S01.E04: Therapy

[Door County Cherry]

Airs. Jan. 21, 2021

Quote

When Sheila comes to stay with Kat to avoid being home alone, Sheila's lack of boundaries lead them to try therapy. Meanwhile, Phil and Randi make a road trip to buy Phil's mother medicinal marijuana in the all-new "Therapy" episode of CALL ME KAT airing Thursday, Jan. 21 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (KAT-106) (TV-14 D, L)

 

[Harvey]

This episode was better than last week's thank god. I loved Sheila's line about make-up being the one thing that separates us from the beasts, kinda funny.  The scenes with the therapist were good too. The B-plot with the café workers was horrible though.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Harvey

[Yeah No]

I only enjoyed the scenes in the therapist's office.  Otherwise it was pretty cringeworthy.  Once again this was another episode lifted out of the original "Miranda".  Unfortunately in general I give it a weak C+. 

I think one of the reasons why Swoozie looks so scary is that she is basically skeletal.  She's wearing bulky clothing to hide it but I am starting to see that she is quite emaciated, which doesn't help her appearance.

Mayim is once again a little too "shouty" and overplaying the role.  She needs to relax and let it flow.  She's trying too hard.  I don't think she really gets the character, unfortunately.  She needs to be more flighty and eccentric and put the emphasis on being unable to help herself from being that eccentric.  

The cats in this episode were quite adorable, though.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Yeah No

[eel21788]

10 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I think one of the reasons why Swoozie looks so scary is that she is basically skeletal.  She's wearing bulky clothing to hide it but I am starting to see that she is quite emaciated, which doesn't help her appearance.

She doesn't have any shoulders. She is shaped like a clothes hanger.

[Seelouis]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

She doesn't have any shoulders. She is shaped like a clothes hanger.

She reminds me of a scene from Frazier. Roz is looking through a keyhole at Maris. “Where is she? All I see is that coat rack....oh my god!!”

[Cherpumple]

I thought this was okay, and liked that the therapy session fleshed out the mother-daughter relationship more. It moved them beyond the superficial dynamic of the mother constantly henpecking Kat to find a man, and Kat being exasperated. I loved seeing them breaking into song together and playing their silly judgment game, and then having a breakthough moment about their shared grief. I especially liked their descriptions of the ads for the different depression pills. I lived overseas for several years and when I moved back to the US I was utterly shocked at how many medical ads get shown on tv here. Holy cow, you can't go a single commercial break without thinking you have four major diseases!

The b-story line was meh, but I really want one of those sticky buns now (the regular kind). They looked delicious.

3 hours ago, Yeah No said:

The cats in this episode were quite adorable, though.

One of them did a head boop when Mayim went to kiss them. It was so cute!  

[Grammy6]

I have a hard time looking at Swoozie.  I don't know if it is anorexia and plastic surgery, but it actually hurts me to watch her.  I was a big fan of the show Sisters, and she was terrific on that show so long ago.  What makes it worse, she was born on the exact same month, day, and year that I was, birthday twins.  I like the other actors and their characters on the show, although Mayim is not selling me on Kat 100% of the time. I'm going to give it a few more viewings, but like most of the other new half hour comedies, it is just not all that entertaining.

 

[Johannah]

I liked this episode.  Glad they didn't go too overboard with the funny buns and have all the customers eating them.  They seem pretty good at touching on some sitcom staples, but then dropping them quick, like being locked on the roof.

This was the first time the waving seemed off, except for the doctor.  And his starfish fingers.

I also noticed the cat that leaned in for his kiss.  Too cute.

If someone painted my cabinets without checking with me, I would be infuriated.  Especially a bright blue.  I thought they looked good before.  I got pissed just watching that.

I do think Mayim's asides seemed more integrated into the show this episode.  Soooo, I'm still liking this show.  

[SoMuchTV]

29 minutes ago, Johann said:

If someone painted my cabinets without checking with me, I would be infuriated.  Especially a bright blue.  I thought they looked good before.  I got pissed just watching that.

And on top of that, she didn't take the hardware off first!  Was she planning on just rollering over it??

[MaryMitch]

2 hours ago, Johann said:

If someone painted my cabinets without checking with me, I would be infuriated.  Especially a bright blue.  I thought they looked good before.  I got pissed just watching that.

I actually liked the blue - I thought it popped. But yeah, painting someone else's cabinets is way over the line, even for a mother. Especially for a mother.

And the "cardinal" sin (heh, cardinal) - Louisville is a U of L town. Anyone who lives in Louisville gets physically nauseous at the sight of that Kentucky blue!

[Ms Lark]

I really want to like this, but it's just not happening. I wish it was. Especially in comparison to Miranda. I like all the actors, but I may not be able to stick it out.

