S1E1: Hello Yellow Brick Road

[CountryGirl]

Quote

Kate experiences the force of nature that is Tully when they meet as teens, at their first journalism jobs in 1982, and over a PTA crush in 2003.

 

[dmc]

Nope.  I started watching this and it’s a nope for me. The acting is fine it’s the plot that’s really a no for me.  We got introduced to two lifelong friends that grew up together and have seemingly been there for each other their entire lives.  We find out that Kate got married and is seemingly either separated or divorced.  Also it’s told in flashbacks so we get to see how she ultimately meet her husband.  The other friend Tully was sort of dedicated to her career and she’s never met anyone special.  
 

 

And I was thinking all this will be a really good show.

 

Then towards the end of the episode Kate ex husband or separated husband shows up and professes his love for Tully.  And I was like nope.

 

I’m sick of this plot.  Two friends carrying a torch for the same douchebag.  I’m calling him a douchebag because only a douchebag would pursue his wife’s best friend and only a crappy friend would have a secret relationship with her friend’s husband.  I highly doubt she’s going to tell her friend that he professed his love for her.

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by dmc

[Avabelle]

Ugh ugh ugh.

Shows that set a premise around a douchebag who both protagonists and apparent best friends are having a relationship with is an absolute no go for me.

Just no.

[Anela]

I didn't like that, either, but I made it through five episodes today. 

[EdnasEdibles]

I read the books and enjoyed them although I hate Tully's character. I hated it in the book and she feels worse on show. Maybe it's because I also dislike Katherine Heigl? But I just don't get it. I don't get how everyone is like "Oh Tully! She's amazing! So beautiful and so smart! Such a great reporter?" and I'm like. . . ."Her?" 

[CountryGirl]

I finally had a chance to watch the first episode.

I agree with the reviewers that a huge part of why I'm not loving it thus far is because of the whiplash flashbacks and back to present day (2003).

It would be one thing if it were flashing back to one time frame, but to flash back to the early 70s, 80s, 90s, and then back to the present in the span of a minute or two is just too much.

The series would have done much better to have followed the book's chronological approach with maybe a few flashbacks. The actresses playing teen Kate and Tully are very strong and I would have liked to have seen that friendship develop and be shown vs told the story. 

I will watch the rest, mainly because I did love the book and it is nice to see a show with two female leads. I just wish it followed the book more closely, including more linearly. 

4 hours ago, EdnasEdibles said:

I read the books and enjoyed them although I hate Tully's character. I hated it in the book and she feels worse on show. Maybe it's because I also dislike Katherine Heigl? But I just don't get it. I don't get how everyone is like "Oh Tully! She's amazing! So beautiful and so smart! Such a great reporter?" and I'm like. . . ."Her?" 

I'm not a huge fan of Heigl either. Probably because I grew to hate her as GA's Izzie LOL.

[Jillybean]

On 2/3/2021 at 6:16 PM, dmc said:

Nope.  I started watching this and it’s a nope for me. The acting is fine it’s the plot that’s really a no for me.  We got introduced to two lifelong friends that grew up together and have seemingly been there for each other their entire lives.  We find out that Kate got married and is seemingly either separated or divorced.  Also it’s told in flashbacks so we get to see how she ultimately meet her husband.  The other friend Tully was sort of dedicated to her career and she’s never met anyone special.  
 

 

And I was thinking all this will be a really good show.

 

Then towards the end of the episode Kate ex husband or separated husband shows up and professes his love for Tully.  And I was like nope.

 

I’m sick of this plot.  Two friends carrying a torch for the same douchebag.  I’m calling him a douchebag because only a douchebag would pursue his wife’s best friend and only a crappy friend would have a secret relationship with her friend’s husband.  I highly doubt she’s going to tell her friend that he professed his love for her.

 

 

If the final scene is all that bothered you, I recommend you continue on. Also, he didn't profess his love for her. He said "I need you." You'd need to watch all 10 episodes to understand the history of these three.

[dmc]

19 hours ago, Jillybean said:

If the final scene is all that bothered you, I recommend you continue on. Also, he didn't profess his love for her. He said "I need you." You'd need to watch all 10 episodes to understand the history of these three.

