S02.E04: Zoey’s Extraordinary Employee

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Zoey tries to "choose happiness" but finds it is easier said than done. David re-evaluates his priorities. Mo and Max face their first real challenge as business partners.

Airing Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

 

[Trini]

So even though the synopsis doesn't actually mention any of Zoey's employees, I'm assuming there's a significant SprqPoint subplot - with Simon? Leif?

[brokenwing29]

15 minutes ago, Trini said:

So even though the synopsis doesn't actually mention any of Zoey's employees, I'm assuming there's a significant SprqPoint subplot - with Simon? Leif?

Spoiler

 

I think it might be George since he gets a song.

Eta: Actually, so does Simon but for some reason I think George has the work subplot.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by brokenwing29

[ams1001]

Is that the last of George? He was getting a little creepy.

How do they have a restaurant space rented when Max is still working on the business plan..?

 

[brokenwing29]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Is that the last of George? He was getting a little creepy.

How do they have a restaurant space rented when Max is still working on the business plan..?

 

I think it might have been the last of him since the actor left the filming early (like way before they stopped for the holidays). I actually thought it was sad. I think George is just desperate to be liked and comes on too strong sometimes. I did think this episode showed Zoey's humanity a little more. Sometimes she can come off kind of cold, but even her reactions to the heart songs in this episode were a little softer...sometimes she just stands there scowling at the singer, but seemed to really absorb their feelings this time. That she was so reluctant to fire all those people showed in a believable way that she does have a heart.

How is Aiden(?) Australian and with a full-on accent if he grew up in California next to Zoey?

[Phebemarie]

I hate to be critical, and maybe it's because I'm really sleepy tonight, but I didn't enjoy this episode that much.  I'm really not interested in Zoey having a fling with a Kurt Cobain wannabe.  

There's too much going on...too many stories to follow.  It's all a little superficial, and it's hard to feel that deep connection I did last year.  Maybe it would have been better if there'd been a significant time jump...then they could meaningfully explore Maggie's flirtation with the handsome client.  

Maybe Covid protocols have affected the production more than we realize...or maybe success has gone to their heads a bit, and they're trying too hard to impress.  Whatever has changed, I hope they can get back whatever is missing (for me at least) so Zoey's sophomore year isn't the show's last season.  

  , 

 

 

[hnygrl]

25 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

I hate to be critical, and maybe it's because I'm really sleepy tonight, but I didn't enjoy this episode that much.  I'm really not interested in Zoey having a fling with a Kurt Cobain wannabe.  

There's too much going on...too many stories to follow.  It's all a little superficial, and it's hard to feel that deep connection I did last year.  Maybe it would have been better if there'd been a significant time jump...then they could meaningfully explore Maggie's flirtation with the handsome client.  

Maybe Covid protocols have affected the production more than we realize...or maybe success has gone to their heads a bit, and they're trying too hard to impress.  Whatever has changed, I hope they can get back whatever is missing (for me at least) so Zoey's sophomore year isn't the show's last season.  

  , 

 

 

THIS!!!! I came here to say this! So far, season 2 is allllll over the place (looks like Simon has a lady friend! Yay! He’s moved on!) and that just makes for a lot of boring. 
 

Come on show, get it together.  Only two plot lines at a time. Please.  So far we got...*counting*......

 

SEVEN

And might I say...Aiden? Dayum! 

Edited January 27, 2021 by hnygrl

[phalange]

I like David and Emily getting more fleshed out as characters and that Emily ended up supporting David's decision to stay home. Her performance of I'll Stand By You was understated, but probably my favorite of the episode. 

Drunk Zoey is hilarious, and I laughed when Mo called her a pickled ginger and when Zoey kept turning the lights off in the hallway only for Mo to turn them back on. I also liked her conversation with Simon in the meditation room. And I'm assuming the reporter is Simon's new love interest. 

I can understand why Max got frustrated with Mo at first, since he was trying to deal with practical issues but I'm glad they worked it out.

As for the Australian neighbor, I would guess his family moved to San Francisco when he was a kid and he kept his accent, which isn't unusual. 

[Trini]

That was six songs in one episode, I think. Is that a record? There really wasn't a strong/memorable/favorite musical number for me in this episode. I did want to hear more of Max and Mo singing "Opposites Attract", though.

There is a lot going on, but I don't mind that. However, it would have been nice to lose at least one subplot for more time with Max/Mo or Zoey/George/SprqPoint.

