S03.E19: Jeopardé, Sobrieté, and Infidelité

[Pallas]

The Jeopardy producers think that Wacky Jackie is good TV; Mark's school thinks that sober fledgllngs have something to share with the class; and Darlene thinks it's time to take a flyer.

 

[CrystalBlue]

So, it's official that she's called Wacky Jackie as per the showrunners?

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, CrystalBlue said:

So, it's official that she's called Wacky Jackie as per the showrunners?

So I wonder if Darlene is going to Hawaii with Mr. Newhire?

[CrystalBlue]

14 hours ago, Pallas said:

The Jeopardy producers think that Wacky Jackie is good TV; Mark's school thinks that sober fledgllngs have something to share with the class; and Darlene thinks it's time to take a flyer.

 

Is Mark going to be a guest lecturer at Becky's Jewish Rehab?

[ams1001]

On 5/10/2021 at 8:28 AM, Pallas said:

:The Jeopardy producers think that Wacky Jackie is good TV

Just based on the trailer...the Jeopardy producers are wrong. 

Becky the addiction "expert" is getting old and it's only 9:12.

 

[chitowngirl]

This episode packed everyone in there...except DJ

[rmontro]

I thought Ben's mom was on her best behavior tonight - except for going through Darlene's phone, of course.  But what she said was very sensible.  I liked her point that living life to the fullest doesn't necessarily mean blowing your resources on a four day vacation.  It might be doing the responsible thing and building a better life.  Sounds like the Conners routinely blow their money on short term gain, which might be why they're all in financial straits.

Enjoyed the Jeopardy scenes with Aaron Rodgers, even if they were a bit sad (for Jackie).

[LBS]

I’m sorry but if you have a free ticket to Hawaii and your boyfriend can’t come why don’t you ask one of your family members?  Ugh . This season is so contrived.

[Annber03]

8 minutes ago, rmontro said:

I thought Ben's mom was on her best behavior tonight - except for going through Darlene's phone, of course.  But what she said was very sensible.  I liked her point that living life to the fullest doesn't necessarily mean blowing your resources on a four day vacation.  It might be doing the responsible thing and building a better life.

Agreed. I liked their talk. Ben didn't seem entirely placated by Darlene's reassurances at the end (understandably so), though, so I do wonder what that'll mean for them going forward. 

As for the "Jeopardy" thing, I liked Neville helping Jackie figure out a way to tell off her mom :p. 

[UYI]

How great it was to see Estelle Parsons again after well over a year, even if it was on cell phone screen because of the pandemic. Bev certainly hasn't changed, has she?

Jackie didn't mention that she automatically got $1,000 as the third place finisher, sponsored by GEICO! Come on, now! :D

(In all seriousness, Aaron Rodgers did a really good job guest hosting Jeopardy!, IMO, so it was good to see him in host mode again one last time--then again, the only guest host I've had any real problem with was Dr. Oz, and I boycotted the show for the two weeks he hosted, anyway.) 

[Bastet]

Becky was channeling Bev, being one of those people who stops drinking and proceeds to lecture those who do.  Complete with Dan escaping to the garage.

"Spoiler alert: She's high on life, and it's going to make you want to drink."

I loved the intervention! 

I laughed at Darlene saying, "So, all your motivation was in the booze?" when Becky says she doesn't want any more double shifts and school is on the back burner.  It's probably best thing for Becky to treat sobriety like a full-time job right now, but that was funny.

And rich, coming from someone who wants to dart off to an expensive city, with only the plane ticket covered, but this whole Hawaii thing is still Darlene's decision to make and I'm getting really bored with how Ben feels about it.  I'm glad she changed her mind just so I don't have to hear about it anymore!

36 minutes ago, UYI said:

Bev certainly hasn't changed, has she?

As happy as I was to see Estelle Parsons looking good, I was a little disappointed that Bev's trademark passive-aggressive behavior was missing, and they just wrote her as directly insulting throughout.

[chocolatine]

Ugh, I hate that Darlene capitulated and sold the tickets. Not that I thought it was a good idea to go with Brian Austin Green, but she should have gone alone and taken a much needed break.

I loved Louise being feisty with Ben's mom, and she rocked the Metallica t-shirt.

I hate when the show makes Jackie the butt of every joke, so I cringed through the two Jeopardy sequences. Aaron Rodgers did a good job though, he was very natural.

46 minutes ago, UYI said:

How great it was to see Estelle Parsons again after well over a year, even if it was on cell phone screen because of the pandemic.

