherit a lot of money in the future, but only if their parents have money to begin with.  This show is realistic because it shows that boomers don't necessarily have tons of money nor did they do so well financially.  As usual when it comes to the distribution of wealth, the massive wealth attributed to Baby Boomers is held by a relatively small percentage of the generation.  The rest of us are struggling like anyone else.  Some middle class boomers stand to lose whatever they saved even if they were diligent about their finances.  Lord knows we've endured a few stock market crashes that many of us have never recovered from.  And it's a myth that we were all in well paying jobs all our lives.  We had to start at the bottom making nothing and prove ourselves before we were allowed by previous generations to get higher paying jobs.  Plus a lot of us were laid off in the previous recession and have been under-employed ever since.  And now with the pandemic?  Forget about it, more money lost.  I'm too young to retire, too old to get hired....

I imagine the only thing Dan can leave his family is the home...which is obviously heavily mortgaged.

I bet the money that was sunk into Aunt Jackie's restaurant instead of an inheritance for the grandchildren and great grand children is looking really good just about now.

However, Jackie threw a fit, slapped her niece, and now its gone.

Edited October 24, 2020 by qtpye

[Ottis]

This is the first time in its 3 seasons that The Connors had the characters actually acknowledging the consequences of their many poor decisions over the years. It was refreshing. Darlene's lamentations about not making it as a writer represented some reality, though no shit Darlene, there is a reason why the starving artist/writer is a cliche. That's why you try in school, try to get in college and/or choose a field where you can make a living. Being funny and cool but working paycheck to paycheck jobs gets old fast, and is harder as you age.

That said, all the liberal bitching at the start almost made me switch off the show. Banks taking away houses during COVID, "selling out" to work for a corporation, the mean ICE deporting illegal aliens ... everything is everyone else's fault.

I thought the more haggard looks on everyone were well done and COVID-related. I especially liked that they didn't talk about it. I suspected it with Dan at the start, and Jackie's gray clinched it. Everyone else was in various stages of disarray.

Dan having like 6 people return to live in his house and refusing any rent is just moronic. When I came home after college and saved money by living at home for 2 years while working in my field, I insisted on paying my mom rent and I did. It was reduced from "market price," but it helped her.

 

 

Edited October 25, 2020 by Ottis

[qtpye]

3 minutes ago, Ottis said:

This is the first time in its 3 seasons that The Connors had the characters actually acknowledging the consequences of their many poor decisions over the years. It was refreshing. Darlene's lamentations about not making it as a writer represented some reality, though no shit Darlene, there is a reason why the starving artist/writer is a cliche. That's why you try in school, try to get in college and/or choose a field where you can make a living. Being funny and cool but working paycheck to paycheck jobs gets old fast, and is harder as you age.

That said, all the liberal bitching at the start almost made me switch off the show. Banks taking away houses during COVID, "selling out" to work for a corporation, the mean ICE deporting illegal aliens ... everything is everyone else's fault. Dan refusing to take rent when 

I thought the more haggard looks on everyone were well done and COVID-related. I especially liked that they didn't talk about it. I suspected it with Dan at the start, and Jackie's gray clinched it. Everyone else was in various stages of disarray.

Dan having like 6 people return to live in his house and refusing any rent is just moronic. When I came home after college and saved money by living at home for 2 years while working in my field, I insisted on paying my mom rent and I did. It was reduced from "market price," but it helped her.

 

 

Sadly, Dan is one of my favorite TV characters but he has always been a moron with money...so it is consistent.

Sometimes, it is hard for me to believe that he ran a successful drywalling company for so many years.

[Keywestclubkid]

I wonder why no one has reached out to their other brother Jerry .. they have mentioned him so he is cannon and where the hell is Dj?

[Irate Panda]

Just came to say I hate the sausage scene too.  I love Dan, but everybody over 18 in that house should have been paying some in rent.  I mean they weren’t even helping with the utilities, even though they’re probably at least quadrupling.  I know Michael Fishman is very interested in the behind the scenes work and will be directing the Halloween episode, but I’d really like to see more of his character.  I liked this episode because the show actually seemed more like The Conners instead of Darlene.  Darlene reminds me of Roseanne in that she had a nasty attitude towards jobs although at least Roseanne would take them.  I mean plenty of people hate their jobs, but Roseanne was outright rude and often incompetent (by choice) especially at places like Rodbells.  Darlene’s outright rude but doesn’t even bother keeping the job.  Darlene and Becky really turned my stomach in the Dan scene on the sofa.  Their 70 year old father is literally killing himself for them and they were just plain nasty.  They’re like 45 years old and have to be told to pay rent or at least a damn utility bill.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Irate Panda

[qtpye]

5 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

Just came to say I hate the sausage scene too.  I love Dan, but everybody over 18 in that house should have been paying some in rent.  I mean they weren’t even helping with the utilities, even though they’re probably at least quadrupling.  I know Michael Fishman is very interested in the behind the scenes work and will be directing the Halloween episode, but I’d really like to see more of his character.  I liked this episode because the show actually seemed more like The Conners instead of Darlene.  Darlene reminds me of Roseanne in that she had a nasty attitude towards jobs although at least Roseanne would take them.  I mean plenty of people hate their jobs, but Roseanne was outright rude and often incompetent (by choice) especially at places like Rodbells.  Darlene’s outright rude but doesn’t even bother keeping the job.  Darlene and Becky really turned my stomach in the Dan scene on the sofa.  Their 70 year old father is literally killing himself for them and they were just plain nasty.  They’re like 45 years old and have to be told to pay rent or at least a damn utility bill.

