S03.E03: Dud

[jewel21]

Quote

After returning home from their wedding in Nigeria, Abishola moves into Bob's house, and with his blessing, she redecorates to make the place her own. At their housewarming party, their friends and family make their opinions on Abishola's taste known.

Airdate: 10/04/2021

[DanaK]

Abishola’s furniture, especially the couch was horrible. Bob needs to at least let her know he doesn’t like something

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, DanaK said:

Abishola’s furniture, especially the couch was horrible. Bob needs to at least let her know he doesn’t like something

Amen! Aunt Olu and Uncle Tunde couldn’t get off that couch either. Tunde was hilarious going over his landlord exit list with Abishola.

[HurricaneVal]

Awwww...  I liked the couch and decor.  For Abishola.  She really enjoyed her time in Morocco, and all her life has wanted to relive that experience.  Being with Bob makes her happy, reminds her of that other time when she was happy, and she wanted to bring it together.

I fully expect a couple of episodes from now to see Abishola come to recognize that her beloved nostalgic furniture choices don't work for real life, and most of it gets relegated to a "she shed" or other lounge area that is just for her.  I can see her taking joy in having a private space to luxuriate in, all for herself.  

I love how intensely Bob loves her and wants her to be happy, to the extent that he sacrifices his comfort and his TV.  Abishola is a complicated character, I appreciate that.

[Harvey]

Best episode of the season yet. I loved the talk Bob and Abishola had towards the end, where he told her that the setup of the room was fine as long as it felt like home. He is so sweet.

The little moment where Christina wasn't able to get everyone's attention was nice as well.

[Browncoat]

I thought the sofa was beautiful and quite elegant.  Completely impractical without tons of pillows in the back so you don’t feel like a toddler (and so you can get up off it), but still a gorgeous piece of furniture.

[MarthaEllisanne]

The furniture reminded me of an episode of The Bob Newhart Show (yeah, I'm old) when Emily was trying to show how hip and young she was. She redid their apartment and her wardrobe in impractical funky 70's stuff. The sofa was a day bed and it was impossible to sit normally - Newhart's legs stuck out straight, as Bob said last night, like a toddler.  Both funny scenes with two Bobs.

[Yeah No]

That's not even a couch, it's a futon, plus it isn't African, it's Moroccan.  I wouldn't exactly call it "elegant".  It looks like something from Pier One back in the day.

I'm not against decor like that when done the right way but I think it was intentionally done to look like a hodgepodge and the couch was made uncomfortable to show just how much Bob bends over to please Abishola.

Also, I'm surprised no one accused Bob of cultural appropriation for wearing a dashiki.

[Keywestclubkid]

Bob living in a house he hates just to make Her happy in theory is cute but come on now .. this man has been shown to bend over backwards for this women where is she bending for him? this is a super one sided relationship that isn't healthy at all

Edited October 5, 2021 by Keywestclubkid

[DoYouLikeMutton]

1 hour ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

The furniture reminded me of an episode of The Bob Newhart Show (yeah, I'm old) when Emily was trying to show how hip and young she was. She redid their apartment and her wardrobe in impractical funky 70's stuff. The sofa was a day bed and it was impossible to sit normally - Newhart's legs stuck out straight, as Bob said last night, like a toddler.  Both funny scenes with two Bobs.

Not a "Bob", but a Lou . . .  there were a couple of episodes of the Mary Tyler Moore Show (I'm old too!) when Rhoda redecorated for Lou Grant.  To say Lou was not pleased is an understatement! 😄

[joanne3482]

I wonder if Abishola never has had the chance to do her own thing design wise.  She went from her parents to Tayo.  Tayo doesn't necessarily strike me as someone who would let her have her own design. Upon further thought, I think Bob is possibly the first person in her life who has ever put her happiness first, even before his own happiness.  Perhaps because I like Abishola, I don't think she is intentionally being a taker. I don't think she's overly selfish or anything like that. I think it is just so novel to her to have someone who treats her like this that she's maybe going a bit overboard.  I think they'll find a balance.  

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, Harvey said:

Best episode of the season yet. I loved the talk Bob and Abishola had towards the end, where he told her that the setup of the room was fine as long as it felt like home. He is so sweet.

