S01.E02: Mayor's Day Out

[dubbel zout]

Quote

After visiting a marijuana dispensary in support of his legalization plan, things go awry for Mayor Neil Bremer; Neil puts Mikaela in charge of the mayor's office for the day.

Airs with pilot episode 1/7/2021.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Predictable plot, but I enjoyed Tommy quoting from Calvin Broadus’s NPR interview.

The lines and plot for HH’s character were better, but we’ve seen the favor train before. Was it on “Billions”?

I don’t like the Mikaela actress so far, for a dumb reason. Her styling. 

[cardigirl]

Pilot episode was so much better, gave me hope that this comedy might be great, but this episode was somewhat generic, in my mind.  I'll watch a couple more before deciding if I'll keep or cross it off my list. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by cardigirl

[bad things are bad]

Quote

but we’ve seen the favor train before

Actually it reminded me of a MASH episode, where Hawkeye needs new boots. It may be before your time 🙂

High Ted Danson was funny as hell

[chaifan]

3 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

The lines and plot for HH’s character were better, but we’ve seen the favor train before. Was it on “Billions”?

 

It's been done many times, in many shows.  It even hit Star Trek, in a DS9 episode.  What I liked about this was the twist at the end, that HH used it as a way to subtly promote her agenda.  It was very clear it was going to be a favor train from the get go, but the twist is what made it work.

I have to wonder if the Mayor's thing of rolling his food is a regular thing, or just an "I've got an incredible case of the munchies" thing?  (He did it both with the pizza and later with the grilled cheese.)  Or, is it a Ted Danson thing? 

[Browncoat]

I can't blame him for being paranoid when that mascot came roaring at him!  Even not high, that had the potential for being terrifying.  

And I admit to laughing at "Manny Petty".  

[zoey1996]

5 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I can't blame him for being paranoid when that mascot came roaring at him!  Even not high, that had the potential for being terrifying.  

And I admit to laughing at "Manny Petty".  

There was a TV show in the 2012? season that had Manny Petty's House of Mani-Pedis.  Wish I could remember or find what that was!  Yeah, funny!

I'm a sucker for Ted Danson.  The only show of his that I didn't watch much was Becker.

[Browncoat]

Oh, I almost forgot!  The new name for PPPORN was RATFART!  That also cracked me up.

ETA: If you ever watch re-runs of Cheers, watch Ted in the background, when he's not the focus of whatever dialogue is happening.  He's never just standing around, he's wiping glasses, or filling nut dishes, but you can tell he's really listening to what's being said.  I love that about him.

Edited January 8, 2021 by Browncoat

[Night Cheese]

2 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

There was a TV show in the 2012? season that had Manny Petty's House of Mani-Pedis.  Wish I could remember or find what that was!  Yeah, funny!

This may not be what you're thinking of, but there was a joke on Happy Endings that was something about Tom Petty's son owning a nail salon called Manny Petty's Mani-Pedis.

[zoey1996]

18 minutes ago, Night Cheese said:

This may not be what you're thinking of, but there was a joke on Happy Endings that was something about Tom Petty's son owning a nail salon called Manny Petty's Mani-Pedis.

Yes, that’s it!  Thank you!

[Dowel Jones]

I was less than impressed this time.  If they keep going with the Mayor being a stumblebum that steps in it every episode, it will be a short run for me.  Holly Hunter may end up being the most interesting character.

ETA:  Interesting to note that, apparently, from the card at the end of the credits, that this show about Los Angeles is filmed in New York.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Dowel Jones

[appositival]

It just occurred to me that Holly Hunter (Arpi) is playing a "native Californian". Unlike Ted (Neil) who 'chose' LA, she is descended from generations of people who were a bit too weird for their birth community and so moved a bit farther west until we all finally fetched up against the Pacific ocean and just decided to go with the flow.

Her eccentricities are fully functional, and she refused an office just like Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown (the longest-serving Governor in California history), who refused to live in the governor’s mansion during his first two terms.

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

ETA:  Interesting to note that, apparently, from the card at the end of the credits, that this show about Los Angeles is filmed in New York

Is that somehow Covid-related? Like, because the main actors were in NY and/or because of shut downs?

Or was it always going to be filmed in NY?

Anyway. I’ll give it another episode or two because I like the father-daughter vibe——even though I’m not sure there’s anything inherently funny to me about the “situation” for this to be a Situation Comedy. 
Plus, Ted Danson’s character is nicer than most sitcom leads. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Pilot episode was so much better, gave me hope that this comedy might be great, but this episode was somewhat generic, in my mind.  I'll watch a couple more before deciding if I'll keep or cross it off my list. 

Agreed. This felt very run of the mill, and if they go to the well of the main character being  inebriated this early in the series it doesn't bode well for them having a ton of ideas where to go with this premise. 

Also, the back and forth with the straw issue in the pilot was funny, but Holly Hunter's increasing kooky causes is going to get real old, real fast.

