S02.E10: The Cheerleader Leader

[jewel21]

Quote

After Tayo forbids Dele from dancing, Abishola enlists Bob's help in talking to Dele about his feelings.

Airdate: 02/22/2021

[jewel21]

Well this episode had a lot of feelz and I was here for all of them. 

The only time we really see Dele happy is when he's dancing so I was annoyed that his father forbad him from doing so. 

I liked Abishola being concerned for Dele but not knowing how to discuss his feelings so she got Bob involved. I continue to enjoy Dele and Bob's interactions and would like to see more of them together. 

I was sure Dele's dad was back in Nigeria but I guess we're stuck with him for awhile longer *sighs* and I'm annoyed that he just decided he was going to take Dele with him for a whole summer and didn't even discuss it with Abishola first. What a turd. 

Abishola crying at the end was sad. 

My local station cut off the ending again so I'm going to have to catch it online tomorrow. 

Lastly, watching Christina, in the background, taking the chili to the table while Bob was on the phone with Abishola cracked me up. 

[floridamom]

Does anyone know why networks seem to cut off the endings of programs? They never used to do that in the past. What's going on with this?

[Browncoat]

If I were Abishola, I’d be worried that Tayo wouldn’t let Dele return.

I also loved Bob’s interactions with Dele.  Soccer is boring.  Heh.  

The end tag was Kofu and Goodwin watching and commenting on American football.

[possibilities]

Soccer is really fun to play, but I agree it's not that fun to watch. On the other hand, I feel the same way about football and hockey. A lot of things are more fun to do than to watch.

I'm also afraid Tayo will try to prevent Dele from returning. I think that's what Abishola is afraid of, too. It might be best if Abishola and Bob take Dele to meet the extended family in Nigeria. Bob could afford that, even if Abishola can't. But that's not as much tension for a tv show as it is to dangle the possibility of ex-husband conflict. Though it might be more humorous than ex-husband conflict, so it's interesting that the show has decided to go for the more dramatic/scary possibility and not the one that's more light-hearted and potentially amusing. 

 

[Harvey]

It was pretty funny when Olu and Tunde thought the only way to cheer up a kid was to yell at him or give him housework 😄 .

I liked how heartfelt this episode was with so much of Abishola's motherly care being on display. Nice to see this side of her.

[DoYouLikeMutton]

The best thing about Tayo is he causes Abishola to realize how much she cares for Bob.  Only since he has been on the scene has Abishola shown some appreciation for Bob and what he brings to the relationship.  Now it feels like she actually cares for Bob and wants him in her life, rather than only the other way around.  I enjoy seeing it.

[mammaM]

My favorite line was when the ex said that Abishola and Dele were getting very American and she replied "because you brought us here, and left us here" . 

The ex is a prick and needs to go but I think he's here to show Abishola that she's more "Americanized" than she cares to admit.

[Harvey]

13 minutes ago, mammaM said:

My favorite line was when the ex said that Abishola and Dele were getting very American and she replied "because you brought us here, and left us here" .

That line stood out to me too, the actress's delivery was very sharp and on point, I loved it.

[tennisgurl]

I love the relationship between Bob and Dele, its sweet how open they are with each other. I also love that Abishola really encourages their relationship, which also leads to some good jokes as well. "Here, fix his feelings." 

Tayo is such a jerk, and a hypocrite on top of that. If he didn't want his family to be more American, he shouldn't have taken them there and left them there when the going got tough. It would be a pretty dark turn for the show, but I am worried that Tayo might not let Dele come back to the US. 

The little subplot about Bob not getting soccer was funny, especially the tag. "Kill him!" 

[HurricaneVal]

8 hours ago, Browncoat said:

If I were Abishola, I’d be worried that Tayo wouldn’t let Dele return.

