S03.E17: Regrets, Rehabs and Realtors

[lexiexx]

It's almost like they want us to believe that Darlene could do it on her own but refuses to for Dan's sake.   I don't think they have given any evidence of that.   Ben was unemployed just a few episodes ago, and fell ass backwards into the hardware store.   He wasn't even looking for a job, we wanted to be a podcaster.   Now he lives in the back room of the shop instead of, you know,  an efficiency or something like most people would do.  Why is it okay for her to support Ben's pipe dream but not help Dan who she owes for all that time he supported herself and her two kids.   On top of the fact that he was widowed during that time too, gee, so sorry Ben's mom, that Darlene is contributing to the house she lives in.  They're literally eating food that's about to go rotten when there are four adults living in the house, sounds like none of them could afford to go live alone somewhere.  

 

[CrystalBlue]

On 4/16/2021 at 1:43 PM, TattleTeeny said:

Wow. Sorry I didn’t see sarcasm an ordinary question with no indication of such.

ETA: Even so, I added a like to your post due to your fostering story. I’m a shelter volunteer and that’s the kind of thing I like to hear.

Thank you for your Like!  Regrets that I insulted you.  I'd thought you'd already read my thoughts on the Dan foster dog story but didn't realize we often reply to posts in the moment and don't have a running tally on each of our prior posts.  I'll rehab myself by using sarcasm indicators in the future.

[TattleTeeny]

No worries. Like I said, I work at a shelter and not everyone I run across is wise to the ways of fostering.

[QQQQ]

On 4/15/2021 at 2:24 PM, Caseysgirl said:

I have been so disappointed by this show.  First of all, Dan has become an annoying curmudgeon. The fact that he has multiple very marketable skills ( mechanic, carpenter, handyman and contractor are some that come to mind, why has he never been able to make a decent living?  They’ve been in that house over 30 years and he still had a mortgage that he can’t even pay off?  Why until this time have neither of these relatively intelligent, and one college educated girls been able to find decent employment?  Why isn’t DJ helping out - his wife is in the Service and it seems as if he has a good job?  Why isn’t Darlene getting child support? Why isn’t Becky getting survivors benefits?  It’s depressing to see that in all the years none of these people have improved at living.  Also, personality wise, who would be attracted to a negative, sarcastic, self absorbed woman like Darlene and yet the men are falling over her.   I keep watching hoping for the magic of the first iteration of this show but I don’t see it coming.

This. And if there is still a mortgage, I'm thinking the $10k+ they received in stimulus payments probably could've been used to pay it off once and for all.

[peacheslatour]

11 hours ago, QQQQ said:

This. And if there is still a mortgage, I'm thinking the $10k+ they received in stimulus payments probably could've been used to pay it off once and for all.

Why do something like that when they can take the whole family to Dollywood? 

[Florinaldo]

The employee seems perfectly cast to play the role of shiny new object that will entice Darlene into some instant gratification (not necessarily sexual), with no thought as to the long term professional consequences and the wasted money.

And then she will whine about how her life is so crappy, she never gets anything that lasts and she never can win. In typical Conner fashion.

Regarding the airline tickets, once a gift is made, the giver has no control over how it is used. Even more so if they are now dead.  So Ben and Darlene are totally free to decide to cash in in the tickets (let's forget that this is not how it works these days). It is also perfectly legitimate for Ben to express his opinion and wish that they make a concerted decision; after all they are a functional couple. Or are they really one?

Edited April 22, 2021 by Florinaldo

[I Want My MBTV]

On 4/18/2021 at 3:59 PM, Bastet said:

Darlene lost her job and moved back home with two kids because she couldn't afford to support them on her own and David is a deadbeat dad.  Becky decided to have a child and moved back home with that baby, because she couldn't afford to support her alone and Emilio has little to contribute.  Darlene then also moved her bearded sloth of a boyfriend in when he lost his job and could no longer afford his apartment.