She looked great, too! Hard to believe she's in her 90s.

[Cherpumple]

I really disliked the way they did the Jeopardy scenes (Aaron Rodgers cameo aside). I don't need Jackie to be a multi-day champion or anything, but was it really too much to ask to let her have a good time and leave with her dignity? They could have even kept the whole Edith Piaf rant as a response to the Final Jeopardy clue, and still make her come in third, but not even letting her finish the game, and then having her leave the studio in handcuffs just felt mean spirited. Geez, why does this show think we all want these characters to keep getting kicked while they're down?

I liked Becky, and was annoyed by the reaction of the family. Yes, she was being preachy, but she was happy and proud of herself for completing rehab and I think she deserved a more positive response. I couldn't believe that Dan refused to forego beer for even one meal, and preferred to eat in the garage rather than share in Becky's first meal home. Selfish.

I'm so over the Darlene/Ben mess. Go to Hawaii, don't go to Hawaii, I don't care anymore. Her heartfelt speech at the end fell completely flat for me, as did Ben's passive-aggressive response. I like the actor who plays Ben, but please, break them up! They are a terrible couple!

[movingtargetgal]

18 minutes ago, Cherpumple said:

I liked Becky, and was annoyed by the reaction of the family. Yes, she was being preachy, but she was happy and proud of herself for completing rehab and I think she deserved a more positive response. I couldn't believe that Dan refused to forego beer for even one meal, and preferred to eat in the garage rather than share in Becky's first meal home. Selfish.

I think Dan is a functional alcoholic.  He gets up every day goes to work and takes care of his family but he is dependent on alcohol.  While we have rarely seen him out of control drunk, he almost always has a beer in his hand.  The fact that he can't/won't go without having a beer during his daughter's first meal on her first night home from rehab speaks volumes.

Edited May 13, 2021 by movingtargetgal

[Gizmo321]

I think Darlene would be better off without Ben. He fails to see she's struggling and needs his support. He berates her when she tries yet again to get him to understand.  And she finally caves in and sells the tickets. Way to be. 

I too wasn't thrilled with the whole Jeopardy subplot and making Jackie look like a fool. Rather than silly plots like this it would be more interesting to have her son Andy make an appearance and deal why she never mentions him (estranged? went to live with his father?). Bring back a happier Jackie. As opposed to the constant harping on what a bad mother Bev is / was. 

Was nice seeing Louise again. This character is a bright spot. I just wish we had also seen DJ during this episode, although it sounds like he gets more screen time in the coming episode. 

 

 

Quote

 

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Gizmo321

[Sile]

Really, show?  You couldn't at least let Jackie participate in Final Jeopardy?  Plus I really wanted to see the cat question.

I've taken the Jeopardy audition test and it's no joke.  In order for Jackie to pass that she would have had to have at least some hardcore knowledge.  Not someone who doesn't know the difference between Joan of Arc and Edith Piaf, or La Vie en Rose and the War of the Roses (which, as A-A Ron pointed out, wasn't even the right war).

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Sile said:

Plus I really wanted to see the cat question.

Me, too!

1 hour ago, Sile said:

I've taken the Jeopardy audition test and it's no joke.  In order for Jackie to pass that she would have had to have at least some hardcore knowledge.  Not someone who doesn't know the difference between Joan of Arc and Edith Piaf, or La Vie en Rose and the War of the Roses (which, as A-A Ron pointed out, wasn't even the right war).

Even if she did manage to pass the test, unless she really reigned in her "wacky" side during the audition, I don't believe they would have put her on the show. Some days she can be the voice of reason, but then she thinks it's appropriate to tell the host of Jeopardy, on set in front of the entire crew, during the game (though between rounds), that there must be some attraction between them. Really? It's not funny.

[MissLucas]

I dunno, this show is really leaning into the idea that its base-line  is 'let's kicks some puppies for 20 minutes'. Nobody can't have a win. I can't believe how long they dragged out that Hawaii plot. And although I initially agreed with Ben, I hated how the plot played out in the end. Judging from Ben's reaction to Darlene's speech I'm not sure Brian Austin Green is going to look for a new gig soon. And of course Becky's enthusiasm is played for a joke and Jackie loses her mind on tv and then gets served more emotional abuse from her mom. 

I wish this episode had been Louise and Barb for 20 minutes.

