S08.E03: Tang and a Safe Space for Everybody

[jewel21]

Quote

Bonnie takes a trip down memory lane when she reconnects with an old flame, Rod. Also, Tammy volunteers to remodel the kitchen so it’s more accessible to Adam.

Airdate: 11/19/2020

[Sarah 103]

I hope this means we get some scenes of Adam and Tammy together, because it would be fun to see them interact and see what they talk about. 

[Chaos Theory]

Tang vodka and gym class....it does sound lovely.  

It is nice to see Tammy and Adam bonding.

When Rod asked if Bonnie was acting so weird with him because they had a daughter who needed money for college My first thought was the old Bonnie would soooooo take advantage of that and it would only partly be a lie.   But her conversation with him was mostly well done.  

Edited November 20, 2020 by Chaos Theory

[Irlandesa]

I really enjoyed the Adam/Tammy bonding.  And she looked so lovely when she put on that crown.

I'm glad they made it seem that Bonnie possibly slept with someone else in the band as I don't think she could be his sponsor if they had a sexual relationship in the past. 

[Grizzly]

I loved Tammy and Adam together! This is a much better relationship than when Tammy crushed on him. And he was so funny having to mention the crown was not his.

Who was the actor that played Rod? His voice sounded so familiar. And I adore the actress who played his mum.

[ams1001]

Damn, can Tammy come do my kitchen? I don't use a wheelchair but that pull down cabinet thing would come in handy. I loved Adam giving her the crown (and how much she loved it). That was really sweet.

21 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Who was the actor that played Rod? His voice sounded so familiar. And I adore the actress who played his mum.

Steve Valentine (Dr. Nigel Townsend on Crossing Jordan, among many other things, but that's the only one I remember watching; he's got a bunch of animated kids' stuff on his IMDB page, too). Mum was Jane Carr, who has a loooong resume going back to 1967.

[Grizzly]

10 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Damn, can Tammy come do my kitchen? I don't use a wheelchair but that pull down cabinet thing would come in handy. I loved Adam giving her the crown (and how much she loved it). That was really sweet.

Steve Valentine (Dr. Nigel Townsend on Crossing Jordan, among many other things, but that's the only I remember watching; he's got a bunch of animated kids' stuff on his IMDB page, too). His mom is Jane Carr, who has a loooong resume going back to 1967.

Thank you! Yes, I watched Crossing Jordan. Of course, Steve Valentine. His hair was so different. Hope we see these characters again.

[Blakeston]

I demand to know what's on Wendy's Wikipedia page.

[Sarah 103]

I liked this episode. Adam and Tammy bonding was unexpected but wonderful. I wonder if they had Bonnie realize she slept with the dummer and not the lead so she could sponser Rod. Adam's conversation in bed made me think of "Unknown Stuntman" (the theme to Fall Guy). 

[jewel21]

I really enjoyed the Adam and Tammy interaction. Those two have nice chemistry and it was sweet he got her the crown. 

Also, as someone who is only 5 feet tall, I would love that shelf. 

I'm also curious about Wendy's Wikipedia page and what is on it. 

[Harvey]

Rob seems like a better character than Kate Micucci's character was, so If Bonnie has to sponsor someone, well, better him than her. I guess he will be a recurring character from now on.

[possibilities]

That pull down shelf really was fantastic. 

[Kiddvideo]

They’ve done a nice job balancing the storylines. And Wendy gets to talk!

When Tammy first started comparing being tall with being in a wheelchair, I was thinking, “Really??” but she brought it around.

I liked Adam’s competition to show who had the more star-filled sexual history. I wonder if Tanya Roberts knew she’d be included? According to Wikipedia she’s 65 and living in Hollywood. (TIL she played Midge in “That ‘70’s Show.”)

I legitimately can’t remember Bonnie’s daughter’s name right now, but I think if she were still there she would’ve been slut-shaming Bonnie. In the last Christmas episode, the daughter was piling on Bonnie’s mistakes, and it was too much. I hope Bonnie is feeling released from that pressure of always being reminded, and it continues in the tone of the show. (I could look it the daughter’s name, but the point is I don’t miss her.)

