S05.E01: One Bad Night and Chaos of Selfish Desires

[SusanM]

7 minutes ago, possibilities said:

But neither of them is even trying, so far. 

What I liked last season was in at least a few episodes they did show Mary trying to loosen up and to connect with George.  Maybe not in the 'bad girl' way he may remember from before they had kids but she did try to have fun with him.  He slapped her down every single time.  Why I liked this was because it did show they were trying to convey that the breakdown of the marriage is not all on Mary.  This past episode though, I dunno, it's almost like they forget they were doing that.

31 minutes ago, freeser said:

They have been on very different paths for a long time now.  The future does not look bright for either of them.  

This happens in most marriages really.  Maybe someone doesn't dive deep into religion the way Mary did but other things happen.  At 40 we aren't - and IMO really should not be - the person we were at 20.  Especially if we've married and had some kids.   George being disatisfied with his life and being depressed and taking it out on Mary is on George not Mary.

[Chit Chat]

43 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Mary might be willing to loosen up and have some fun, even if it didn't mean she would smoke and drink.

We've seen her go out and get wasted with her Mom.  I'm not sure why she doesn't go out with George more often.  Granted, she doesn't have to go out and get drunk, but seeing them share some happy moments together would be nice.  Again, I'm not blaming Mary for all of the issues.  They each bring a different dynamic to the marriage and are responsible for how they treat one another.  I was glad to see that George rebuffed Brenda's first advances towards him, but then he started to think with his smaller head, and who knows how that would have ended if he hadn't had issues with his heart.    No matter how unhappy he is though, it is not an excuse to step outside of his marriage.  

This show is making me sad because I want comedy, not this kind of drama!  Yes, they are following TBBT storyline, but I was hoping they'd gloss over some of the bad stuff.  

 

[SusanM]

4 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

I'm not sure why she doesn't go out with George more often

Based only on last season it felt like she didn't go out with him because he didn't want her to.  There was that episode where he was going on on some school related (I think) junket and the other men were bringing their wives and he never even suggested this to her and then was downright mean when she found out and decided to go.   Which I could somewhat have understood if it had been intended to be an all guys event and she crashed it but that wasn't the case at all.

[possibilities]

Also, childcare. They can't always rely on Meemaw, and Georgie is old enough but not really the sort to babysit.

[ams1001]

On 10/8/2021 at 10:05 PM, ChitChat said:

Probably so.  Thing is, Brenda is the one who was coming on to him, so for that I'm very disappointed in her!  Hands off another woman's man, bitch!!  If George had or eventually does hook up with her, then a pox on him too!  ;)    This show is wandering off into a very unfunny sitcom, and I won't tune in to see it become a train wreck.  Like some others, I'm on an episode-by-episode basis with it. 

17 hours ago, ChitChat said:

George is equally responsible if he had followed through with it.  I blame Brenda for initiating it, and when he didn't seem interested, she persisted (Let's dance.  Let's go back to my house.)  Yes, he would share blame if he acted on his feelings for her, but he wasn't the one who was inappropriate to start with.  She disrespected Mary and her marriage in those moments.  

And she had no right to get mad when he pointedly said he doesn't "remember much." She knows what she was doing was wrong, even seemed to regret it a little as soon as she said it, but is getting mad and taking it as a personal rejection when he made clear he wanted to pretend it never happened. She should be glad he's not telling Mary about it if she doesn't want her life to blow up even more than it already has with her divorce. If she's lonely she needs to look for someone who's available, not be stupid with the married guy right next door.

On a side note, I didn't realize this had started up again! Was checking the listings for this week and saw it listed for Thursday but that it's episode 2 coming up. Can't believe I missed it (thank god for OnDemand)!

[Bumblebee84047]

On 10/8/2021 at 8:48 PM, shapeshifter said:

And we're all glad Dr. Sturgis is back and going to read Tolkien while Sheldon reads Plato, right? 

I'm always glad for a chance to see Wallace Shawn.

[wknt3]

20 hours ago, Deskisamess said:

Infidelity shouldn't be fodder for entertainment.

It depends on how it's handled. It's been "fodder for entertainment" as long as there has been entertainment. I'm not going to give up Shakespeare and Chaucer, or Cheers and The Ofiice, because they have characters who cheat in what is intended as a comedy.

[shapeshifter]

25 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

21 hours ago, Deskisamess said:

Infidelity shouldn't be fodder for entertainment.

It depends on how it's handled. It's been "fodder for entertainment" as long as there has been entertainment. I'm not going to give up Shakespeare and Chaucer, or Cheers and The Ofiice, because they have characters who cheat in what is intended as a comedy.

Yes, and, given that some 50% of marriages end in divorce and a crap-ton of those involve infidelity, and given that comedy functions in part to lighten our psychological load by making us laugh at our troubles, I think it would be really sad if infidelity was outlawed as fodder for entertainment.
But, also: Yes, it does depend upon how it's handled.

In this episode, the infidelity seemed to be handled "with kid gloves" with regards to providing comic relief.
I guess they know their audience and which advertisers "butter their bread."