No quotations marks means paraphrasing, I wasn’t attempting an exact quote.  I don’t think a bff’s husband should need their wife’s friend either.  

I know exactly what I am in for with this show.  Sexual tension, longing glances and a bunch of did I make the right choice scenes?

I am also sure this show will be popular with a lot of people and there is more context from watching all the episodes.   

I will waiting for shows that exhibit strong female friendship that don’t focus on them fighting over men.  This is a tired exhausted troupe.  I hoping to see more of this content soon.  I love shows and films about friendship.  

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by dmc

[callie lee 29]

I love bot Heigl and Chalke so I'm in, though if it goes down the road of them fighting over the same guy, I'll be pissed. 

[MaryMitch]

I think the young actresses are killing it. (But I hate Kate's glasses!)

[peachmangosteen]

36 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

I think the young actresses are killing it. (But I hate Kate's glasses!)

Her glasses drove me insane. It was so stupid that they were too big for her.

[CountryGirl]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Her glasses drove me insane. It was so stupid that they were too big for her.

I know big glasses were, pardon the pun, big in the 70s and 80s but Kate was constantly shoving them back up her nose. 

[QQQQ]

12 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Her glasses drove me insane. It was so stupid that they were too big for her.

This is part of the "Beautiful All Along" trope.

[peachmangosteen]

11 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

I know big glasses were, pardon the pun, big in the 70s and 80s but Kate was constantly shoving them back up her nose. 

Yea, it wasn't the style of the glasses, it was just that they were not sized properly for the actress. Or more like she's like me and her nose is too skinny for glasses like that.

[Avabelle]

I’m liking this more than I thought I would but I don’t think I could handle a Tully in my life. The relationship with Kates husband is inappropriate even if they haven’t crossed a line. 

[methodwriter85]

On 2/4/2021 at 4:23 PM, CountryGirl said:

It would be one thing if it were flashing back to one time frame, but to flash back to the early 70s, 80s, 90s, and then back to the present in the span of a minute or two is just too much.

The series would have done much better to have followed the book's chronological approach with maybe a few flashbacks. The actresses playing teen Kate and Tully are very strong and I would have liked to have seen that friendship develop and be shown vs told the story. 

Three years of watching This is Us prepared me for that. 

 

[CountryGirl]

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Three years of watching This is Us prepared me for that. 

 

Tis true. I think they saw how well that worked (although diminishing returns now that we're several seasons into TIU) and upped the ante. 

[methodwriter85]

3 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Tis true. I think they saw how well that worked (although diminishing returns now that we're several seasons into TIU) and upped the ante. 

Yeah, I dropped This Is Us for the most part when they turned it into This is Deja. The new Little Women also did this, and I'm assuming that's why they went this way.

Edited February 9, 2021 by methodwriter85

[ally8620000]

On 2/4/2021 at 12:16 PM, EdnasEdibles said:

I read the books and enjoyed them although I hate Tully's character. I hated it in the book and she feels worse on show. Maybe it's because I also dislike Katherine Heigl? But I just don't get it. I don't get how everyone is like "Oh Tully! She's amazing! So beautiful and so smart! Such a great reporter?" and I'm like. . . ."Her?" 

I'm so glad you said this.  I've seen the book in the store a million times but didn't have any desire to read it until I saw the trailer for the show and knew I'd end up reading it.   I just finished the book this morning and I hate Tully.  I don’t understand why people think they have this epic, enviable friendship.  Kate deserves someone better than Tully.

[mytmo]

I kinda binged this weekend and it is ok - nothing earth shattering.  My 35 year friendship with my bestie has more excitement and we never pined away for the same guy - totally separate tastes,  I'll finish just for something to watch on the weekend.

[chocolatine]

Could Johnny be any more of a bad boy journalist cliche? I will keep watching for Chalke and Heigl, but I'll be mad if the show devolves into a love triangle with both of their characters falling in love with that douchebag.

As for the time jumping, I like the 70s flashbacks with the young actresses, but the 80s wigs are terrible and whatever blurring methods were used to make the actresses look like they're in their 20s are also bad. I also chuckled at Kate and Tully switching dresses before the fundraiser and both dresses magically shrinking/expanding to fit the new wearer perfectly. The actresses are both in great shape but have very different body types. Chalke looks like a size 2 or 4 and Heigl looks like an 8 or 10. I can *maybe* buy Kate's black dress being stretchy enough to fit Tully, but the silver dress would have been way too big for Kate without some pinning in the back and chest.