I wish we had seen a bit more of Simon and the reporter; it kinda felt like a scene was cut. She asks him a tough question, then the next time we see her she's at the party/cleansing. Even though we know the interview went well, I think they needed to show how it went from A to C.

Grungy Aussie musician next door? I'm intrigued, show.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Trini

[ciubecca98]

and thank goodness Zoey said she was having a break because she wasn't ready for a relationship !!!!  when seen from the smile she gave Aiden !!!!  is what's getting ridiculous ... (here's the new love triangle)

if Zoey starts a relationship with Aiden (which is very likely if not why introduce the handsome and young neighbor) I hope that Max finds out and that he gets really pissed off and interrupts his friendship because if he accepts that too (which was just a  pause) it would really piss me off that he gets treated like shit again and accepts it !!!

Spoiler

Since you see Max ignoring Zoey completely it will be because he is angry about the break or because something will really happen with Aiden and Max becomes aware of it !!!

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by ciubecca98

[Good Queen Jane]

It's strange to introduce a new recurring character only to drop him four weeks later, but I read that the actor playing George is in another series that restarted filming. That's the same thing that happened to the actor playing Joan. Another thing to curse COVID for.

I really like the songs that they have been doing, but the dances all seem the same. Lots of leaping and slinking around. I guess that must be Mandy Moore's style but I would like to see some different choreography.

[dubbel zout]

George didn't seem to be all that great at his job—he admitted coding was difficult for him—so his departure makes a lot of sense to me. Why was he hired in the first place, is the bigger issue for me.

Of course Zoey will hook up with the cute Australian neighbor. Otherwise there's no point to him.

Mo and Max singing "Opposites Attract" was the highlight of the show for me. I wish there were more of that sort of thing. Not every song has to be a heart song with some deep, dark reveal.

[shapeshifter]

Maybe someone told the writers to empathize with all of us bummed out shut-ins??

• Maggie’s story was a bummer. 
• Zoey’s story was a bummer.  Firing 5 people and accidentally drunk dialing one to rehire and having to fire again???
• David’s story bummed me out. A public defender with 100 wins in a row hates his job and is quitting?????

I wish they’d stuck with the happiness theme a little more. 
 

A lot of focus on drinking/not-drinking this episode that kind of went nowhere. 

So are Max and Simon going to now be competing for the affections of the Wired reporter? Lather, rinse, repeat?

Might drop the show. 🤔 
Especially if my posts are just gonna be about bummers. Nobody needs to read that.  

 

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Good Queen Jane said:

It's strange to introduce a new recurring character only to drop him four weeks later, but I read that the actor playing George is in another series that restarted filming. That's the same thing that happened to the actor playing Joan. Another thing to curse COVID for.

I googled the character before I posted my first comment but only found a thing (the fandom wiki, I think) describing him as a "guest" character; nothing to suggest if he'd be in more episodes or not.

[dubbel zout]

20 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

• David’s story bummed me out. A public defender with 100 wins in a row hates his job and is quitting?????

Being a PD is very draining, no matter how successful you are. Plus, David has got a new baby he wants to spend more time with. That probably tips the scale more than anything. 

But yes, this was really a downer of an episode overall. 

[D Angel]

10 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

There's too much going on...too many stories to follow.  It's all a little superficial, and it's hard to feel that deep connection I did last year.

Last night's episode was similar to the good early S1 episodes and I enjoyed the story arcs moreso than the other S2 episodes. But the quoted comment/criticism is fair. In S1, Zoey was in nearly every scene and unless they wanted to burn Jane Levy out, they had to develop separate story arcs for the other characters. Further S1 had two MAJOR compelling story arc that naturally progressed: Mitch's illness and Zoey's heart songs. S2 ... not so much.

I think they wanted to make Zoey's and her family's grief and recovery the central S2 story arc but it just petered out when it was clear that all of them were going to carry on. Even the scenes between Zoey & Simon don't pop as they did in S1. Zoey's experience is so much different than Simon's (his carries extra shock and guilt) and you can see that in their conversations. Zoey's not relating.

So it does seem like they are all over the map on what the driving story arc should be for S2. I think they will pull it together, however, so I'll just enjoy the ride. Thumbs up to drunk Zoey. Thumbs down to any romantic entanglement with Aiden, since he's obviously a lot younger than Zoey and it sounds like they weren't that close when they were younger either. More like she was his babysitter or something. Plus, it's weird.