The little moment where Christina wasn't able to get everyone's attention was nice as well.

I was happily smiling and chuckling throughout the episode.
And I liked the sofa. I'll take it if nobody else wants it.

[sd dude]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

That's not even a couch, it's a futon, plus it isn't African, it's Moroccan.  (emphasis added)

What properly characterizes a piece of furniture as being African, if being in the distinctive style of a nation that is part of the African continent does not?

[possibilities]

I was very surprised that Abishola wanted furniture that wasn't totally utilitarian. 

[Harvey]

7 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Bob living in a house he hates just to make Her happy in theory is cute but come on now .. this man has been shown to bend over backwards for this women where is she bending for him? this is a super one sided relationship that isn't healthy at all

I didn't read it like that. When Abishola suggested that they get a TV for the living room, that wasn't because she herself wants to watch TV. It's because thanks to Dottie's dud comments, she realized that Bob would prefer the room to be different. So she compromised immediately. She does try to pay attention to Bob's needs and meet them imo.

When he suggested that they sleep in separate beds, she agreed with that too and was understanding about it.

[SmithW6079]

7 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

I wonder if Abishola never has had the chance to do her own thing design wise.  She went from her parents to Tayo.  Tayo doesn't necessarily strike me as someone who would let her have her own design. Upon further thought, I think Bob is possibly the first person in her life who has ever put her happiness first, even before his own happiness.  Perhaps because I like Abishola, I don't think she is intentionally being a taker. I don't think she's overly selfish or anything like that. I think it is just so novel to her to have someone who treats her like this that she's maybe going a bit overboard.  I think they'll find a balance.  

I agree. I like Abishola too. I think she has a very dry wit and has had to be guarded her entire life and be strong for others. Bob is willing to let her be her.

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

I was very surprised that Abishola wanted furniture that wasn't totally utilitarian. 

I think @joanne3482' 's comment hits the nail on the head: Abishola has probably never had free reign to decorate as she wanted. When she recounts the story of spending time in the cafe in Morroco, you could hear the joy in her voice.

I'm really enjoying how Goodwin and Kofo have been integrated into the family scenes too.

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, sd dude said:

What properly characterizes a piece of furniture as being African, if being in the distinctive style of a nation that is part of the African continent does not?

I meant to say "Nigerian" as opposed to Moroccan.  My grandfather was born in Tunisia so I know the difference, thank you.  :-P

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I was happily smiling and chuckling throughout the episode.
And I liked the sofa. I'll take it if nobody else wants it.

I think you and I would look like little dolls on that couch which is not really a couch but a daybed.  If all those taller people couldn't even sit on it properly we would have a much worse time of it.

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

I wonder if Abishola never has had the chance to do her own thing design wise.  She went from her parents to Tayo.  Tayo doesn't necessarily strike me as someone who would let her have her own design. Upon further thought, I think Bob is possibly the first person in her life who has ever put her happiness first, even before his own happiness.  Perhaps because I like Abishola, I don't think she is intentionally being a taker. I don't think she's overly selfish or anything like that. I think it is just so novel to her to have someone who treats her like this that she's maybe going a bit overboard.  I think they'll find a balance.  

Perhaps, but Abishola does have a rather bossy personality and I don't think she suddenly developed that just because she feels she has free reign to be that way.  And perhaps that's why she and Tayo didn't make it.  There was probably friction between them over who was going to be "the boss" in the relationship.  So far Bob has been very acquiescent to whatever she wants and that may be what makes HIM the most happy.  Actually I just realized that my own parents had a very similar relationship and their personalities were actually pretty similar to Bob and Abishola's.

[possibilities]

Bob has to be the boss at work, and manage all the less responsible people around him. Abishola has to follow orders at work, and be polite to people who are difficult. At home, they each get to take a break and reverse roles. Bob gets to relax and let someone else be the tough one, and Abishola gets to exercise her authority, be respected for her leadership qualities, and be treated with respect.

[shapeshifter]

Until this episode, I’ve never shared any of the negative reactions to the characters that many posters express here.
But at the end of the episode, when Bob and his mom were yelling at each other, and the look of dismay on Abishola’s face was supposed to be funny, I was just as dismayed as Abishola was.