I'm also really worried about Swoozie -- is she sick? Is she extremely anorexic? Both? It's scary.

[Court]

I actually really enjoyed this episode. I think this was better than the others. I'm ok with giving a show time to grow. 

[cinsays]

I am enjoying the show.  Maybe it is good that I have never seen Miranda so I don't have that to compare it to. But I will want to check that show out too since I love the actress who played Chummy on Call the Midwife.

[jewel21]

That head booping kitty was adorable and made me 'awww.' 

[foxfreakinmulder]

2 hours ago, jewel21 said:

That head booping kitty was adorable and made me 'awww.' 

That was so dang cute!!! It reminded me of a kitty I had (she's passed) scruffy, I always gave her Eskimo nose kisses 🙂 

I liked the therapy session but only laughed when Phil called Randi into the kitchen to see his "flat on the floor splits" which was him standing with his legs a little apart, lol.

I agreed with everyone about Swoosie's appearance, she looks really thin and frail granted she is in her 70's so I don't know if it's just age or what. I do know that before my mom and grandma passed they had dropped a lot of weight and became very thin. Not from illness but because, and I think this happens with a lot of elderly is they stop eating large meals instead graze or snack all day long. Some people get to the point where they just don't want to cook anymore, I know I'm in my 60's and I don't. I'll cook something on Sunday for dinner and since I live alone that will last me all week. Or I'll just have popcorn or a can of soup for dinner.

I'm still on the fence with this show, I'm still watching because there isn't a lot on tv. But Mayim is just not selling me on her character.

 

[ctlady]

I'm still enjoying it.  I never saw the British 'Miranda' version, but I think the constant comparisons to the CMK are not fair.  Let this show breathe on it's own.  I find it harmless and funny in it's own right.

[SmithW6079]

Ugh. This episode was awful. That "game" was cruel, especially when it was directed at the therapist, who was sitting right in the room with them. I'm glad he told them off and told them they couldn't continue to see him.

I thought it was too early in the season for one of those "very special episodes" where Kat and her mother dig deep into their psyches to find common ground. 

The B plot was stupid. Really, an aging gay man has to cross state lines to find marijuana? I'm sure Sassy Coworker, Black Bar Owner, or Gay Straight Best Friend has a pot dealer on speed dial; they couldn't have helped him out? (Sorry, I can't be bothered to learn their names. When I read the episode description, I thought "Sheila" was the Bridezilla from the pilot; I didn't realize it was Kat's mom.)

Edited January 24, 2021 by SmithW6079

[love2lovebadtv]

On 1/22/2021 at 4:47 PM, Johann said:

I liked this episode.  Glad they didn't go too overboard with the funny buns and have all the customers eating them.  They seem pretty good at touching on some sitcom staples, but then dropping them quick, like being locked on the roof.

This was the first time the waving seemed off, except for the doctor.  And his starfish fingers.

I also noticed the cat that leaned in for his kiss.  Too cute.

If someone painted my cabinets without checking with me, I would be infuriated.  Especially a bright blue.  I thought they looked good before.  I got pissed just watching that.

I do think Mayim's asides seemed more integrated into the show this episode.  Soooo, I'm still liking this show.  

I do like that they don't venture too far into sitcom tropes. I still like the waving. And the cats were adorable. 

3 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

Ugh. This episode was awful. That "game" was cruel, especially when it was directed at the therapist, who was sitting right in the room with them. I'm glad he told them off and told them they couldn't continue to see him.

I thought it was too early in the season for one of those "very special episodes" where Kat and her mother dig deep into their psyches to find common ground. 

The B plot was stupid. Really, an aging gay man has to cross state lines to find marijuana? I'm sure Sassy Coworker, Black Bar Owner, or Gay Straight Best Friend has a pot dealer on speed dial; they couldn't have helped him out? (Sorry, I can't be bothered to learn their names. When I read the episode description, I thought "Sheila" was the Bridezilla from the pilot; I didn't realize it was Kat's mom.)

I don't know the characters' names either but I would normally say Bar Owner, Kat's Mom, bar owner, Kat's crush, etc. So I wasn't sure if the characters' demographics caused you to find the plot unrealistic or if it was just that it was so difficult to get pot (regardless of whether the characters were Black, straight, gay, "aging," middle-aged, etc.). 

I know cannabis is viewed differently, depending on where you live. But yeah, I was confused, too. 

This is light TV viewing for me so I may miss a few things here and there. But I got the impression that the pot buyer's coworker has a dealer - is her dealer across state lines? Because if that's not the case, then it was a huge, unnecessary risk .