Becky actually didn't decide to have the baby. It's never brought up but Becky wanted to give the baby up for adoption and Darlene guilted her into not doing that and saying how she would help Becky (and we've all seen how much Darlene helps anyone who's not Darlene) and that's how Becky ended up back in the house.  She's a grown person and ultimately those were her choices but they were all prompted by Darlene.  It's the Darlene show and everyone else is just a spectator. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 4/15/2021 at 1:17 PM, marceline said:

I'm firmly Team Ben in this episode. It's easy for Darlene to talk about a compromise because she's not the one living in the back of a hardware store. Ben knows what his priorities are and he's focused on achieving them. What I'm seeing from Darlene is just her bouncing from one thing to the next and now her thing is turning Molly into some kind of guardian angel/sign from the universe. I keep thinking about how Darlene went racing over to Molly's because Jackie called her and said Molly was hitting on Ben (What the hell kind of grown-ass woman does that?) but now she's disappointed in Ben because he didn't want to go to Hawaii.

I'm fine with Ben and Darlene splitting up because these people have conflicting levels of maturity.

Yea I really feel for Ben. If Darlene actually wants to live with him and start a life together they need a plan and concrete goals. Otherwise it's not hard to picture a scenario where she lives in that house forever. That said instead of constantly pushing the way he is, they should just talk it out. And if their goals aren't the same maybe they shouldn't be together.

Although it is annoying to hear Darlene talk about how she could really use a trip to Hawaii. Everyone could use a trip to Hawaii! Unless of course you already live in Hawaii.

On 4/16/2021 at 6:20 PM, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Explain to me why Ben can't afford even a small apartment on his own right now and has to sleep in the back of the hardware store. 

My take on that is that his sole focus is to live with Darlene and her kids somewhere and expects that it will happen relatively soon. That means he needs a place with probably 3 bedrooms. So why waste time and money finding a small place for himself when if what he wants happens he is just going to have to move again.

On 4/16/2021 at 8:29 PM, Marley said:

Can Darlene and Ben even afford a place? I doubt his hardware store is raking in the big bucks. Why is Dan working there? He probably makes no money there he could be making more elsewhere. The whole hardware store thing is so dumb.

The hardware store was successful enough to support Ben's parents and I think he said that they owned it since he was a kid. So it should be safe to assume it is a steady income generator. Plus not sure what it is like in the US but in Canada home improvement like places, when they are open at least have been making crazy money. Because everyone working from home has all this extra time in their house and start noticing things they want to change.

[Marley]

I’m in Canada too. I just can’t seem a small little hardware store like that raking in the cash but who knows.

[eel21788]

On 4/23/2021 at 9:51 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

Although it is annoying to hear Darlene talk about how she could really use a trip to Hawaii. Everyone could use a trip to Hawaii! Unless of course you already live in Hawaii.

My father always said he'd rather take a vacation in a steam bath than go to Hawaii because then he would be able to get out when it got too hot.

[One Tough Cookie]

What I want to know is; WHY THE HELL IS DAVID NOT PAYING CHILD SUPPORT???  Has Blue put her foot down??

On a superficial note, Darlene's hair looks  limp and greasy this season.

Edited April 29, 2021 by One Tough Cookie

[chitowngirl]

It’s kind of weird that we saw more of David when JG was in TBBT than we do now, which is to say, not at all.

[peacheslatour]

35 minutes ago, One Tough Cookie said:

What I want to know is; WHY THE HELL IS DAVID NOT PAYING CHILD SUPPORT???  Has Blue put her foot down??

Even if she did, he legally has to provide for his children.

Quote

My father always said he'd rather take a vacation in a steam bath than go to Hawaii because then he would be able to get out when it got too hot.

I used to live there. It really wasn't that hot and it rained every afternoon but I did miss the seasons.

[eel21788]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I used to live there. It really wasn't that hot and it rained every afternoon but I did miss the seasons.

I should probably also add that my father hated traveling and would look for any excuse not to go anywhere farther than the living room. 

[geauxaway]

Even if she got to Hawaii for free what what she do when she got there???  Walk around? 

[Kel Varnsen]

14 hours ago, eel21788 said:

My father always said he'd rather take a vacation in a steam bath than go to Hawaii because then he would be able to get out when it got too hot.

Fair enough, I meant it more in a sense that everyone could use a fancy vacation.