[chediavolo]

On 10/4/2021 at 9:22 PM, DanaK said:

Abishola’s furniture, especially the couch was horrible. Bob needs to at least let her know he doesn’t like something

Bob is pussywhipped. He has always let Abishola boss him around. I’m all for women asserting themselves in marriage but he is a pushover.  

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But at the end of the episode, when Bob and his mom were yelling at each other, and the look of dismay on Abishola’s face was supposed to be funny, I was just as dismayed as Abishola was.

I thought it was funny because that is probably the way they always talk to each other. To them they were just having a normal conversation.

[shapeshifter]

33 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I thought it was funny because that is probably the way they always talk to each other. To them they were just having a normal conversation.

Yes. But this time the source of the humor struck an unpleasant nerve with me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[AnimeMania]

9 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

42 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I thought it was funny because that is probably the way they always talk to each other. To them they were just having a normal conversation.

Yes. But this time the source of the humor struck an unpleasant nerve with me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I thought it showed a family/friends type of bond that no matter what you say to each other, it won't change how you feel about each other, so give them a few zingers to keep the conversation lively and interesting. It is also a good way to keep the mom mentally engaged even if her physicality is lacking.

[Winston Wolfe]

21 hours ago, Harvey said:

It's because thanks to Dottie's dud comments, she realized that Bob would prefer the room to be different.

The odd thing is when everyone walked out of the room when Bob started playing "LaGrange" (one of my favorite songs) as Abishola walked in. Seemed liked the energy of the party was about to change and then it came to a screeching halt.

For those of you who've never heard the best version of that song: LaGrange

[Rootbeer]

On 10/5/2021 at 11:16 AM, joanne3482 said:

I wonder if Abishola never has had the chance to do her own thing design wise.  She went from her parents to Tayo.  Tayo doesn't necessarily strike me as someone who would let her have her own design. Upon further thought, I think Bob is possibly the first person in her life who has ever put her happiness first, even before his own happiness.  Perhaps because I like Abishola, I don't think she is intentionally being a taker. I don't think she's overly selfish or anything like that. I think it is just so novel to her to have someone who treats her like this that she's maybe going a bit overboard.  I think they'll find a balance.  

That's what I thought.  The Moroccan furniture brought back the only time in her life when Abishola wasn't living under someone else' roof and having them decide on the furnishings.  I think Bob saw how excited she was when she saw the daybed and how much she treasured those memories and he wanted to give her something she'd never had before: the chance to have a place of her own design.  It meant more to her than it did to him; so he conceded.  Their relationship is sometimes pretty lopsided in her favor, but, to me anyway, this was just Bob showing Abishola that it was her home and she could take the lead in decorating it.  I expect, over the next few weeks and months, she'll realize that some of her choices are impractical for their lives, but, for the moment, she was thrilled to be the one who decided what to buy.

[SmithW6079]

At the end of the episode,  Dottie comes looking for Abishola and demands to be put in her bathing suit so she can go in the hot tub. Will Abishola still be her private nurse? Will Bob still pay her? It won't be fair to her if she more has to take care of her mother-in-law right at the start of her marriage. Apparently,  Dottie still needs the services of a nurse.

[possibilities]

Moving into the house someone else and their family have lived in for a long time is always really hard. I think it's absolutely essential that Bob and his family go out of their way to make sure Abishola can claim the home as her own, and not juts make her feel like a guest who has to adapt to their ways.

The show has not done much of anything to show the couple actually thinking about what they want their future to be like, other than to be together, and I think that's a complete disaster in the making if this was real life. I am astonished by how little they seem to have figured out about how anything will work, including the issue of Dottie's care. 

I am not at all clear on what the show is planning to do now, but I hope it's not going to turn into a generic sitcom about an odd couple.

I also really don't like the joke they make about Christina being either drunk, crazy, or just ignored. I don't get why so many shows like to have a character designated for constant humiliation, but I enjoy her more when she's on par with the rest of the bunch. She can be someone with flaws and quirks without being a total punching bag and nothing other than an embarrassment. Making her puking drunk at the wedding was another instance of this. 

