S01.E05: Episode 5

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

Claire and Eric go away on a secret trip to celebrate his 18th birthday.

Airs November 24th.

[tearsandhysteria]

I feel like these episodes are too short. And I get that Claire is having an affair with a student and that's the whole plot, but it feels like it shows a lot of sex scenes for me in such a short amount of time. I don't care for Claire (she is already having hers apparently) or her mid-life crisis in the works husband. Claire is disgusting with her constant lusting and rationalizing. It also bothered me more than it should have that Eric's mom cut his cake early. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by andreamf15

[tennisgurl]

I wish the episodes were a bit longer, a lot is happening in a very short amount of time. I do think they do a good job at showing us things quickly and getting them across. We can see without much exposition that Eric, despite being a good looking popular kid with a lot going for him, is quite insecure and overwhelmed, with a mom who loves him but is too busy to really spend much quality time with him, and Claire is bitter about losing out on the young adult life that she wanted, is unfulfilled in her marriage, and its increasingly clear that she is very self centered. She is so all consumed by her fun sexy times that she truly didn't seem to realize how bad all of this really is and how inappropriate this "relationship" is. She was all glowing like a school girl with a crush before she giggilingly told her friend about it, then she was shocked that her friend pointed out how bad this is. I mean, its never really a great sign when your talking about the person your seeing, and you have to defensively say "they're eighteen, its legal!". 

So now they're "in love"? How long has it been since this started anyway? That just says a lot about how Eric is still very young, to really think that this is love, and that Claire is basically delusional thinking that this is in any way an appropriate relationship for her to have. Yeah, Eric is eighteen, but he is still in high school and she is his teacher. I don't think that Claire set out to seduce her student or that this is something she has done before, I think that she is a self absorbed thrill seeker who met Eric and just fell into this because it was fun and exciting and she likes having this young guy interested in her, the kind of guy she wanted to have interested in her when she was in her teens/early twenties. Even her original reservations about this, and her reaction when she told her friend about her creepy thing with Eric, was the very self involved "This could ruin my life!!" without maybe pondering how this could affect Eric or her family. Eric might be a legal adult, but he is still emotionally very young, and this can really mess him and his future perception of relationships up. 

I wonder if Claire's cop brother will try to cover for her?

Edited November 24, 2020 by tennisgurl

[Empress1]

Any idea who covered Rihanna's "Stay" that was playing after the declaration of love? Shazam came up empty.

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

So now they're "in love"? How long has it been since this started anyway?

She said he got his SAT scores and I think she said in the last episode that they were two weeks out? It takes a few weeks to get your scores, so maybe it's been a couple of months.

8 hours ago, andreamf15 said:

It also bothered me more than it should have that Eric's mom cut his cake early. 

I thought that was really sad.

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

She was all glowing like a school girl with a crush before she giggilingly told her friend about it, then she was shocked that her friend pointed out how bad this is. I mean, its never really a great sign when your talking about the person your seeing, and if you have to defensively say "they're eighteen, its legal!". 

That whole conversation was fucked up. I thought it was fucked up that the friend was all "So you're cheating on your husband? That's awesome!" until she learned who it was, and it was SO STUPID of Claire to just admit she was fucking a student, to another teacher.

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

I don't think that Claire set out to seduce her student or that this is something she has done before, I think that she is a self absorbed thrill seeker who met Eric and just fell into this because it was fun and exciting and she likes having this young guy interested in her, the kind of guy she wanted to have interested in her when she was in her teens/early twenties.

Yeah, I think she's trying to make up for what she thinks she missed out on in her college-aged years. She didn't have the college experience where you get drunk and sleep around, and she probably regrets marrying the only man she's ever slept with. And Eric is kind of neglected at home; it seems like his mother sees him more as a second parent to the two little kids than as a kid himself, so you can see why he'd be more susceptible to this kind of attention.

[bilgistic]

I wrote about some of this in the "movie vs. TV show" thread but there's no discussion there.

In the movie, the student was from a fairly well-off family that had a ranch (as a second home), and he and the teacher snuck off to spend time there on one occasion. They were actually nearly caught by a foreman/property manager, but he didn't see the teacher and didn't think it was too weird that the kid was staying at the ranch alone because he had "told his dad he was there". The rental place in this episode had to be a stand-in for the ranch from the movie.