[Bumblebee84047]

Adam:  "The woman from WKRP in Cincinnati who isn't Loni Anderson."

Me: "That's Jan Smithers to you, kind sir."

[suzsqueak]

10 hours ago, jewel21 said:

I really enjoyed the Adam and Tammy interaction. Those two have nice chemistry and it was sweet he got her the crown. 

Also, as someone who is only 5 feet tall, I would love that shelf. 

I'm also curious about Wendy's Wikipedia page and what is on it. 

Seeing Tammy's empathy for what Adam goes through and having her relate it to her own experiences was a stroke of brilliance. It's something you see in childhood development and to see someone in recovery express it showed a maturity that isn't often shown on tv!

We're adding those into our cabinets because I'm only 5'4" and my partner is 6'5". They aren't cheap, but they're fantastic. They're made by Rev-A-Shelf. There are even better ones out there, but they'd require replacement of the cabinets and our house is only 5 years old, so we can't justify it.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Steve Valentine (Dr. Nigel Townsend on Crossing Jordan, among many other things, but that's the only one I remember watching; he's got a bunch of animated kids' stuff on his IMDB page, too). 

He's a classic "hey it's that guy." I've seen him in tons of stuff I watch but no one thing in particular.

I actually thought Bonnie's story was a bit tedious. I wish the show didn't feel the need to craft every single episode around Bonnie but I'm beating a dead horse when it comes to that. The B-story with Tammy and Adam was unexpectedly sweet and poignant so that made up for the episode. (Except Bonnie will still be able to hide the good Cheerios from Adam because the top-most shelf was still stationary.)

Sometimes the throwaway lines are the funniest, like Jill saying Tang and vodka was fun until they started practicing archery. 

 

[AnimeMania]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I actually thought Bonnie's story was a bit tedious. I wish the show didn't feel the need to craft every single episode around Bonnie but I'm beating a dead horse when it comes to that.

I was thinking the same thing, since Chrissy left, they shouldn't push Bonnie as the lead, but spread out the stories more like an ensemble. We all know Bonnie, let us get to know the rest of the ladies.

[SoMuchTV]

41 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I was thinking the same thing, since Chrissy left, they shouldn't push Bonnie as the lead, but spread out the stories more like an ensemble. We all know Bonnie, let us get to know the rest of the ladies.

Well, you could always go to Wendy’s Wikipedia page. Just kidding. Not that I checked or anything. 

[geauxaway]

Honey Nut Cheerios ARE the good Cheerios. 🤣.  I loved the Adam and Tammy scenes.  He had some great lines throughout the entire episode.  What was it, my entire life is take a seat?  Had me cracking up.

I NEED Tammy’s star cardigan she was wearing at the end.  

[TVMovieBuff]

On 11/20/2020 at 12:19 AM, jewel21 said:

I really enjoyed the Adam and Tammy interaction. Those two have nice chemistry and it was sweet he got her the crown. 

Also, as someone who is only 5 feet tall, I would love that shelf. 

I'm also curious about Wendy's Wikipedia page and what is on it. 

Chemistry is a fascinating thing. William Fichtner seems able to chemistry with almost anyone, he's just that way. Allison Janney can almost always, but I didn't feel any with Kevin Pollack who played Alvin. But yes with Steve the lawyer. 

Anna Faris' Christy had chemistry with Baxter, but not wish Harry Hamlin who played Candace's father.

Chemistry isn't just romantic or sexual. It can be friendship, sibling, employee. Tammy & Adam have it as friends. So does the group of women we have. They have tried out many characters, not all make it to regular status.

Edited November 21, 2020 by TVMovieBuff

[ctlady]

Line of the night:

Adam:  "Why'd you hide the Honey Nut Cheerios?"

Bonnie:  "So you wouldn't eat them all in one sitting

Adam:  "My entire life is 'one sitting'

I thought it was kind of cruel of Bonnie to pull the box of cereal out of Adam's hand mid-pour and take it with her (thankfully Tammy tossed him a banana).  You know the guy has difficulty getting to the top shelf and you just left him cereal-less. 

