S01:E05 Don't Go Breaking My Heart

[AgentRXS]

Quote

Pennsylvania, 1987: Ata's relationship with Dwayne gets tested after she makes a heartbreaking discovery about her son. With Rocky on the road, Ata must take matters into her own hands.

Original Air Date: March 23, 2021

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I was waiting for Dwayne's mother to tell him that if he were caught stealing, he would wind up in the justice system, and it could ruin his life.  No one would take pity on a minority kid who looks like an adult.

[nilyank]

I cracked up when Ata is yelling at Dwayne in Zales and she ends up interrupting him with one of his future catch phrases..."it doesn't matter what you think."

I was afraid that Ata was going to get fired and lose the friendship with her boss but I am glad she told the truth and it just made that relationship much stronger. Her talk later with Dwayne was really good and effective because deep down Dwayne is a good kid that loves his parents. By putting in perspective how important that job is so that Ata could take care of her family really got to him.

Love seeing the real Ata at the end. This is really a love letter from Dwayne to his parents.

[DanaK]

I can't remember if this Rock is 14 or 17, but holy cow, how old is that actor playing him? Poor young teenage Rock looking like an adult

Sad that they had to depend on the mom's salary because dad's career had hit the skids and she had to contend with her son stealing things and eating like a machine

I'm definitely enjoying this more once we got past the pilot and the show settled down to 1 past time period an episode

Edited March 24, 2021 by DanaK

[Quickbeam]

Another great episode. This show has so much heart, it is fun to watch. Plus the focus on actors of color with white people in supporting roles. 

[Raja]

I lost it when mom Ata busted in with the"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK"

[thuganomics85]

Like Randall Park, I'm also curious to see who Dwayne has in mind for his running mate and if we will actually get to see that happen this season or on the show in general.

Nice episode that explored Dwayne's relationship with Ata.  I'm glad she found the right way to get through to Dwayne, because I do think he's a good kid at heart, but he was allowing his emotions and need for popularity/impress a girl to make him do bad things like punching the kid or stealing (which I'm sure he excused by thinking it was just from department stores or rich folks, so it wasn't "that big" of a deal.)  Still wasn't right, but those were things that one can rise above, which hopefully Dwayne is on his way to doing now.  Heck, he even went and donated stuff that Ata didn't find (which was two trash bags full!)

Loved the conference call with all of the 80s wrestlers.  Even got an Elizabeth name-drop from Randy Savage!

[tennisgurl]

Love the conference call with the 80s wresting squad, especially as they have mostly been in the kid timeline so far. Ata you are a lioness! Great seeing real Ata at the end, she seems like a blast. 

I was really worried that Ata would get fired from her cleaning job, so I am relived when her boss was understanding of Dwayne acting out. He really is a good kid, but he is also insecure the way a lot of teens are and that makes him make bad choices. Ata explaining why what he was doing was bad through the lens of his family was a good way to impress upon how badly he was acting to him, he clearly loves his family a lot. 

I really like Ata's employer and them bonding over watching daytime talk shows. "Some kids are good kids who make bad choices, and some kids, like my daughter, just want to watch the world burn." 

I, like Randall, am very curious as to who Dwayne's VP is going to be. 

[rmontro]

10 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Even got an Elizabeth name-drop from Randy Savage!

Thought "Randy's" Macho Man impersonation was better this week.

I thought the generic "Toasted Quilted Pancakes" were funny.  Growing boys eat a lot, imagine how much a growing Rock would eat.

[LBS]

I was steeling myself that Ata would get fired and lose her friendship so I was so happy when it went the other way.   I was confused that they were donating the clothes with the security tags still attached.  Wouldn’t that cause problems with the donation center.  Mild nitpick.   I loved the real Ata at the end and I thought the actress who plays her picked up on a lot of little mannerisms of her (I.e touching her face when she laughs)

[Dewey Decimate]

The more this delightful show goes on, the more I want to see Dwayne Johnson actually run for president some day.

[Raja]

19 hours ago, Dewey Decimate said:

The more this delightful show goes on, the more I want to see Dwayne Johnson actually run for president some day.

Just watching the show makes me think that Dwayne Johnson is thinking just maybe. I was reminded of then Governor Schwarzenegger  making a cameo in a movie and figuratively handing the baton off to Johnson. By airing all the "unpresidential" laundry out for us to see it might just serve to inoculate us from an October Surprise in 2032. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Raja

[Ailianna]

18 hours ago, Raja said:

1932

I presume that's a typo or Freudian slip of some kind? 

[chediavolo]

On 3/26/2021 at 9:30 AM, LBS said:

I was steeling myself that Ata would get fired and lose her friendship so I was so happy when it went the other way.   I was confused that they were donating the clothes with the security tags still attached.  Wouldn’t that cause problems with the donation center.  Mild nitpick.   I loved the real Ata at the end and I thought the actress who plays her picked up on a lot of little mannerisms of her (I.e touching her face when she laughs)

How is he getting those tags off?

[Raja]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

How is he getting those tags off?

In an earlier episode he wore a jacket and didn't want to take it off because a dye pack exploded when he tried to remove a tag.

[rmontro]

On 3/26/2021 at 11:59 PM, Raja said:

Just watching the show makes me think that Dwayne Johnson is thinking just maybe. I was reminded of then Governor Schwarzenegger  making a cameo in a movie and figuratively handing the baton off to Johnson. 

I could see him as some type of unifying figure, but it's hard to tell without seeing how he'd campaign.