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Fair enough, I meant it more in a sense that everyone could use a fancy vacation.

Again, my dad's idea of a "fancy vacation" was going to a conference for The American Chemical Society as long as it didn't involve traveling farther than a neighboring state. 

[marriedaniac]

On 4/16/2021 at 12:30 PM, DB in CMH said:

As a child of the '90s, it is still so fucking weird to see Murphy Brown sitting in Roseanne's kitchen. Given how the two actresses were always so diametrically opposed - Candice Bergen was always the kind of actress Hollywood wanted to award, and Roseanne Barr was not - who would have thought we'd be here in 2021?

Right!? Same with Peg Bundy.

[qtpye]

22 hours ago, marriedaniac said:

Right!? Same with Peg Bundy.

It is like someone is writing fanfic for 90's tv characters and it is some how magically coming true.

What next...DJ has an affair with Rachel from Friends? George Constanza opens a competing restaurant to the Lunchbox?

[Chewy101]

On 4/15/2021 at 8:29 AM, Arcadiasw said:

That was ridiculous, too. BAG character didn't give me the impression he would get a vaccine due to his incompetence and reason in being late his first day of work.

Is it bad I am distrusting of people saying "I got vaccinated" and they don't wear a mask anymore and  they expect me to trust them and take mine off comparable to people saying "they're clean" when it comes to sex and still expect me sleep with them without protection? 

Well, I am not vaccinated  but I am totally honest about it. Watching people jump 6 feet back at the bowling alley, and restaurants, and at games..... I finally have the personal space I've dreamed of! I contracted the virus and I'm supposed to be immune, but I don't want to give up those good good seats!

I love this show, and it might be out of severe childhood loyalty, but they really are pissing on the couch with some of their characters. They keep taking away the desire to root for anyone! 

A poster upthread suggested exploring Darlene's sexuality.... Does this show HAVE to reach so far every episode? It is a dynamic cast of talented actors and the charm of the show was tackling the little things and knocking them down with great wit and delivery. I could care less if the Darlene character is heterosexual, or homosexual like the beautiful actress. But I find it tiresome pressing these buttons endlessly when it's a 20 minute sitcom that is supposed to be a nice nitghtcap at the end of the day. Their problems of the day are keeping the lights on, having a job in the morning, funding a laptop so a kid can zoom his schoolwork. They need to stop casting the net so wide if they are only going to address it for 22 minutes. 

[bobalina]

5 hours ago, Chewy101 said:

Well, I am not vaccinated  but I am totally honest about it. Watching people jump 6 feet back at the bowling alley, and restaurants, and at games..... I finally have the personal space I've dreamed of! I contracted the virus and I'm supposed to be immune, but I don't want to give up those good good seats!

I love this show, and it might be out of severe childhood loyalty, but they really are pissing on the couch with some of their characters. They keep taking away the desire to root for anyone! 

A poster upthread suggested exploring Darlene's sexuality.... Does this show HAVE to reach so far every episode? It is a dynamic cast of talented actors and the charm of the show was tackling the little things and knocking them down with great wit and delivery. I could care less if the Darlene character is heterosexual, or homosexual like the beautiful actress. But I find it tiresome pressing these buttons endlessly when it's a 20 minute sitcom that is supposed to be a nice nitghtcap at the end of the day. Their problems of the day are keeping the lights on, having a job in the morning, funding a laptop so a kid can zoom his schoolwork. They need to stop casting the net so wide if they are only going to address it for 22 minutes. 

Or they can do what they're doing and address problems beyond COVID. In 1p years when this is in endless syndication COVID problems will be like season 9 if Riseanne. Stupid and dull.

[Arcadiasw]

I hope in season 4 they move past Covid because they are handling it so poorly now. 

[Browncoat]

Ben's got a lot of damned gall, harassing Darlene about doing the "right" thing with the airfare money (which she couldn't get back if she tried), when he blew how much on stupid podcast equipment?  Money that certainly could have been put to better use.  Hypocrite.  Also, I have not yet heard him mention Mark and Harris.  He just keeps harping on moving in with Darlene.  Are Mark and Harris going to be left behind at Dan's house?