[Arcadiasw]

I laughed so hard at Darlene saying it is a platonic trip. Who is she kidding? 😂😂 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Arcadiasw

[marceline]

The show really is leaning in to making everyone as unlikable as possible.

Ben needs to cut Darlene loose. They don't want the same things and she keeps lying to him.

Wacky Jackie was a pain in the original series and she's a pain now.

[Yogisbooboo64]

Barb – “You’re going to ride that rock and roll horse to the end.”

Louise – “You’re a sassy bitch, aren’t you?”

Funniest scene of the episode!

I don’t know….why do I feel Darlene is lying about cashing in the tickets?  That speech to Ben had bullshit marinating all through it.

[71dude]

Mary didn't even come to dinner after being called - I guess she only gets one token appearance per episode.

"Are you still on that?" Thank you, Ben. 

Laurie Metcalf must be making good bucks for this pitiful, cartoonish character.

I too would rather see a whole episode with Barb and Louise.

Edited May 13, 2021 by 71dude

[zoey1996]

14 minutes ago, Yogisbooboo64 said:

I don’t know….why do I feel Darlene is lying about cashing in the tickets?  That speech to Ben had bullshit marinating all through it.

I thought so too! Ben would be better off if he cut off his relationship with Darlene; she’s never relatable/likable. Why are they together at all?

I never miss Jeopardy! and thought Rodgers was good as host. That said, why couldn’t the writers give Jackie a win, even if it was third place. I also wanted to see the cat question!

[nelroy78]

The whole episode was disappointing except for Becky getting out of rehab and even she was annoying! Just go to Hawaii Darlene! It’s what you want! I can’t believe she caved. But she should’ve told Ben first.And the Jeopardy thing was terrible. Can’t believe I’m saying this but Bev was the funniest part of the show even though I can’t agree with her. I did like Louise putting Barb in her place. If Darlene says yes to Ben I will SCREAM.

Edited May 13, 2021 by nelroy78

[nokat]

13 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Just based on the trailer...the Jeopardy producers are wrong. 

Becky the addiction "expert" is getting old and it's only 9:12.

 

I had to do a double take because I read that as 1912. I've cleaned my readers. :)

I can't say I enjoyed the episode other than getting to see the kids for a brief scene.

Edited May 13, 2021 by nokat

[bobalina]

I think Ben sees Darlene's problem very clearly? She has rarely had stability and that's what Ben is trying to provide.

[DanaK]

I actually thought Ben's mom Barb was going to tell on Darlene about the Hawaii tickets. Even though Darlene sold the tickets in the end and came clean to Ben, their problems aren't over and I agree they need to break up. Ben isn't wrong about putting away money for savings, but there could have been a compromise where Darlene sold the tickets and used part of the money for a little getaway just for her (or with a +1 of her choosing who was not Ben)

That back and forth between Louise and Barb was hilarious

[MarthaEllisanne]

I have no idea why Ben stays with Darlene. She is toxic in every way and he could certainly do better. Unless she has a "magic vagina" (stealing a line from Two and a Half Men).

[HurricaneVal]

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

As happy as I was to see Estelle Parsons looking good, I was a little disappointed that Bev's trademark passive-aggressive behavior was missing, and they just wrote her as directly insulting throughout.

Yeah, I thought that was a little weird, there was no passive in Bev's usual passive-aggressive behavior.  But then I also remembered that Jackie always seems more affected by Bev being Bev than anyone else.  Jackie is always really over the top dramatic about dealing with it and everyone around her just rolls their eyes.  So now we learn that Bev is a true bully preying on the weakest, she really does treat Jackie differently and much more poorly than anyone else, and is truly relentless in her aggression and derision toward her. 

Suddenly, I have a lot more sympathy for Jackie.  She's not being melodramatic or overly sensitive.  Bev is out and out mean and insulting to her when nobody is looking, and that's something that Jackie experiences nearly every day.  No wonder she's wacky, she's veering around out of control trying to find something that helps her feel validated and good about herself.  Bev facetime called Jackie, and was speaking only to her so didn't know Jackie was with other people.  That wouldn't have crossed Bev's mind that Jackie would be with the rest of the family, because in Bev's mind, Jackie should be holed up in a cave, licking her wounds, so Bev felt she didn't need to filter or edit herself as she does in "public" with her trademarked passive-aggressiveness.  So she could go full Bev on Jackie.  And boy, did she ever.