 

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

I'm also afraid Tayo will try to prevent Dele from returning. I think that's what Abishola is afraid of, too. It might be best if Abishola and Bob take Dele to meet the extended family in Nigeria. Bob could afford that, even if Abishola can't. But that's not as much tension for a tv show as it is to dangle the possibility of ex-husband conflict. Though it might be more humorous than ex-husband conflict, so it's interesting that the show has decided to go for the more dramatic/scary possibility and not the one that's more light-hearted and potentially amusing. 

These were my exact thoughts watching this last night.  I don't know if she would verbalize them, because in her Nigerian family traditions, what Tayo says is law.  She may not even be aware this is her fear.  When Dele said he wanted to go, so he could get to know his Nigerian family better, and maybe sway his father to understanding why he wanted to dance so he'd be allowed to kind of broke my heart.  Tayo is never going to allow that, and Dele is just going to be ultimately disappointed and probably pretty hurt.  I think Abishola knows that as well.

Oh, that scene where Bob turns to her with some acerbic comment on the tip of his tongue, and sees her tears got me in the feels, just like others have said.  All of this, though, is helping Abishola understand she's not 100% Nigerian anymore, so maybe this will strengthen her resolve to finalize the divorce and break ties with Tayo.  I don't think Dele will go to Nigeria with his father though, I think something will happen before that which will open Dele's eyes to the fact that he's just a pawn to Tayo and nothing more.  We'll need to call Bob back to "fix his feelings" when that happens....

[possibilities]

I loved the "I'm sorry to say" scene.

[ECM1231]

Absolutely loved this episode. Abishola is definitely changing since her involvement with Bob. As she said to Tayo she thinks Dele's passion for dance is foolish and not a great career choice but he's a great kid and she wants him to be happy. Like others have said, I was worried Tayo would not return Dele to Abishola once Summer ends. Her tears at the end show a side of her we never see.

The soccer conversation between Bob, Kofo and Goodwin was my favorite part of the show. Too funny!

[bad things are bad]

I hope Nigeria isn't just a way to Violet and Roscoe poor Dele out of the show. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by bad things are bad

[floridamom]

The lack of emotion cultural thing that Abishola displays doesn't seem to be apparent with her friend at the hospital. This woman seems filled with emotion. Is this unique to Abishola's family and the seemingly disfunctional way she was brought up by her mother?

[DoYouLikeMutton]

20 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

I hope Nigeria isn't just a way to Violet and Roscoe poor Dele out of the show. 

Oh no, I hope not!  I like Dele and think he adds an integral dimension to Abishola and the series.  He's smart and has interests, a stark contrast to the other "kids" on the show, Christina and Douglas.

[Harvey]

4 hours ago, floridamom said:

The lack of emotion cultural thing that Abishola displays doesn't seem to be apparent with her friend at the hospital. This woman seems filled with emotion. Is this unique to Abishola's family and the seemingly disfunctional way she was brought up by her mother?

It's just within her family. If you saw the episode where anything that Bob said about Olu's cooking was taken into a negative direction, you can understand why Abishola became a very matter of fact and serious person. If you use colorful language they will twist your words so it means something offensive and there can be drama. Kemi's upbringing was probably not like that.

[HurricaneVal]

Or......Kemi strikes me as a bit of a rebel.  She made her way to the US on her own, right?  So it seems to me she's left her family and old ways behind and come to the US for her own version of freedom.  I also think that Kemi knows how to put on traditional Nigerian ways.  Doesn't she have her boyfriend's mother bamboozled?

That said, I think that Abishola's family must be a very conservative, very, very traditional Nigerian family adhering to traditional ways and dynamics and is also more than a little dysfunctional in addition to that.  So it is hard to separate the cultural tradition from regular batshit crazy family dysfunction. 

[SnarkySheep]

On 2/23/2021 at 11:43 AM, tennisgurl said:

Tayo is such a jerk, and a hypocrite on top of that.

IMO it would be better if he were a really nice guy, because then it wouldn't be so automatic to support Abishola being with Bob. There would be more complexity to the whole situation.