It's worth noting that the movie student was a little more popular and had a better social standing, so to speak, because of his family's relative wealth. I don't think either the movie or show student is perceived as any kind of weird/damaged kid that can't "get" women and is therefore easy prey for the teacher. It's absolutely not that simple.

In the movie, the teacher is unmarried and has a roommate in an apartment. Her roommate comes home early or unexpectedly and finds the student at the apartment with the teacher in her bedroom. It's implied that the roommate tells the authorities about the relationship. The movie teacher doesn't tell anyone about the relationship.

I want to know where Eric told his mom he was for two whole days and nights. My mother would never.

I was shocked that Claire told her teacher friend. Obviously she has terrible judgement, but why would she ever think that would be a good idea? She'd literally just told Eric at the cabin that no one could know about them.

I'm still waiting for Claire to be pregnant (my continued speculation). Any second now...

Edited November 25, 2020 by bilgistic

[DrSpaceman73]

Just discovered the show and binged the whole series to date. Only a few hours. 

She certainly seems to have her feelings of missed youth.  And wanting to take risks for some excitement in her life. 

Cant believe she told her fellow teacher.  Isn't the school year close to over?  They hold out a few months, he finishes high school and they are in the clear, good or bad. I know the story collapsed then  At least he had the good sense to lie to his friends when pushed.  She could have done the same. Or when her teacher friend was so shocked and asked if she was serious said, no, I'm joking and shifted stories. 

I think the mom knows anyway though even if she didn't tell anyone.  

[showme]

I can't believe Claire is so careless with her secret, she knows what is on the line! Couldn't she just tell her nosy coworker to mind her business? or simply brush her off with some vague answers?

[CrystalBlue]

6 hours ago, showme said:

I can't believe Claire is so careless with her secret, she knows what is on the line! Couldn't she just tell her nosy coworker to mind her business? or simply brush her off with some vague answers?

Alcohol was involved.  Loose lips sink ships and the two gals were tippling from that stolen booze bottle pretty hard.  She did try to avoid naming Eric ... until she caved.  I don't think Claire would've told the other teacher if she was stone cold sober and not bonding over a bottle of booze.

[Madding crowd]

I agree the episodes are too short; everything seems to be moving too fast. Claire is not a likable person. It seems like she wanted to brag about her affair more than she has real feelings for Eric. She has to realize that as a new teacher especially, the school and parents won’t be on her side. 

I felt bad that Eric’s mom cut his cake, but she may have felt bad that he wasn’t celebrating with his family. My son is 23 now, but I had to beg him to do any celebrating with us since he was around 16. 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Madding crowd

[CrystalBlue]

44 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

I agree the episodes are too short; everything seems to be moving too fast. Claire is not a likable person. It seems like she wanted to brag about her affair more than she has real feelings for Eric. She has to realize that as a new teacher especially, the school and parents won’t be on her side. 

I felt bad that Eric’s mom cut his cake, but she may have felt bad that he wasn’t celebrating with his family. My son is 23 now, but I had to beg him to do any celebrating with us since he was around 16. 

If your teenager (Eric, 17 to 18) is not going to grace the family with his presence for a birthday dinner and/or cake, I wouldn't bake a cake in the first place.  I can't remember exactly how it played out here, but I also thought that Eric's mom was feeling dissed and pissed before, so it may have been a passive-aggressive moment, or she just got tired of waiting.

[mamadrama]

On 11/29/2020 at 6:44 PM, CrystalBlue said:

Alcohol was involved.  Loose lips sink ships and the two gals were tippling from that stolen booze bottle pretty hard.  She did try to avoid naming Eric ... until she caved.  I don't think Claire would've told the other teacher if she was stone cold sober and not bonding over a bottle of booze.

Oh Lord, my son and I had to ff that scene. The cringe factor was so high because you KNEW what was coming. It's not that I didn't want her to get caught, we were just feeling some secondhand embarassment for the other teacher who was all like WTF. 

[CrystalBlue]

12 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Oh Lord, my son and I had to ff that scene. The cringe factor was so high because you KNEW what was coming. It's not that I didn't want her to get caught, we were just feeling some secondhand embarrassment for the other teacher who was all like WTF. 