[tennisgurl]

That was much better than last week. Still not amazing or anything, but it had some good laughs and the therapy session gave a lot more context to the relationship between Kat and her mom besides her mom being critical and overbearing and Kat rolling her eyes about her meddling. Their issues being escalated lately due to Kat's dad dying less than a year ago would certainly make sense and makes their relationship seem a bit more real. 

The cat giving Mayim a little head boop was so cute! The cats in general are super adorable, every scene is improved a hundred percent with them being around, just being cute. 

[JeezumCrow]

I couldn’t even make it through this whole episode - the sticky buns were lame, but the completely unfunny therapy scenes were the kick I needed to delete this show from my DVR entirely. 

[JAYJAY1979]

Mayim's comic strength (which she used to great effect on big bang theory) is being dead pan.  She should infuse Kat with a bit of this dead pan cynical vibe..and I think she'll be successful.  

[driver18]

Still in the minority. I am loving this show. OK, last week was weak. And yes, I watched Miranda. I still am just enjoying the heck out if this on its own merits.

[Catlyn]

I agree that Mayim should be more of herself, especially in the scenes she's doing the asides to the audience.  They don't seem as natural as when Miranda did them. Not that I'm not enjoying the show, but I want to see Mayim in the part, not Mayim trying to be Miranda Hart. The asides are supposed to be an "inside" joke between Kat and the audience (Or invisible friends as Miranda seemed to portray the audience in my mind). There's the greeting at the beginning saying hi to her friends, then we follow along. Mayim is doing asides to the audience, in typical acting style, but not to her invisible friends. Am I making sense to anyone?

[CrystalBlue]

8 hours ago, Catlyn said:

I agree that Mayim should be more of herself, especially in the scenes she's doing the asides to the audience.  They don't seem as natural as when Miranda did them. Not that I'm not enjoying the show, but I want to see Mayim in the part, not Mayim trying to be Miranda Hart. The asides are supposed to be an "inside" joke between Kat and the audience (Or invisible friends as Miranda seemed to portray the audience in my mind). There's the greeting at the beginning saying hi to her friends, then we follow along. Mayim is doing asides to the audience, in typical acting style, but not to her invisible friends. Am I making sense to anyone?

Yes you are, to me.  Miranda also talks to and about her fruit friends.  Kat had one or two fruit friends on the Call Me Kat show set but I don't remember her acknowledging them.  Could've missed it though.

 

[Door County Cherry]

11 hours ago, Catlyn said:

Or invisible friends as Miranda seemed to portray the audience in my mind).

That's a great observation.  Mayim's vibe is "address the audience" while Miranda's was "hello friend."  Sometimes it was done with just a subtle eye roll towards the camera as if we were just there in the room and part of the actual scene.

This was the best wave scene, I thought, especially with the therapist.  

[Yeah No]

On 1/25/2021 at 6:04 AM, icemiser69 said:

If any therapist is that hypersensitive, then he or she is in the wrong line of work.  That goes for psychologists, psychiatrists and anyone else who is involved in the mental health field.

<snip>

If that mental health professional saw someone on a ledge, and he was trying to talk them down, if that person on that ledge insulted the mental health professional, should that mental health professional just walk away due to his feelings being hurt?  Shouldn't that mental health professional ignore what the person on the ledge said and instead continue to try and talk that person out of jumping?

The therapist in this episode could learn a thing or two from Dr. Robert Hartley (The Bob Newhart Show).

In the real world I couldn't agree with you more, but in a comedy that's supposed to be more like a farce, I get the disconnect with reality.  I just don't think it was done as well as the original and that's why it just wasn't funny.  I've been watching British humor for more than 50 years and somehow they can seem to pull stuff like this off without offending anyone because the way it's done communicates to the audience a certain tongue-in-cheek aspect that's totally missing in this American translation.

[Catlyn]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I've been watching British humor for more than 50 years and somehow they can seem to pull stuff like this off without offending anyone because the way it's done communicates to the audience a certain tongue-in-cheek aspect that's totally missing in this American translation.

Same here. It's that tongue in cheek that is missing. I can't see any American show addressing the audience the way Miranda Hart did or even as blatantly as Frankie Howerd did in Up Pompeii. In one offs, Americans seem to be able to do it, but in a series?  We seem to take ourselves too seriously to do it well.

 

[SmithW6079]

On 1/28/2021 at 3:29 PM, Catlyn said:

Same here. It's that tongue in cheek that is missing. I can't see any American show addressing the audience the way Miranda Hart did or even as blatantly as Frankie Howerd did in Up Pompeii. In one offs, Americans seem to be able to do it, but in a series?  We seem to take ourselves too seriously to do it well.

 

"Better Off Ted" did the wall-breaking well, I think. Ted often addressed the audience in quick asides or explanations. They weren't uncomfortable or awkward.