Thumbs up on Maggie moving on and her handling of the invitation. A friendly lunch first before the drive-down-the-coast romantic dinner. And divorcee and widow are very different. Thumbs up to Jenna, who wasn't nearly as annoying as before. Big thumbs up to David quitting and Emily backing him up. She always made a lot more money anyway. Thmbs down to silly plot element of David winning the criminal case at trial on the facts. Prosecutors without beyond-a-reasonable-doubt factual case wouldn't go to trial. (Look what they had to do to make My Cousin Vinny work out that way.)

Thumbs up to Max & Mo singing. Thumbs down to renting a place before having a business plan. Thumbs up to having Zoey fire people. She handled it well. Thumbs down to SPRQ Point. I doubt Zoey would have to fire anybody. People with skills would be jumping ship so fast she wouldn't need to. Time to exist SPRQ Point to start their own venture -- much more compelling than Max & Mo's venture.

[ciubecca98]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

George didn't seem to be all that great at his job—he admitted coding was difficult for him—so his departure makes a lot of sense to me. Why was he hired in the first place, is the bigger issue for me.

Of course Zoey will hook up with the cute Australian neighbor. Otherwise there's no point to him.

Mo and Max singing "Opposites Attract" was the highlight of the show for me. I wish there were more of that sort of thing. Not every song has to be a heart song with some deep, dark reveal.

sure that if we find out that Zoey will really start a relationship with Aiden then I don't understand why to end last episode like that !!!! if it were really like that I at least hope to see a scene where Max gets pissed off for what he had  Zoey told

I really hope nothing happens with Aiden because already in the first season we saw that Zoey didn't care about Max's feelings but I thought it was over !!!

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by ciubecca98

[dubbel zout]

7 minutes ago, D Angel said:

I think they wanted to make Zoey's and her family's grief and recovery the central S2 story arc but it just petered out when it was clear that all of them were going to carry on.

Which is what one has to do, really. Zoey already had six weeks (offscreen) of leave; if she can't get it together enough after that, she needs some serious counseling. I don't mean she should be over Mitch's death—my dad died 20 years ago, and my heart aches for him every day—but it shouldn't be the all-consuming factor of her life at this point.

I think the problem is balancing the still-raw feelings of grief with trying to figure out life without Mitch. It's hard, and I have sympathy for the writers. But moving on is the next step, and it's inevitable. The writers are flailing a bit.

[springbarb]

It's frustrating watching writers try to write about the business world; it's clear they have no idea what they're talking about. I already don't understand how Zoey is "executive director" of a floor that seems somehow to incorporate programming, marketing, and HR. (I could see there be subdivisions in the company, but...I want an org chart.) Her firing someone in HR totally just drove me up a wall; that wouldn't happen. Also, they said they had to get rid of 10% of the workforce--but Zoey fired 5 people. The numbers don't add up. At least she sucked it up and handled the situation fairly maturely.

Really hope that the neighbor won't be a romance but another in "Zoey looks for worldviews to help her cope" after this week's mantra from Mo. I did appreciate that in both the Mo/Max and David/Emily storylines, both sides of the conflict were valid--I sympathized with both people in both stories.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

 I did want to hear more of Max and Mo singing "Opposites Attract", though.

So cute. I vote that they add karaoke as a regular part of the business. 

When Max finds out about Zoey and Aiden (which we know is coming), he totally needs to break free from her.  Sort of reminds me of Crazy Ex Girlfriend with Rebecca and Greg ... we knew they might be good for each other, but she was obsessed with someone else. Max could sing "Settle for Me". 😉

Speaking of breaking free, I thought the brother did a pretty good job with that song (I Want to Break Free). His dancing was fun.

 

[ciubecca98]

11 minutes ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

So cute. I vote that they add karaoke as a regular part of the business. 

When Max finds out about Zoey and Aiden (which we know is coming), he totally needs to break free from her.  Sort of reminds me of Crazy Ex Girlfriend with Rebecca and Greg ... we knew they might be good for each other, but she was obsessed with someone else. Max could sing "Settle for Me". 😉

Speaking of breaking free, I thought the brother did a pretty good job with that song (I Want to Break Free). His dancing was fun.