And KJ looks positively gorgeous this season- especially at the end wearing the tiara

Count me in as also wanting to know what's on Wendy's Wiki page - especially since she's rumored to have a mobbed-up family

[nodorothyparker]

This episode was a lot more cohesive in the sense of the group sans Christy finding its own rhythm instead of trying to frantically write around her departure. It's the first one this season that felt truly natural to me.

Ironically, though, Bonnie's lead story did at times feel like the writers were straining to fill the time. Some of it was great, like Bonnie really not grasping that she'd been a groupie to some minor band that no one else remembered, or Rob asking if they maybe had a daughter who needed college money. You know from the stories they've told that the old Bonnie would have tried to take that and run with it.

The best by a mile, though, was the Adam and Tammy story. As a woman of more than average height myself, it never would have occurred to me to parallel that to Adam's life as a "person who doesn't fit" but it totally worked and highlighted what an empathetic thoughtful person Tammy is. It also makes Bonnie look much worse by comparison. There have now been enough incidents with him over the seasons where Bonnie came off as incredibly thoughtless at best to Adam's day to day challenges, if not borderline abusive. I wonder if that's a deliberate choice by the writers that may be going somewhere or whether we're supposed to see it just as a reminder that at heart Bonnie has not been a good person much of her life and still sometimes shows some rather nasty edges.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Chemistry is a fascinating thing. William Fichtner seems able to chemistry with almost anyone, he's just that way. Allison Janney can almost always, but I didn't feel any with Kevin Pollack who played Alvin. But yes with Steve the lawyer. 

Someone (maybe one of her West Wing castmates) said Allison Janney could have chemistry with a potted plant, and I agree; it's remarkable how consistently it happens (and I felt it with Kevin Pollack).  I don't know William Fichtner from nearly as many things as AJ, but I've seen quite a few of his projects, and he's very much the same way.  I'm sure that's a big part of why I enjoy Bonnie and Adam's relationship so much, when normally in a friendship ensemble I find the boyfriends/husbands annoying distractions.

I only saw part of this episode, but, like everyone else, I loved the Adam and Tammy interaction.

[kwnyc]

On 11/19/2020 at 11:29 PM, Blakeston said:

I demand to know what's on Wendy's Wikipedia page.

We should start an online petition. 

Also, WHY would Patty LuPone not let Tammy remodel the apartment? An ADA-compliant apartment would be a selling point for the building!

Quote

I NEED Tammy’s star cardigan she was wearing at the end.  

I just said that exact thing to my wife.

And, I am six feet tall and my wife is five feet, so maybe WE will have that shelf thing installed!

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by kwnyc
More thoughts

[AnimeMania]

3 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

Also, WHY would Patty LuPone not let Tammy remodel the apartment? An ADA-compliant apartment would be a selling point for the building!

Having a stove low enough for a small child to reach sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

Also, WHY would Patty LuPone not let Tammy remodel the apartment? An ADA-compliant apartment would be a selling point for the building!

$$$$$$

That particular apartment is the building manager's (who I assume also gets a salary) so why would she want to spend money (even if the contractor is doing it at cost) to upgrade an apartment she can't rent out? (Though I guess she could get rid of Bonnie after it's done and put the new manager in a different unit.)

[Chaos Theory]

 

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Someone (maybe one of her West Wing castmates) said Allison Janney could have chemistry with a potted plant, and I agree; it's remarkable how consistently it happens (and I felt it with Kevin Pollack).  I don't know William Fichtner from nearly as many things as AJ, but I've seen quite a few of his projects, and he's very much the same way.  I'm sure that's a big part of why I enjoy Bonnie and Adam's relationship so much, when normally in a friendship ensemble I find the boyfriends/husbands annoying distractions.

I only saw part of this episode, but, like everyone else, I loved the Adam and Tammy interaction.