(Obviously, just my opinion)

[Chit Chat]

Aside from the depressing subject matter of this show, it was nice to see Pastor Jeff bringing some get well cards to George from the kids at church.   Did we know that Dr. Sturgis was working in a store?  I've already forgotten parts of his storyline after his breakdown and subsequent return.   It's good to see them setting Georgie up to be the responsible one.  For all of his dopiness, he really does have a heart of gold and seems to have some common sense sometimes!  

I think Missy realized how insignificant her boy troubles were once her Dad was in the hospital.  At her age it's a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, it really wasn't.  Good for her for burning her notebook with his name on it.   

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, and, given that some 50% of marriages end in divorce and a crap-ton of those involve infidelity, and given that comedy functions in part to lighten our psychological load by making us laugh at our troubles, I think it would be really sad if infidelity was outlawed as fodder for entertainment.
But, also: Yes, it does depend upon how it's handled.

In this episode, the infidelity seemed to be handled "with kid gloves" with regards to providing comic relief.
I guess they know their audience and which advertisers "butter their bread."

(Obviously, just my opinion)

I agree and I think this episode is an indication that the "infidelity" will continue to be handled with kid gloves going forward.  I still stand by my prediction that whatever happens between George and Brenda will not be as it seems on the surface and might be misinterpreted out of context.

 

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

Did we know that Dr. Sturgis was working in a store?

Yeah, we saw him there last season, after his project shut down.

[treeofdreams]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I still stand by my prediction that whatever happens between George and Brenda will not be as it seems on the surface and might be misinterpreted out of context.

I agree.  I would find it hard to believe that if George did cheat he did it in his own home, and where his kids could have walked in on him at any moment.

Edited October 10, 2021 by treeofdreams

[Chit Chat]

I meant to say in my earlier post that I loved the look in Missy's eyes when she torched her notebook!  She's got that "I'll cut a bitch" look sometimes, and I think it's hilarious!  

[SusanM]

42 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

I agree.  I would find it hard to believe that if George did cheat he did it in his own home, and where his kids could have walked in on him at any moment.

Spoiler

IF they are going by the cheating referenced in BBT then having it be with Brenda makes no sense at all anyway.  I mean come on show - if you feel you need to go with BBT George and have him be a drunken adulterer, well  ok then, I get it but if that's the case why change things then?  Makes no sense.  

 

[ams1001]

14 hours ago, SusannahM said:

  Hide contents

IF they are going by the cheating referenced in BBT then having it be with Brenda makes no sense at all anyway.  I mean come on show - if you feel you need to go with BBT George and have him be a drunken adulterer, well  ok then, I get it but if that's the case why change things then?  Makes no sense.  

 

Spoiler

If they stick with BBT canon, Sheldon does walk in on them, doesn't he? I don't remember if he specifies who he was with, though.

 

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, ams1001 said:

  Reveal spoiler

If they stick with BBT canon, Sheldon does walk in on them, doesn't he? I don't remember if he specifies who he was with, though.

 

Spoiler

Well, if we're going by BBT, George is going to be reincarnated as a bully who picks on Leonard.  🙂

 

[theredhead77]

On 10/11/2021 at 10:09 AM, ams1001 said:

  Reveal spoiler

If they stick with BBT canon, Sheldon does walk in on them, doesn't he? I don't remember if he specifies who he was with, though.

 

Spoiler

He specifies that it is a "bottled blond"

(reply is to ams1001)

[Bort]

If there are this many spoiler bars, then the conversation is better suited for the comparison topic, please.

[SnarkySheep]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:35 PM, Kiddvideo said:

Oh, Brenda said the kids were with Herschel. Billy has a sister again!

As Bob and Abishola were in Nigeria getting married, I would imagine Brenda conveniently had the house empty for a good while...

[proserpina65]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:02 PM, possibilities said:

He's a coward, though. The thing to do is talk to your wife and try to fix your marriage. She was willing to try. It's all well and good to say "you never asked" but he's an adult. He has to take responsibility and speak up, not sneak around. But he doesn't want to try, he wants to blame mary, sulk, sneak around, feel guilty, and stew in his cowardly mess.  

Eh, Mary never listens to anything George says, except the one time he mentioned having thought he was in love with someone before her.  With Mary, it's her way or else, and she doesn't actually care what anyone else is feeling, except for her precious Sheldon, of course.  I'm surprised they didn't split up years earlier, but I'm sure it was just because of the kids.

On 10/9/2021 at 11:33 AM, Deskisamess said:

Mary is a wife and mother just trying to do what she thinks is best,

Except that she thinks what she wants is best all the time.

On 10/9/2021 at 6:37 PM, SusannahM said:

Since this show started they've been excusing George's moods and drinking by blaming Mary. 

If I had to live with someone like Mary, I'd drink, too.

On 10/9/2021 at 6:58 PM, Deskisamess said:

The entire premise of Reba was the reason we never watched it. I can't stand Melissa Peterman, and won't watch any show in which she has more than a passing part.