 

absolutely yes if Zoey really starts dating Aiden after telling him she wasn't ready for a relationship I hope to see Max in which she ends all relationship with her because as I have already written starting to date another after what she told him proves to have it  just out of luck and that he doesn't really care about his feelings

[Trini]

I'm not too worried about Aiden (he is supposed to be younger, right?); I don't think it's going to be serious and maybe not even romantic, but another "distraction" for Zoey's troubles.

 

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

So are Max and Simon going to now be competing for the affections of the Wired reporter? Lather, rinse, repeat?

I highly doubt they're putting Max into another triangle with Simon. I think they're connecting her to Max so that's she's not only a love interest for Simon. Plus, Max is still upset about the pause/breakup with Zoey.

[AmeliaBedelia]

I also didn't love this one. I hate that Zoey's bad dreams were briefly mentioned and then dropped. I think it would have been an interesting plot to follow for more than one ep. In general,  there were too many storyline threads to follow. The family stuff anchored everything in season one, but now the family scenes are somewhat tedious. I'm not looking forward to Zoey and the hot neighbor either. The more she floats from person to person, the less likable she is at times. 

Shoutout to Simon's performance of Juice though. That was my favorite and so fun to watch. 

[ciubecca98]

15 minutes ago, Trini said:

I'm not too worried about Aiden (he is supposed to be younger, right?); I don't think it's going to be serious and maybe not even romantic, but another "distraction" for Zoey's troubles.

 

I highly doubt they're putting Max into another triangle with Simon. I think they're connecting her to Max so that's she's not only a love interest for Simon. Plus, Max is still upset about the pause/breakup with Zoey.

Yes, of course, however, after what has been said to Max we must not even see a kiss between them otherwise it would show me that the problem is with Max !!

[rejnel]

Quote

So are Max and Simon going to now be competing for the affections of the Wired reporter? Lather, rinse, repeat?

The reporter (Tatyana?) only had eyes for Mo. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but definite. 

[Guest]

I really miss when Zoey’s visions used to drive the plot. Now it’s feeling more voyeuristic in way that adds very little to the show. You take them out and the show proceeds in exactly the same way for the most part. 

1 hour ago, springbarb said:

It's frustrating watching writers try to write about the business world; it's clear they have no idea what they're talking about. I already don't understand how Zoey is "executive director" of a floor that seems somehow to incorporate programming, marketing, and HR. (I could see there be subdivisions in the company, but...I want an org chart.) Her firing someone in HR totally just drove me up a wall; that wouldn't happen. Also, they said they had to get rid of 10% of the workforce--but Zoey fired 5 people. The numbers don't add up. At least she sucked it up and handled the situation fairly maturely.

This is a real problem for me. The show expanding to other areas is fine but those parts are poorly written. 

13 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

There's too much going on...too many stories to follow.  It's all a little superficial, and it's hard to feel that deep connection I did last year.  Maybe it would have been better if there'd been a significant time jump...then they could meaningfully explore Maggie's flirtation with the handsome client.  

I agree. The show isn’t letting any of the plots breathe. Like Maggie’s guilt over flirting. One or two brief scenes isn’t enough for that to work or to make me care. Instead it just made the guy look like an ass for equating his divorce with Maggie’s husband dying. I had the same problem last week with Zoey and Max. 

 

18 minutes ago, rejnel said:

The reporter (Tatyana?) only had eyes for Mo. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but definite. 

Yes. I was surprised by the posts assuming she is going to be in a love triangle with Simon and Max. 

[ciubecca98]

I just watched the promo for the next episode and

Spoiler

Since you see Max ignoring Zoey completely it will be because he is angry about the break or because something will really happen with Aiden and Max becomes aware of it !!!

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by ciubecca98

[tennisgurl]

I admit that I don't know much about the corporate structure of tech companies, but Zoey's workplace just makes no sense. If this is such a big company, why is Zoey firing random employees, why isn't HR handling this? Why did Zoey fire someone from HR? I am especially confused by what exactly Zoey's job is as manager, considering her floor has seemingly a thousand different departments all on her floor, but also there are lots of other floors and they work independently but are all a part of the same company? What now? 

Sad to see George go, he didn't really end up having a whole lot to do, but since he is apparently pretty bad at coding, its probably for the best. It was nice to have Harvey Guillén around for a bit, and I found out he could sing. Who knew? Zoey did end up handling the firing better by the end, which is a pretty big deal because Zoey so often struggles with relating to people. 