I thought Bonnie and Adam were an annoying distraction for the first season they were a relationship.  I think maybe because it takes some time to even out and figure out if you want to keep something or toss it.   Once the show decided to keep Adam I think they worked more on his personality and shaped him as an individual which they never actually did with Alvin.   All Alvin ever was was Christy’s father and the guy who abandoned Bonnie.  By the time the character started to even get interesting he well....died.   It’s not that Alvin and Bonnie lacked chemistry it’s that their  chemistry got cut short way too soon while Adam and Bonnie’s have been allowed to develop over several seasons.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Chaos Theory

[kwnyc]

...what you just said (put someone else in it after Bonnie & Adam move away). And, I don't know what the laws are in CA, but in NYC, buildings built after a certain time must have a certain number of accessible apartments. Also, we found out Bonnie doesn't get a salary...when the IRS dunned her for back taxes for the VALUE of the rent she doesn't pay. 🙂

[Fostersmom]

4 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

We should start an online petition. 

Also, WHY would Patty LuPone not let Tammy remodel the apartment? An ADA-compliant apartment would be a selling point for the building!

I want to see Wendy's Wiki page too. Maybe it has information about what ever she has a patent for. 

 I live in a non ADA- compliant apartment complex and asked about maybe installing a grab bar in my shower. I have MS and sometimes have balance issues. I was told yeah, I could, but I had to find a contractor to do it and then pay to re-tile the shower if I moved. I could easily get it installed, and have no plans on moving anytime soon, but ended up just getting a suction cup grab bar instead. 

I really liked this episode. Just like last week, I don't miss Christy at all. I love Tammy and Adam's friendship, I always like their bar scenes, so this episode was a nice surprise. I also liked Jill with Rod's mum, just sitting there drinking Tang and chatting. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, kwnyc said:

Also, we found out Bonnie doesn't get a salary...when the IRS dunned her for back taxes for the VALUE of the rent she doesn't pay. 🙂

I don’t think they were saying she did not get paid but the she didn’t report the free rent as income. The show is already unrealistic but there is no way she lives in Napa without an income even without paying rent. 

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, Dani said:

I don’t think they were saying she did not get paid but the she didn’t report the free rent as income. The show is already unrealistic but there is no way she lives in Napa without an income even without paying rent. 

Yeah, that rent amount would be considered part of her compensation, but that doesn't pay for food or utilities.

[eel21788]

On 11/20/2020 at 3:58 PM, AnimeMania said:

I was thinking the same thing, since Chrissy left, they shouldn't push Bonnie as the lead, but spread out the stories more like an ensemble. We all know Bonnie, let us get to know the rest of the ladies.

Bonnie and Marjorie are the only ones left from season 1. It should have become an ensemble a long time ago.

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, DarkHorse said:

Anyone else find Bonnie to bethe least interesting characther?

Compared to someone who was a terrorist and robbed a bank.

Someone who went to prison.

Someone who might be in the Mob.

Someone who has everything, done everything and been everywhere.

 

Edited November 22, 2020 by AnimeMania

[Blakeston]

Adam has a legal right to make modifications to the apartment in order to accommodate his disability. He'd be responsible for the cost, not the building's owner - but he had that taken care of.

He'd also be responsible for the cost of changing it back when he and Bonnie moved out - but if the building owner was smart, she'd leave it that way and keep it as an accessible unit.

[TVMovieBuff]

17 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

 

I thought Bonnie and Adam were an annoying distraction for the first season they were a relationship.  I think maybe because it takes some time to even out and figure out if you want to keep something or toss it.   Once the show decided to keep Adam I think they worked more on his personality and shaped him as an individual which they never actually did with Alvin.   All Alvin ever was was Christy’s father and the guy who abandoned Bonnie.  By the time the character started to even get interesting he well....died.   It’s not that Alvin and Bonnie lacked chemistry it’s that their  chemistry got cut short way too soon while Adam and Bonnie’s have been allowed to develop over several seasons.

I read that the producers always planned for Alvin to die. It was a mapped-out storyline, not a tryout for the character. 

Besides that, there were characters who I liked, who only got a short stint. Not counting Octavia Spencer as Regina; she is such a busy mocie actress we were lucky to have her as long as we did.

[kwnyc]

3 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Besides that, there were characters who I liked, who only got a short stint. Not counting Octavia Spencer as Regina; she is such a busy mocie actress we were lucky to have her as long as we did.