[WAnglais1]

I get the feeling it's supposed to be set in the 30 ROCK, UKS universe, but it's not quite working for me yet. 

Danson and Hunter are always fantastic to watch do anything. I also like the daughter character, and Bobby M will grow on me. 

It gets a few more weeks from me. 

[foxfreakinmulder]

I had high hope with another Ted Danson show but so far I don't care for any of the characters except for the mayor, and I can't stand the bratty teenage daughter. I don't know why writers think a brat or smart mouth kid is funny, I think they are tiresome. I give it one or two more episodes to see if it can change my mind. 

[juno]

1 hour ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

I had high hope with another Ted Danson show but so far I don't care for any of the characters except for the mayor, and I can't stand the bratty teenage daughter. I don't know why writers think a brat or smart mouth kid is funny, I think they are tiresome. I give it one or two more episodes to see if it can change my mind. 

I agree. 2 episodes and all we have seen is the daughter whining constantly about everything her Father says and does. Also Holly Hunter and her constantly criticising the Mayor is becoming painful already even after 2 episodes.

But the 1 moron staffer and the 2 arrogant, narcissistic mean staffers caused me to put the old parachute on and jump out of the crappy Mr. Mayor plane.

[seaELare]

This is supposed to take place  in this current climate isn’t it? The pilot talked about bidding 2020 goodbye with its COVID, etc. I’m taken out of each and every scene that doesn’t feature social distancing or mask wearing. 

[Babalu]

I agree that, so far at least, this is a pretty generic sitcom, but if I have to watch a so-so show to see Ted Danson, then I’m gonna watch a so-so show to see Ted Danson. And I have residual love for Vella Lovell from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and like her in this, too. I’m in.

[appositival]

6 hours ago, seaELare said:

I’m taken out of each and every scene that doesn’t feature social distancing or mask wearing. 

I episode 1, during the press conference, Neil says that Dolly Parton came up with a cure for Covid 19. It's at the end of his description of the previous mayor imploding.

Edited January 10, 2021 by appositival

[redpencil]

4 hours ago, appositival said:

I episode 1, during the press conference, Neil says that Dolly Parton came up with a cure for Covid 19. It's at the end of his description of the previous mayor imploding.

I thought it was that she donated vaccines for everyone. But yes, either way it was clear that this is intended to be post-pandemic.

[MisterGlass]

Agree this episode was not as funny as the pilot.  I'll give it a few more though.  The characters are thin at this early stage.

This is a bit like 30 Rock and Spin City went into a blender.

Edited January 11, 2021 by MisterGlass
Wording

[iMonrey]

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This is a bit like 30 Rock and Spin City went into a blender.

I never watched 30 Rock but I watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, also a Fey creation. I get the impression the stuff Tina Fey writes is sorta quirky without being LMAO funny. You kind of just smile at it but you don't laugh out loud a lot.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 1/8/2021 at 2:23 PM, chaifan said:

It's been done many times, in many shows.  It even hit Star Trek, in a DS9 episode.  What I liked about this was the twist at the end, that HH used it as a way to subtly promote her agenda.  It was very clear it was going to be a favor train from the get go, but the twist is what made it work.

I would say the twist saved it, because the multiple favors thing was also done in like every 80's cartoon.

On 1/9/2021 at 1:43 PM, WAnglais1 said:

I get the feeling it's supposed to be set in the 30 ROCK, UKS universe, but it's not quite working for me yet. 

I did have to wonder if any one from Alf Junior High school ever moved on to Winston Zedmore high school in NY.

[seacliffsal]

They made Ted Danson too bumbling and stupid in my opinion.  He was a really successful businessman but doesn't realize he shouldn't eat pot gummy bears while out all day on official business?  Too much for me.

Also don't like the Holly Hunter character.  Just too exhausting.

[Kel Varnsen]

26 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

Also don't like the Holly Hunter character.  Just too exhausting.

I don't mind her, the big problem is everytime she talks I hear Elastigirl.

[Quickbeam]

Just getting caught up on this show. I think it’s pretty funny. Danson looks fantastic even in high def. he’s aged well. I adore Holly Hunter and she’s hilarious here. I love how she makes her tiny size work for her. The writing is maybe not 3rd Rock tight but getting there. 

[SoMuchTV]

On 1/10/2021 at 11:41 AM, appositival said:

I episode 1, during the press conference, Neil says that Dolly Parton came up with a cure for Covid 19. It's at the end of his description of the previous mayor imploding.

I  just now (several weeks after that episode aired) saw on the news that Dolly Parton has made a huge donation towards COVID vaccines. Coincidence? Was she already known to be involved and they wrote it into the show? Or was she inspired by that fictional plot?

[Ailianna]

She gave $1 million to developing the Moderna vaccine last fall. So I don't know when they wrote that line but probably after she did it in real life.