I don't know if that was a conscious intent of the writers to give us that insight into the specific Bev/Jackie dysfunctional relationship, but it seems it had to be because they included the scene later on where Neville is comforting Jackie and coaching her on how to respond to Bev and stand up for herself.  We the viewers were given a peek into why Jackie can be so wacky.  That has to be on purpose.  Too bad it is so sad.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Yeah, I thought that was a little weird, there was no passive in Bev's usual passive-aggressive behavior.

There is no subtlety or nuance in the writing anymore (if there ever was). It's all joke, joke, joke. I remember an episode in the original series where Bev thought Jackie had real potential to make something of her life. Roseanne was upset because Bev didn't feel the same way about her. Still, it was nice to see Estelle Parsons again.

The whole Jeopardy subplot speaks to this issue. It's reminiscent of the dreadful last season of Roseanne where every episode was some sort of fantasy. No way Wacky Jackie would have made it past the first round of auditions for Jeopardy. 

I had no idea who Aaron Rodgers was - that's how much I don't follow sports.

So is this the last episode of the season? It should be the last episode of the series. Sadly, they just don't know what to do with this show anymore.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

So is this the last episode of the season? It should be the last episode of the series. Sadly, they just don't know what to do with this show anymore.

I hope it's not the last episode of the series. These weirdos are welcome in my living room any time.

[Snow Apple]

Why are they doing this to Jackie? They could have her be disappointed without being wacky. Original Jackie was cool and often the voice of reason.

Many years ago, the sitcom Mama's Family had a Jeopardy episode and Thelma was more funny and dignified than Jackie with her loss, and that show was supposed to be wacky and over the top. So it says a lot when a deliberately wacky show was less embarrassing and cringy than Jackie.

[Annber03]

Next week's the season finale. I've seen one site seem to officially confirm the show's return, but I haven't seen that confirmation any other places thus far. But I'm guessing other sites will make that confirmation official soon as well. 

[StaceyNotStacie]

12 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

I think Dan is a functional alcoholic.  He gets up every day goes to work and takes care of his family but he is dependent on alcohol.  While we have rarely seen him out of control drunk, he almost always has a beer in his hand.  The fact that he can't/won't go without having a beer during his daughter's first meal on her first night home from rehab speaks volumes.

I’ll always remember the Disney episode where everyone was at the Magic Kingdom and he was running over to Epcot because they served beer and MK didn’t. 
 

The Jackie stuff was just sad. I didn’t expect her to win, but hoped she would do well, and the stuff with Bev was horrible. She was always critical, but I don’t remember her being downright mean. 
 

I’m disappointed with Darlene selling the tickets. It would have been nice if she had taken one (or both) of her kids with her on a nice vacation, or if she wanted to sell the tickets, use the money for college for one of the kids. 

[ams1001]

33 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

So is this the last episode of the season? It should be the last episode of the series. Sadly, they just don't know what to do with this show anymore.

Next week is the season finale.

[bad things are bad]

Quote

Not someone who doesn't know the difference between Joan of Arc and Edith Piaf,

Yup, this. I know there've been some jaw-droppingly bad answers on J! but this was crazy. And in no episode ever have they shown a contestant losing their shit like that. It was gratuitous 

 

[UYI]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

 

I had no idea who Aaron Rodgers was - that's how much I don't follow sports.

 

He was/is the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers; he also guest hosted Jeopardy! for two weeks from April 5-16th (he's a HUGE fan of the show, apparently; he won a Celebrity Jeopardy! episode/tournament a few years back). 

Actually, given the Conner family's roots in the Midwest, he being the guest host when Jackie appeared was even more perfect, even though he plays for their team's rival, lol. 

[Bastet]

17 minutes ago, UYI said:

Actually, given the Conner family's roots in the Midwest, he being the guest host when Jackie appeared was even more perfect, even though he plays for their team's rival, lol. 

Which is why, when she went nutso after being disqualified from participating in Final Jeopardy, she should have started, as a Bears fan, insulting him rather than claiming a mutual attraction.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, bad things are bad said:

Yup, this. I know there've been some jaw-droppingly bad answers on J! but this was crazy. And in no episode ever have they shown a contestant losing their shit like that. It was gratuitous 

 

I was surprised that Jackie had even heard of Edith Piaf. That seems more arcane to me than knowing who Jeanne D'Arc was.

Edited May 13, 2021 by peacheslatour

[Snow Apple]

43 minutes ago, UYI said:

Actually, given the Conner family's roots in the Midwest, he being the guest host when Jackie appeared was even more perfect, even though he plays for their team's rival, lol. 