The more famous they are, the less likely they will become a regular/recurring! 🙂

[MissLucas]

On 11/21/2020 at 4:40 PM, geauxaway said:

I NEED Tammy’s star cardigan she was wearing at the end.  

Here you go. 

What is it with Chuck Lorre shows and tiaras? That was such a sweet moment and Tammy looked great. I actually liked all her outfits this episode. I liked both plots although I was not quite sure where they were going with Bonnie's. And although she can still be a jerk (the whole cereal deal) earlier seasons Bonnie would not have been able to deliver that speech about honesty in meetings.

[geauxaway]

34 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Here you go. 

What is it with Chuck Lorre shows and tiaras? That was such a sweet moment and Tammy looked great. I actually liked all her outfits this episode. I liked both plots although I was not quite sure where they were going with Bonnie's. And although she can still be a jerk (the whole cereal deal) earlier seasons Bonnie would not have been able to deliver that speech about honesty in meetings.

OMG THANK YOU!!!  It wasn’t posted on there yesterday.  But of the outfits they did have for Tammy, I am really digging her cardi game.  

[possibilities]

Bonnie and Christy used to share expenses, I thought. So Bonnie covered the rent and Christy covered everything else with her restaurant job. And now Bonnie shares expenses with Adam. I don't know if she gets a salary besides the free rent, but if not, that's how she makes it work. I think.

They were not asking the landlord to pay for the renovations. They have a slam dunk lawsuit for the landlord refusing to allow them to make the modifications-- UNLESS Adam is not on the lease and Bonnie isn't supposed to have him living there. I know my lease says no one can move in without the landlord's permission.

ETA:
     Nevermind: I think that they can't bar you from having someone move in if you marry them, so Adam would be allowed to be there and it would be a gross violation of law to refuse to allow them to make modifications for accessibility.

Edited November 23, 2020 by possibilities

[TV Diva Queen]

DH asked me who mum was and that she looked familiar.  I didn't miss a beat and said "she was on Dear John"  He say's, "you remember dear john but you don't remember the Fanelli's Boys"  (its a running joke in the household, he wants the Fanelli's boys and their two episode to be on Nick at Nite.  LOL 

[kwnyc]

2 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

I didn't miss a beat and said "she was on Dear John"

Any SEXUAL problems? 😉

[chediavolo]

On 11/19/2020 at 9:54 PM, Irlandesa said:

I really enjoyed the Adam/Tammy bonding.  And she looked so lovely when she put on that crown.

I'm glad they made it seem that Bonnie possibly slept with someone else in the band as I don't think she could be his sponsor if they had a sexual relationship in the past. 

I thought that too! She looked so pretty in the crown❤️

[funky-rat]

On 11/19/2020 at 9:54 PM, Irlandesa said:

I'm glad they made it seem that Bonnie possibly slept with someone else in the band as I don't think she could be his sponsor if they had a sexual relationship in the past. 

She shouldn't be his sponsor.  Sponsors should be the same gender as the sponsee, except in certain circumstances (past trauma, LGBTQ members, etc).  I said the same thing when Adam had a female Al-Anon sponsor, and by the end of that episode, it showed why it's not a good idea.  I could not imagine having a Male sponsor (Al-Anon member here).

Edited December 8, 2020 by funky-rat

[Virtual]

Watched this episode today, and thought the Tammy and Adam bonding was great. Probably the best part of the episode.

[geauxaway]

@MissLucas guess what I got for Christmas??!!  The Tammy star cardi, thanks to you (and my mom).  I can’t wait to wear it!!! 🤩🤩🤩

[MissLucas]

Great! Now all you need is a tiara to match 😁

[geauxaway]

5 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Great! Now all you need is a tiara to match 😁

I actually have one from my 40th bday but yayyyy!!  👑🥰

[kelslamu]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:04 AM, Bumblebee84047 said:

Adam:  "The woman from WKRP in Cincinnati who isn't Loni Anderson."

Me: "That's Jan Smithers to you, kind sir."

All I could think of was the name Bailey!