There are so many subplots, and now we have some other guy showing up? Somebody who is also apparently a time traveler from the 90s grunge scene? I hope that this Aiden guy is mostly just going to be the fun distraction that Zoey needs before she really tries to be in a real relationship, and is not going to turn this love triangle into a full on rectangle. I thought that the writer from the magazine would be Simon's new love interest, but now it looks like she was looking at Mo, so I think Simon is still in the game. 

There really are getting to be too many subplots, and while I like that they are exploring some of the supporting cast more, especially David and Emily, I am worried that the show might get too bogged down in characters and subplots and lose focus, which is especially an issue when your show is already so high concept. They aren't even, for the most part, bad subplots. I thought the conflicts between Mo/Max and David/Emily were well done, made sense for their characters, and made me feel for everyone involved, but I just worry that, now that we don't have Mitch's illness/Zoey getting used to her powers as central issues of the show, we might end up spiraling and losing focus. If you have too many subplots, you cant give those plots the focus that they need. 

None of the songs were super amazing, but I thought Stand By You and Opposites Attract were my favorites. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by tennisgurl

[luna1122]

How can you go and fire Guillermo???!

Drunk Zoey was funny. But the last thing she needs is yet another guy. For a chick with absolutely no game, she sure gets a lot of cute boyz.

I never ever found Skylar Astin especially hot in the Pitch Perfect flicks, but I do find him really sexy here.

[tennisgurl]

58 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

How can you go and fire Guillermo???!

 

He was so close to finally becoming a vampire! 

[molotovcupcake]

2 hours ago, rejnel said:

The reporter (Tatyana?) only had eyes for Mo. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but definite. 

"The vision in the coat of many colors!"

[shapeshifter]

Since this is my episode to whine, one more thing:
Am I the only one who thinks Simon's beard is beginning to swallow up his face and wondering if his head will be next and then his entire body?

[funnygirl]

I'm really enjoying Jenna. For one thing, it's nice to have another female character on the canvas that is getting fleshed out - I also like that Emily is getting more screen time and songs! But I also find Jenna's positive disposition and her energy refreshing. It breaks up the grief that the family is (understandably) working through and all of Zoey's crises.  

Edited January 27, 2021 by funnygirl

[doobiedo]

7 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

It's strange to introduce a new recurring character only to drop him four weeks later, but I read that the actor playing George is in another series that restarted filming. That's the same thing that happened to the actor playing Joan. Another thing to curse COVID for.

I really like the songs that they have been doing, but the dances all seem the same. Lots of leaping and slinking around. I guess that must be Mandy Moore's style but I would like to see some different choreography.

George - Harvey Guillermo (sp) is in a great show called What We Do in the Shadows. For anyone unfamiliar, I heartily recommend it. It’s on FX

[appositival]

Please don't have Roger suddenly become abrasive because Maggie refused his invitation to go on a date. He's not a kid and he's not stupid. He should have said that it was just lunch between friends. He knows her situation, so he should be more sensitive to something besides the fact that she obviously likes him. (I still fear the worst)

[ams1001]

5 minutes ago, appositival said:

Please don't have Roger suddenly become abrasive because Maggie refused his invitation to go on a date. He's not a kid and he's not stupid. He should have said that it was just lunch between friends. He knows her situation, so he should be more sensitive to something besides the fact that she obviously likes him. (I still fear the worst)

I liked him until he suggested that his divorce was equivalent to her having just lost her husband a few months ago.

[dubbel zout]

24 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I liked him until he suggested that his divorce was equivalent to her having just lost her husband a few months ago.

That was really a dumb thing to say.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I liked him until he suggested that his divorce was equivalent to her having just lost her husband a few months ago.

That was really a dumb thing to say.

I guess it's a good line to give the character if the writers want to be sure none of the audience is left thinking it's going somewhere.
But then it didn't fit with Maggie later having a conversation about how she admitted she had been flirting but then made no mention of his remark --on which she should have later should have remarked something like: Dodged that bullet!

ETA: I suppose they could still have Fabulously Wealthy Older Hunk later beg Maggie's forgiveness for his thoughtless analogy.

Edited January 28, 2021 by shapeshifter

[HappyBerry]

9 hours ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

When Max finds out about Zoey and Aiden (which we know is coming), he totally needs to break free from her.  Sort of reminds me of Crazy Ex Girlfriend with Rebecca and Greg ... we knew they might be good for each other, but she was obsessed with someone else. Max could sing "Settle for Me". 😉

I see what you did there.... 😉

8 hours ago, rejnel said:

The reporter (Tatyana?) only had eyes for Mo. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but definite. 