A better idea for the story might be Jackie making it to the final, but because she doesn't know the answer, she writes "Go Bears!" That would let Jackie be funny without being insane.

[nokat]

33 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

A better idea for the story might be Jackie making it to the final, but because she doesn't know the answer, she writes "Go Bears!" That would let Jackie be funny without being insane.

I don't know why they are continuing with the whackie Jackie thing. I would prefer her to be the sane one in that crazy household. She can still be fun without the over the top writing for her.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

I’ll always remember the Disney episode where everyone was at the Magic Kingdom and he was running over to Epcot because they served beer and MK didn’t. 
 

Yeah, I remember at the time thinking that was like idiots who go to Europe and the first thing they do is look for a McDonalds.

[Chaos Theory]

I do get what Ben’s mom was saying and she isn’t completely wrong especially with the Connor history of spending but I really dislike Ben and I think he fails to see how much Darlene is actually struggling.  She was willing to meet him more then half way and plan a much cheaper vacation but  he wouldn’t do it.  He wanted what he wanted.  And I get it....but I really dislike Ben.

Maybe Darlene can date Ben’s mom.  I kinda dig her.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[peacheslatour]

30 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

I do get what Ben’s mom was saying and she isn’t completely wrong especially with the Connor history of spending but I really dislike Ben and I think he fails to see how much Darlene is actually struggling.  She was willing to meet him more then half way and plan a much cheaper vacation but  he wouldn’t do it.  He wanted what he wanted.  And I get it....but I really dislike Ben.

Maybe Darlene can date Ben’s mom.  I kinda dig her.

Ben just started running that business. I can understand his reticence walking away from it for several days. Although I think Dan is perfectly capable of holding the fort but with his track record, I would not be surprised if Ben came back to find his store in foreclosure.

[Chaos Theory]

56 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Ben just started running that business. I can understand his reticence walking away from it for several days. Although I think Dan is perfectly capable of holding the fort but with his track record, I would not be surprised if Ben came back to find his store in foreclosure.

My father tried to own a business that failed in a couple of years.  A few years after that he was brought in to manage a friends  business which he was actually really good at.   There is a huge difference with being owner and being the guy who runs the joint.   Dan is a pretty friendly guy and a decent mechanic and salesman.  He just has no head for business.   You take away the paperwork and the stress of the day to day profit and loss numbers and Dan is your guy.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[RunningMarket]

I was hoping that after Jackie failed to make Final Jeopardy that the category would be something only Jackie would know the answer to, or something really obviously Jackie. "Famous Cats" was funny, but I think it was a missed opportunity.

So, I guess the writers have just completely lost track of the oft-discussed fact that Darlene probably couldn't even get money for the tickets since they were bought with points on someone else's card. And, apparently COVID is over in Lanford?

I'm not gonna lie, I would hop on a plane to Hawaii with BAG. My love of David Silver is everlasting.

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

My father tried own a business that failed in a couple of years.  A few years after that he was brought in to manage a friends  business which he was actually really good at.   There is a huge difference with being owner and being the guy who runs the joint.   Dan us a pretty friendly guy and a decent mechanic and salesman.  He just has no head for business.   You take away the paperwork and the stress of the day to day profit and loss numbers and Dan is your guy.

I agree. Like Roseanne said "We never should have gone into business for ourselves, there's no one to steal from" Of course, she was speaking for herself,  I don't recall Dan ever stealing anything from anybody.

[geauxaway]

1 hour ago, RunningMarket said:

I'm not gonna lie, I would hop on a plane to Hawaii with BAG. My love of David Silver is everlasting.

💯

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, geauxaway said:

💯

I used to live there. You can have it.

[CrystalBlue]

17 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Ugh, I hate that Darlene capitulated and sold the tickets. Not that I thought it was a good idea to go with Brian Austin Green, but she should have gone alone and taken a much needed break.

I loved Louise being feisty with Ben's mom, and she rocked the Metallica t-shirt.

I hate when the show makes Jackie the butt of every joke, so I cringed through the two Jeopardy sequences. Aaron Rodgers did a good job though, he was very natural.

She looked great, too! Hard to believe she's in her 90s.

I hated it too because Ben wins and I dislike people co-opting OPM (other people's money).  Community property is only for married folks, people.

But, this makes Darlene less bitchy and willing to work on the relationship being good, for, you know, when they move in together!

FYI, Katey rocks rock t-shirts on Rebel too.  Which you know if you're already watching!