You should really bite the bullet and have a watch at that scene.  At least count the times they pass the purloined bottle and take a tipple to one another!  There is some telling stuff about the other teacher too -- don't forget she's technically a shoplifter (as is Claire) or a bar thief.  Then the spell is broken and she gets all real about it and climbs up on her high horse and Claire's trying to talk her down.  Such An Abuse Of Power!

[mamadrama]

10 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

You should really bite the bullet and have a watch at that scene.  At least count the times they pass the purloined bottle and take a tipple to one another!  There is some telling stuff about the other teacher too -- don't forget she's technically a shoplifter (as is Claire) or a bar thief.  Then the spell is broken and she gets all real about it and climbs up on her high horse and Claire's trying to talk her down.  Such An Abuse Of Power!

I did eventually watch it, I just had to ease myself into it. I'm a read the ending first kinda gal. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I had difficulty with several things in this episode.  One is the way the show seems to romanticize the relationship and portray the sex in a provocative way.  It’s abuse and shouldn’t be so normalized.  
 

I don’t buy that Claire would think telling her teacher friend was fun. In most states, teachers are mandated reporters of child abuse.  Even if Eric is 18 now, he wasn’t when she first abused him.  Her friend would have known that. I also wonder why the friend was so insistent to know who Claire’s lover was. Who wants that kind of info....you could get subpoenaed to court...no need to borrow trouble.  Pressuring a coworker to divulge a paramour is really crazy.  And if Claire had any sense she’d have went along with the friend when she seemed horrified it was Eric and suggested that Claire must be joking.  But noooo, she digs her heels in thinking she can make this right by defending the abuse.  Two very strange ladies that I struggle to believe are really teachers. 

[mamadrama]

32 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I had difficulty with several things in this episode.  One is the way the show seems to romanticize the relationship and portray the sex in a provocative way.  It’s abuse and shouldn’t be so normalized.  
 

I don’t buy that Claire would think telling her teacher friend was fun. In most states, teachers are mandated reporters of child abuse.  Even if Eric is 18 now, he wasn’t when she first abused him.  Her friend would have known that. I also wonder why the friend was so insistent to know who Claire’s lover was. Who wants that kind of info....you could get subpoenaed to court...no need to borrow trouble.  Pressuring a coworker to divulge a paramour is really crazy.  And if Claire had any sense she’d have went along with the friend when she seemed horrified it was Eric and suggested that Claire must be joking.  But noooo, she digs her heels in thinking she can make this right by defending the abuse.  Two very strange ladies that I struggle to believe are really teachers. 

They downed half a bottle of alcohol in 10 minutes. Secrets and liquor don't mix.

[CrystalBlue]

36 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I had difficulty with several things in this episode.  One is the way the show seems to romanticize the relationship and portray the sex in a provocative way.  It’s abuse and shouldn’t be so normalized.  
 

I don’t buy that Claire would think telling her teacher friend was fun. In most states, teachers are mandated reporters of child abuse.  Even if Eric is 18 now, he wasn’t when she first abused him.  Her friend would have known that. I also wonder why the friend was so insistent to know who Claire’s lover was. Who wants that kind of info....you could get subpoenaed to court...no need to borrow trouble.  Pressuring a coworker to divulge a paramour is really crazy.  And if Claire had any sense she’d have went along with the friend when she seemed horrified it was Eric and suggested that Claire must be joking.  But noooo, she digs her heels in thinking she can make this right by defending the abuse.  Two very strange ladies that I struggle to believe are really teachers. 

I know!  I am bothered by the stealing.  Claire shoplifts a lipstick just for the thrill of getting away with it, Teacher Buddy steals a bottle of hard liquor off the counter of a bar and runs out with it like a five-year-old.

[BlackberryJam]

I appreciated the fact that the other teacher immediately said that she had to report it. There was no worrying over whether she should report or not. She was definite.

[Pixel]

Claire's emotional manipulation of Eric in this episode was pretty disgusting. When she was talking about all the sex he'd have in college with lots of women, it was clearly designed to pull him closer to her by making him feel like she wasn't fully invested in their relationship. It sparked a feeling of desperation in him that caused his declaration of love, which was exactly what she was looking for.