Yeah, there is a chance she's into Simon, there seemed to be some flirting there. But out of the business partners, she only called one of them "a vision". I'm interested to se where that goes. Mo mentions "chatting her up", but I wasn't 100% sure if it was in a "I'm interested too" way or a "getting publicity for the restaurant" way. 

 

And I'm still not sure I quite understand this restaurant. Will the food be delivery from other places, but then they serve their own drinks? Are they going to do any plating, or is it going to be "here is your clam shell of pasta and here is your paper box of fried rice. Now please enjoy it with this fancy cocktail". 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

12 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

George didn't seem to be all that great at his job—he admitted coding was difficult for him—so his departure makes a lot of sense to me. Why was he hired in the first place, is the bigger issue for me.

I love the actor on What We Do In The Shadows where he subverts your expectations of his seemingly submissive character, but in this show, I found his character extremely annoying as an archetype of the sad, lonely guy who doesn't fit in, but dialed up to a ridiculous extreme.  I would think it would be an annoying role for the actor, too, except for the singing and dancing.   I also don't understand how a so-so coder would get a job like this.  There are screening interviews to assess talent.

And all that pudding should have been in big troughs of ice.

11 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Being a PD is very draining, no matter how successful you are. Plus, David has got a new baby he wants to spend more time with. That probably tips the scale more than anything. 

A public defender is always struggling to keep up, and you don't get paid very well unless you are a supervisor. David may make only half of what Zoey does, and he went to grad school for 3 years.  If  both he and Emily want a 2nd child, though, I would put the house way on the back burner.  Have the 2nd child in 2 to 3 years, stay in whatever living situation they have now, and then David can go back to work when the younger one is in kindergarten.  Perhaps Maggie will want to retire by then and will sell the house at a reduced price to David and Emily.  Then they can finally add a guest suite on the ground floor, Maggie can stay there with full access to her greenhouse and provide after-school babysitting to her grandchildren (remember, the younger child will be in kindergarten by then.)

Emily's a lawyer, but it took me out of the situation when she said that the "other DA" had been very good at the trial.  What other DA?  David's a public defender, not a prosecutor.

Edited January 28, 2021 by ItCouldBeWorse

[KaveDweller]

27 minutes ago, HappyBerry said:

Yeah, there is a chance she's into Simon, there seemed to be some flirting there. But out of the business partners, she only called one of them "a vision". I'm interested to se where that goes. Mo mentions "chatting her up", but I wasn't 100% sure if it was in a "I'm interested too" way or a "getting publicity for the restaurant" way. 

Isn't Mo into guys? Or is he bi? 

6 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

A public defender is always struggling to keep up, and you don't get paid very well unless you are a supervisor. David may make only half of what Zoey does, and he went to grad school for 3 years.  If  both he and Emily want a 2nd child, though, I would put the house way on the back burner.  Have the 2nd child in 2 to 3 years, stay in whatever living situation they have now, and then David can go back to work when the younger one is in kindergarten. 

I agree. Plus, David and Emily's place looked really nice. It may not be big enough for 2 kids as they get older, but they should be comfortable for a little while. Hopefully they can afford the rent on one paycheck.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

11 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

Isn't Mo into guys? Or is he bi? 

I think we are about to find out.  I was more interested in what the reporter was into.  She couldn't possibly have assessed Mo from that distance but upon first viewing him, she clearly was more interested in him than in Simon.

Edited January 28, 2021 by ItCouldBeWorse

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Zoey and Mo's conversation about simply choosing to be happy reminded me of the conversation that Lloyd Dobler had with his sister in Say Anything. While I agree that having an open mind and a positive outlook are helpful, I always found that whole philosophy offensive to anyone who has suffered from depression. I get that you can tell yourself not to wallow after a breakup, but depression and grief are not things that go away just because you tell yourself that you're going to be happy. If only it were that easy!

Hahahaha, OF COURSE Maggie has been to Esalen.

I love pudding as much as the next person but the pudding bar looked terrible. Just giant vats of pudding sitting out all day at room temperature? Blech.

I get that Max felt like he was doing all the hard work while Mo was doing all the fun stuff like drinking and singing, but in any partnership you can't just do the heavy lifting and then get mad because you didn't ask the other person for help. Mo isn't a mind reader. He is capable of doing things besides choosing menu fonts and karaoke cleanses. If Max needs help with other things, he should tell Mo. If he feels there is too much work for him to handle, he needs to tell Mo so that they can figure out a way to share the responsibilities or possibly outsource some of them.