Yeah, and when Roseanne worked at factory her attitude sucked but she was one of the most efficient and fastest workers. I don't want her to be unemployed but it would be a good reality check for Darlene to realize that the jobs she sneered at are actually difficult and she does not have the ability to do them all that well.

Becky at least worked as a waitress and was supporting herself until the baby was born. I also remember that Becky has always been a hard worker and Darlene has always been lazy/moody.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

Yeah, and when Roseanne worked at factory her attitude sucked but she was one of the most efficient and fastest workers. I don't want her to be unemployed but it would be a good reality check for Darlene to realize that the jobs she sneered at are actually difficult and she does not have the ability to do them all that well.

Becky at least worked as a waitress and was supporting herself until the baby was born. I also remember that Becky has always been a hard worker and Darlene has always been lazy/moody.

She did a great job cleaning and organizing the garage, She even sorted all the screws and put them in jars!

[Irate Panda]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

Yeah, and when Roseanne worked at factory her attitude sucked but she was one of the most efficient and fastest workers. I don't want her to be unemployed but it would be a good reality check for Darlene to realize that the jobs she sneered at are actually difficult and she does not have the ability to do them all that well.

Becky at least worked as a waitress and was supporting herself until the baby was born. I also remember that Becky has always been a hard worker and Darlene has always been lazy/moody.

Yes, my disdain is mostly for Darlene.  Becky has some redeeming qualities, but Darlene seemed to think she was just too good for everything.  Roseanne could do the work when she wanted to like at the factory, but would be totally lazy at other jobs like Rodbells.  Her attitude stunk pretty much everywhere except maybe the hair salon.  I don’t remember that part very well. I think I have some bias because I don’t particularly like the Darlene character and it probably irritates me she gets a lot of the screen time.  I understand why with Sara Gilbert’s role BTS but I prefer pretty much any character over hers.  It also makes me kind of sad to see Dan.  I think because the old reruns are still on, I see how much he’s aged.  I know it’s dumb, but I kind of thought of Dan Conner like America’s Dad when I was a kid, so I guess I just kind of always wanted him to win by this point in his life even though he made some dumb decisions.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Irate Panda

[qtpye]

6 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

Yes, my disdain is mostly for Darlene.  Becky has some redeeming qualities, but Darlene seemed to think she was just too good for everything.  Roseanne could do the work when she wanted to like at the factory, but would be totally lazy at other jobs like Rodbells.  Her attitude stunk pretty much everywhere except maybe the hair salon.  I don’t remember that part very well. I think I have some bias because I don’t particularly like the Darlene character and it probably irritates me she gets a lot of the screen time.  I understand why with Sara Gilbert’s role BTS but I prefer pretty much any character over hers.  It also makes me kind of sad to see Dan.  I think because the old reruns are still on, I see how much he’s aged.  I know it’s dumb, but I kind of thought of Dan Conner like America’s Dad when I was a kid, so I guess I just kind of always wanted him to win by this point in his life even though he made some dumb decisions.

Yeah, Roseanne's problem was that many of her jobs were customer service oriented, which really brought out the worst in her. However, when it came to behind the scenes she could be pretty good.

I remember when she got fired from the fast food chicken place. Her manager wanted her to work weekends because she was their fastest worker and she wanted to spend that time with her family.

If this series had not come out, I would assume Dan was leading a nice retirement, with his house paid off, and his beloved wife by his side so they could snark with each other during their golden years.

Instead, he is actually much worse off then he was 25 years ago. However, the show is probably very realistic to what it would be like today for a family like this. A generation ago, you could have a nice life with a high school degree and almost guaranteed factory work with Union wages and benefits.

Now, a college degree does not even guarantee you that type of security. Dan and Roseanne made plenty of mistakes but there was a bit of a safety net. Darlene and Becky made plenty of mistakes and their only safety net is their father's heavily mortgaged home. In their 40's, neither of them have achieved what their parents were able to accomplish by the end of their 20's.

[Annber03]

3 minutes ago, qtpye said:

A generation ago, you could have a nice life with a high school degree and almost guaranteed factory work with Union wages and benefits.

Now, a college degree does not even guarantee you that type of security. 

And if all you have is a high school degree, that limits your options even more.