 

 

[DoYouLikeMutton]

The characters of both of Bob's siblings add the least to the show, in my opinion.  They're both kind of sad and pathetic and I don't really enjoy seeing the effects of excessive substance abuse, whether past or current.  I think the brother played the ex-husband of the Christy on "Mom", and he was a similar character. 

[tennisgurl]

Tunde dramatically running through anything that could affect Abishola's deposit was hilarious. And Olu insisting that she just let him give her the deposit back. 

The furniture looked beautiful, but also utterly impractical. I think that Abishola is probably making up for years of being told what to do and how to decorate, living with her parents then her husband and her aunt and uncle, so now she is going a bit wild with the decorations. It reminds her of a time when she was free to be on her own and now she gets to have that again. Abishola does tend to get her way a lot but Bob is just such an easy going guy he seems to be alright with it. Her saying the living room needs a TV is her trying to give him something as well, knowing that he gave her pretty much free reign on decorating even if its not his thing, and I think he knew it.  

I miss Dele, him not being here to adjust to this new family situation feels like a wasted opportunity, especially considering how well he and Bob get along.

[shapeshifter]

43 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I miss Dele, him not being here to adjust to this new family situation feels like a wasted opportunity, especially considering how well he and Bob get along.

Yes, but let's not forget that Dele was only ever in half of the episodes anyway. I'm not counting him totally out of the show just yet.

[possibilities]

I'm a fussy person, so being as genuinely easy going as Bob is foreign to me. But there are situations where even I genuinely don't have an opinon or really care how something is handled, and in those moments it's actually really relaxing to have someone else who does feel strongly about it just do whatever it is, so I don't have to get involved. I see Bob as being that way sometimes, but also sometimes he's just really too in love to let anything but Abishola's happiness matter. The former seems sustainable to me, but not the latter. He did actually care about the furniture, and I think that over time it will wear on him to have a couch he can't get up off of or feel comfortable on (or a daybed-- whatever!). We need to see them actually navigate their differing personalities successfully after the honeymoon wears off, to know whether or not it's really going to be a healthy situation.

[Deskisamess]

Can't Bob have his own chair? That couch was hideous, but mostly just terribly uncomfortable. What kind of couple picks out furniture by only one of the spouses preferences?

If it wasn't for Tunde and Olu, this show wouldn't be worth the 22 minutes it takes to watch it. Is Christina pregnant? She was actually tolerable in these episodes. I usually can't stand the character.

Abishola looks a tad thinner to me. Not a lot, but a bit.

 

[femmefan1946]

On 10/6/2021 at 11:57 AM, Rootbeer said:

I expect, over the next few weeks and months, she'll realize that some of her choices are impractical for their lives, but, for the moment, she was thrilled to be the one who decided what to buy.

I agree I have an Eastlake chaise longue that is very pretty and incredibly uncomfortable. Fortunately our LR is big enough that it can sit there like a sculpture while people sit comfortably on the couch or an easy chair.

[shapeshifter]

Just now, femmefan1946 said:

I agree I have an Eastlake chaise longue that is very pretty and incredibly uncomfortable. Fortunately our LR is big enough that it can sit there like a sculpture while people sit comfortably on the couch or an easy chair.

My parents had one of those enormous wooden rocking chairs (with cushions). We are not large people. I don't recall ever seeing anyone sitting in it.
After my parents passed, that chair was the one thing my aunt wanted. She has it and now it sits in their condo with nobody in it because it is so uncomfortable. The funny thing is that Mom had a grudge against the aunt. 
This show has plots and stories about people with similar situations, and brings out the humor, which is why I enjoy it.

I hope we get a bit about the Moroccan Monster Sofa. Like maybe someone wants it and Tunde claims he wants it but will sell it for $$$$. 😆

But if nobody wants it, I will take it!

[Yeah No]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:19 PM, shapeshifter said:

I hope we get a bit about the Moroccan Monster Sofa. Like maybe someone wants it and Tunde claims he wants it but will sell it for $$$$. 😆

But if nobody wants it, I will take it!

When Dele is in the US if he moves into the house maybe he could use it as his bed.