Infidelity shouldn't be fodder for entertainment.

Why not?  There are very few things which can't be a topic for entertainment if handled well, imo.

On 10/9/2021 at 6:16 PM, shapeshifter said:

Wait. What? Based on this 👆 and the other comments above, I take it that lonely, horny, back-stabbing Brenda is a type with which all y'all are familiar???
I thought she was just an invention for this show so George didn't look too bad. 
Well, I always was pretty clueless about this stuff, hence my own relationship failures.

You really aren't familiar with this type?  Or are you being sarcastic?  Either way, yes, there are women like this in the world, although possibly not as many as tv wants to believe.

[SusanM]

52 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

If I had to live with someone like Mary, I'd drink, too.

The point is though he doesn't have to live with Mary - what he does have to do is be an adult and not a cheating alcoholic.  The show can write things in a way that Mary gets blamed for George's actions but that doesn't mean I have to agree that he's the one being hard done by.

[proserpina65]

29 minutes ago, SusannahM said:

The point is though he doesn't have to live with Mary - what he does have to do is be an adult and not a cheating alcoholic.  The show can write things in a way that Mary gets blamed for George's actions but that doesn't mean I have to agree that he's the one being hard done by.

I don't to agree that Mary doesn't deserve a big portion of the blame, either.  It's all just our opinions here, and that's mine.

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

Eh, Mary never listens to anything George says, except the one time he mentioned having thought he was in love with someone before her.  With Mary, it's her way or else, and she doesn't actually care what anyone else is feeling, except for her precious Sheldon, of course.  I'm surprised they didn't split up years earlier, but I'm sure it was just because of the kids.

Except that she thinks what she wants is best all the time.

If I had to live with someone like Mary, I'd drink, too.

I totally agree with what you’ve said, though I don’t think George is completely innocent either.  For now I watch the kids’ scenes and fast forward through Mary / George / Brenda / Connie.

[Gimmick Genius]

On 10/8/2021 at 7:21 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Hmm not as anchor-droppy as the other kids. I’ll have to think about that one. 

I think the George/Georgie exchange was very on-point to the theme. Sheldon and Missy dropped the obvious anvils, "I did something wrong but wasn't punished" and "My man (boy) fooled around with another girl and it hurts."

The "At least you're honest"/"I'm glad you think so" exchange is very poignant. Georgie isn't strictly honest and he knows it. And George knows it. And they both know that they both know it. But who doesn't want people to THINK he's honest? "I'm glad you think so" is, ironically, a very open, honest statement. Nobody is fooling anybody, but still there's respect.

[Mrs. Landingham]

On 10/8/2021 at 5:56 AM, DoYouLikeMutton said:

I find the George and Brenda attraction unfathomable as I don't think Brenda was ever particularly nice to any of the Cooper's. 

THANK YOU. I thought I was the only one who remembered this. The woman punched MeeMaw, mocked Missy’s desire to play baseball, was always unkind about Sheldon being different, and was generally quite snarky and rude to Mary during most of the past seasons when Mary was nothing but nice to her. I know the Coopers aren’t totally innocent or perfect in their interactions with Brenda (although poor Missy did nothing to deserve Brenda’s weird scorn over the baseball thing) but George and Mary were never mean to Billy. I’ve always found Brenda to be a real jerk, punctuated by one or two tiny moments of humanity. If George has an affair with her, it’d feel like a major slap in the face to his entire family. Which is maybe exactly what he wants.  

[Tom Holmberg]

On 11/27/2021 at 6:09 PM, Mrs. Landingham said:

THANK YOU. I thought I was the only one who remembered this. The woman punched MeeMaw, mocked Missy’s desire to play baseball, was always unkind about Sheldon being different, and was generally quite snarky and rude to Mary during most of the past seasons when Mary was nothing but nice to her.

Let Bobbi beat up Sheldon and said he should "grow a pair." And sprayed Mary in the face with shoe deodorant.

[John Potts]

Love how they show Georgie stepping up here. Even having got called away from his date, he did the whole big brother bit. Didn’t even ask his younger siblings about why they’d ran, he just went and got them.

As soon as Sheldon recommended Dr Sturgis read The Hobbit, and he said he didn't know what one was, I went “But they’ve had an episode with Hobbit in the title!” - so I was glad they actually mentioned it (OK, the characters don’t know the episode titles, but it was believable he would’ve been called a hobbit).

On 10/8/2021 at 1:56 PM, DoYouLikeMutton said:

It seems like a ridiculous premise, however, if discretion is one of their goals.  With George and his family living next door and Meemaw across the street, they're just asking to be caught. 

Not that I’m any sort of expert, but I don’t think most infidelity is carefully planned out

On 10/9/2021 at 12:19 AM, shapeshifter said:

• [Georgie] I'm gonna go hang out with Jana. Just wanted to make sure you're doing okay.
• [George] Hold on. Are you worried I'm gonna have a heart attack and interrupt "private time" with your girlfriend?
• [Georgie] Yes.
• [George] At least you're honest.

Loved that exchange!