[CountryGirl]

Another thought I had is that the actresses who played the teenage Tully and Kate should have been allowed to play them at least through their college years.  It was quite a jolt to cut from them to forty-somethings KH and SC moving into the dorm. 

[ALittleShelfish]

I started watching this based on recommendations from a friend.  I had no prior knowledge of this, didn't know who was in it... I also don't watch a ton of television and haven't seen a movie release this century.  Imagine my surprise when I realized Tully was NOT being played by Ashley Judd, nor was this a story BASED on Ashley Judd.  This is making it hard for me to watch LOL.   All I know about Katherine Heigl is that viewers seem to have very strong feeling about her one way or the other.  Young Tully reminded me of Mandy Moore.  

As for the show, I just got thru a couple of epis last night, but it's ... fine.  I'll watch it.  I'm also finding the constant decade-changes to be a little much, but by the end of this episode, I'm pretty good predicting when they're coming and what they'll explain. 

I'll hang in til the end.  And YES to everyone above who mentioned the tired "best friends and a shared love interest" story because there isn't anything new to bring to that plot.  I think these two characters can be so much more, their backgrounds give them so much to build on!  I hope we see some of that.  

 

 

[Eureka]

On 2/4/2021 at 12:16 PM, EdnasEdibles said:

I read the books and enjoyed them although I hate Tully's character. I hated it in the book and she feels worse on show. Maybe it's because I also dislike Katherine Heigl? But I just don't get it. I don't get how everyone is like "Oh Tully! She's amazing! So beautiful and so smart! Such a great reporter?" and I'm like. . . ."Her?" 

I’m just getting to this show now. Enjoyed the first book (didn’t like the sequel) and I agree, seeing Tully on the screen is much worse than reading her. I feel like we’re not seeing enough of her vulnerable side like we get a glimpse of in the book. I also hate what they’ve changed. Why are Kate and Johnny separated? Why did they make Kate’s brother older with the storyline they gave him (avoiding spoilers here) instead of much younger like he was in the book? Why is Mara an only child? Sigh. I’m on episode four but not sure I like it enough to continue.

[stewedsquash]

I glimpsed this trailer when it first dropped a few months ago but only yesterday watched the first and part of the second episode. It doesn't bode well that I see the replies dwindling down for the next episode threads. I told myself that I was iffy on Dead To Me at first and it turned out great so I am willing to give this some more episodes. I also think I have this book in my wish list bookmark on my Kindle but it hasn't struck my fancy yet. I did not make the connection of the series to the book though until reading here. Quick question, should I read the book quickly or just keep watching?  I see there are some creative moves between the series and book being brought up here and usually when I read a book, and the film version deviates too much I then can't really focus on anything but NO! that's not right!. I think I will just watch the series first and then maybe read the books.

I found my mind wandering, wondering if Netflix has ever thought to have these two leads join in with the two leads on Dead To Me in a series? That would be great because I think all four are strong in developing characters and I like all four of these actresses. 

eta Lol, I bailed on This Is Us after one and a half seasons. It started out so darn good and then got too smoopy and veered away from what I thought it was going to be. Plus, my 20 something daughter in law told me after one episode soon into the second season that it made her cry and I knew I wasn't up for that kind of smoopy dreck. Plus she has terrible taste in shows (she has devoured Bridgerton so I know I won't watch it, ha) and I don't want to align myself with her tastes, haha.

eta two: I can't help but compare Tully's character portrayal with Brianna's character in Grace and Frankie. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by stewedsquash

[CountryGirl]

@stewedsquash, I was a huge fan of this book so I had high expectations of the series. It did take a while for me to warm to the show and, yes, some big changes from the book grated, but the series grew on me.

That was in large part due to the actresses playing Teen Tully and Teen Kate, who were outstanding. The season finale is the strongest episode of the bunch, IMO. 

[madpsych78]

On 4/14/2021 at 12:30 PM, ALittleShelfish said:

Young Tully reminded me of Mandy Moore.  

Not sure where else to put this, but young Tully reminds me of Phoebe Cates in looks.