On a shallow note, I hope that Mo and Max end up having karaoke night at their restaurant at least occasionally so that we have an excuse to have non-heart songs with the characters.

I loved Emily singing "I'll Stand By You" (although I may be biased because I love that song anyway). Simon's Juice performance was so fun. Finally we get to see him dance something fun instead of another angsty contemporary routine.

I really loved Jenna when she told Maggie not to feel guilty just because she let a man flirt with her. You can miss your dead husband and still enjoy getting some attention without feeling like you've done something wrong. And that's where I think Jenna is going to come in handy as a character. She doesn't have strong feelings about Mitch so she can give Maggie some impartial advice without all the feelings that the other family members have about Mitch's death. Jenna can see that Maggie wasn't being disloyal and Jenna doesn't feel bad about saying so. But it's clear that things are going to come to a head at some point because Zoey does not like feeling as though Jenna has usurped her place.

[dubbel zout]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Zoey and Mo's conversation about simply choosing to be happy reminded me of the conversation that Lloyd Dobler had with his sister in Say Anything. While I agree that having an open mind and a positive outlook are helpful, I always found that whole philosophy offensive to anyone who has suffered from depression. I get that you can tell yourself not to wallow after a breakup, but depression and grief are not things that go away just because you tell yourself that you're going to be happy. If only it were that easy!

"Fake it until you make it" only goes so far. I also find the philosophy offensive when it's used for illnesses such as cancer. "Oh, you must not have been positive enough in your outlook," and all that crap. Fuck you.

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

If Max needs help with other things, he should tell Mo. If he feels there is too much work for him to handle, he needs to tell Mo so that they can figure out a way to share the responsibilities or possibly outsource some of them.

Seriously. And really, doesn't Max know Mo at all? What Mo is doing—setting the vibe, getting people comfortable enough to do karaoke, etc.—isn't easy. Max couldn't do that anymore than Mo could write up a detailed business plan. They really do need to sit down and figure out who does what. And then not resent the other person for their duties.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I Want to Break Free:

Mo proves to Max he cares about the restaurant:

Zoey might have a new crush:

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I also find the philosophy offensive when it's used for illnesses such as cancer. "Oh, you must not have been positive enough in your outlook," and all that crap. Fuck you.

Ah, yes, the cousin to the "you have to be a fighter" philosophy, as if that means anyone who dies from an illness was just lazy or gave up.

[FnkyChkn34]

On 1/27/2021 at 1:05 PM, rejnel said:

The reporter (Tatyana?) only had eyes for Mo. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but definite. 

Absolutely.  Plus Simon said something like "no, she's just my new friend" when Zoey (?) asked if they were on a date.  I think she'll only have a small arc, or maybe was just a one-time guest to add to the PR storyline.  Max needs helps with the new business and so she'll interview him.  She doesn't have to be anything more than that.

On 1/27/2021 at 6:07 PM, ams1001 said:

I liked him until he suggested that his divorce was equivalent to her having just lost her husband a few months ago.

 

On 1/27/2021 at 6:32 PM, dubbel zout said:

That was really a dumb thing to say.

 

On 1/27/2021 at 8:08 PM, shapeshifter said:

I guess it's a good line to give the character if the writers want to be sure none of the audience is left thinking it's going somewhere.
But then it didn't fit with Maggie later having a conversation about how she admitted she had been flirting but then made no mention of his remark --on which she should have later should have remarked something like: Dodged that bullet!

ETA: I suppose they could still have Fabulously Wealthy Older Hunk later beg Maggie's forgiveness for his thoughtless analogy.

I think he was nervous.  It definitely was a dumb, insensitive thing to say, but he seemed to regret it immediately, didn't he?  I took it more as he was like a nervous school kid trying to talk to his crush on the playground.

[springbarb]

11 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

On a shallow note, I hope that Mo and Max end up having karaoke night at their restaurant at least occasionally so that we have an excuse to have non-heart songs with the characters.

I was surprised that Mo was returning the karaoke machine; he just seems like someone who would have one of his own. And of course the restaurant needs one!

[Empress1]

20 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

A public defender is always struggling to keep up, and you don't get paid very well unless you are a supervisor. David may make only half of what Zoey does, and he went to grad school for 3 years.  If  both he and Emily want a 2nd child, though, I would put the house way on the back burner.  Have the 2nd child in 2 to 3 years, stay in whatever living situation they have now, and then David can go back to work when the younger one is in kindergarten.  Perhaps Maggie will want to retire by then and will sell the house at a reduced price to David and Emily.  Then they can finally add a guest suite on the ground floor, Maggie can stay there with full access to her greenhouse and provide after-school babysitting to her grandchildren (remember, the younger child will be in kindergarten by then.)

David makes the least out of him, Emily, and Zoey, without question and by a large margin. If anybody is going to stop working, it should be him - he and Emily losing his paycheck doesn't affect their lifestyle nearly as much as losing Emily's BigLaw salary would. If Emily loses her job, it's time to panic and move in with Maggie. If David quits his, they might just break even - remember, day care costs a ton, so now they don't have that expense. I know a number of families where the lower earner left the work force when their kids were small because day care, especially if they had more than one child fairly close together, was taking up all or close to all of their salary.

On 1/27/2021 at 12:29 PM, springbarb said:

It's frustrating watching writers try to write about the business world; it's clear they have no idea what they're talking about. I already don't understand how Zoey is "executive director" of a floor that seems somehow to incorporate programming, marketing, and HR. (I could see there be subdivisions in the company, but...I want an org chart.) Her firing someone in HR totally just drove me up a wall; that wouldn't happen. Also, they said they had to get rid of 10% of the workforce--but Zoey fired 5 people. The numbers don't add up. At least she sucked it up and handled the situation fairly maturely.

At first I thought she had to fire 5 coders, which would make sense, but she has no business firing someone from HR. Where is the head of HR?! Just ... what? 

I knew they were going there with the silver fox. It was really tacky of him to liken his divorce to her widowhood - and he was so flippant about it too, like "Pfft, my wife's gone too! No big!"

14 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I really loved Jenna when she told Maggie not to feel guilty just because she let a man flirt with her. You can miss your dead husband and still enjoy getting some attention without feeling like you've done something wrong. And that's where I think Jenna is going to come in handy as a character. She doesn't have strong feelings about Mitch so she can give Maggie some impartial advice without all the feelings that the other family members have about Mitch's death. Jenna can see that Maggie wasn't being disloyal and Jenna doesn't feel bad about saying so. But it's clear that things are going to come to a head at some point because Zoey does not like feeling as though Jenna has usurped her place.

I really liked her this episode - she's much more interesting than I initially thought she would be.

[HappyBerry]

3 hours ago, Empress1 said:

David makes the least out of him, Emily, and Zoey, without question and by a large margin. If anybody is going to stop working, it should be him - he and Emily losing his paycheck doesn't affect their lifestyle nearly as much as losing Emily's BigLaw salary would. If Emily loses her job, it's time to panic and move in with Maggie. If David quits his, they might just break even - remember, day care costs a ton, so now they don't have that expense. I know a number of families where the lower earner left the work force when their kids were small because day care, especially if they had more than one child fairly close together, was taking up all or close to all of their salary.

At first I thought she had to fire 5 coders, which would make sense, but she has no business firing someone from HR. Where is the head of HR?! Just ... what? 

I knew they were going there with the silver fox. It was really tacky of him to liken his divorce to her widowhood - and he was so flippant about it too, like "Pfft, my wife's gone too! No big!"

I really liked her this episode - she's much more interesting than I initially thought she would be.

I agree with basically your whole post! I've got friends that are outside the Bay Area and their daycare runs them about $20,000 and that's with a discount because my friend works for the university the daycare is at. I can see it costing significantly more actually in San Francisco, plus I'm sure they would want him in a "fancy" daycare and the fact that he's a baby is going to cost more than if he was a toddler or older child. As a public defender, I'm guessing David probably doesn't make that much more than a day care would cost, especially when you consider things like commuting costs, those little lunch purchases and such that have a way of adding up, etc. 

The whole firing thing seemed weird anyway, like why did Leif know before she did? But then I got extra confused about her firing someone in HR... that made no sense. I feel like the writers need to spend a week in a "real" office to learn how things actually work. 

And Jenna is growing on me. I found her still pretty annoying last episode, but I really liked in in this one where she is not only helping Maggie through her grief, but also helping her remember who she is without Mitch. Maggie will always mourn him, but it is great seeing her genuinely laughing and finding who she is outside of that wife/caretaker role she's been in.