S04.E06: Six Months Later

[secnarf]

Quote

Maggie is enjoying success at work and new love in her life, while Gary learns he needs to let go of his past. Rome experiences a curveball with his film and Regina deals with drama of her own.

Original air date: Nov 3 2021

[ams1001]

It took them months to sue Rome?

Hmm...maybe leaving the traumatized 18-year-old alone at home (to deal with realtors and showings of her childhood home, no less) while you went off to France was a bad idea...

Of course Maggie gets a fan stopping her on the street.

Why would they use real money in a prop wallet?

No, Gina, you don't talk about someone else's criminal record.

Sophie and Eddie's conversation was nice.

If Gary did that to me I'd be calling the cops, not spending the day joyriding with a complete stranger in my own car.

Does Gary just carry around a wad of cash in his pocket?

Edited November 4, 2021 by ams1001

[SunnyBeBe]

I thought this was an usually odd episode.  

[SunnyBeBe]

Could they write Gary as being any weirder?  
 

And Gina is ridiculous, please. Anyone would know a criminal record is not something a person wants made known.  I understand that the friend might have had to reveal it if she filled out a job application, but if not, I’d think it would be kept private unless there was some need to disclose it.  
 

I missed the conversation part where Gary ran into his ex.  Who is she having a baby with?  

[KaveDweller]

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I missed the conversation part where Gary ran into his ex.  Who is she having a baby with?  

Her ex-husband.

If this episode is 6 months later, why has Maggie only been dating the guy she met last episode for two months? And why is Regina still on the set of this movie when the shoot was only supposed to be a couple months?

I get why Regina's friend is upset, but if she is working for the film wouldn't she have needed to fill out paperwork where the ask about a criminal record? It shouldn't be a total shock that people would have found out.

I can't believe that kid just let a stranger drive around with him in his car. Maybe it is just because I'm a woman and been more trained to think about the risk of stuff like that, but I would have thought he was going to attack me or something.

Are we supposed to be surprised that an 18-year-old left alone in her house threw a party? I actually liked Sophie and Eddie's conversation and I am glad she is getting a chance to re-audition for that school. Although, if it is really 6 months down the line it should have been almost time for her to audition for the next year. But the timing of her audition/application process never made sense.

Are they going to have Rome cheat with that woman?

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

Are they going to have Rome cheat with that woman?

I really hope that was a fakeout and he's just calling her to get a lawyer recommendation.

[SunnyBeBe]

Well, Rome couldn’t have looked happier when Gina announced her chance to go on that Florida gig. Lol.        I sure am glad people have the chance to live their dreams.  
 

The time line is wonky for sure.  
 

And who downplays a stalker? 😳

[historylover820]

That one was weird.

Parts of it I liked. I loved Eddie and Sophie interacting. It was a nice couple of conversations they had.

OK, maybe Eddie/Sophie was the only thing I liked.

Most of the other things were just weird.

So, there is only the two of them running crafts services. OK..... But, yes, Gina, your partner would be upset if you blabbed that she has a prison record. Even if you think it's inspirational, it's not your story to tell. But, yeah, criminal record would be in every employment paperwork, and you know they had to fill something out!

Why didn't Eddie's passengers see Eddie's wheelchair? It was in the front passengers seat! But, that would have definitely been awkward.

How would anybody know what Maggie looks like? I follow my favorite DJs on Facebook, and they post pictures of themselves, and I still probably wouldn't be able to know who they were if they were standing in front of me!

Boy, the station manager went from being "I know you ratted me out to HR!" to being buddy-buddies with Maggie. I know, the whole surviving breast cancer. But a real person would still have that kernel of "I better watch what I say, because this person will rat me out to HR!" in the back of their mind.

One thing I agree with Gary on--it really doesn't matter what you do in college. I have a master's degree in history. I'm not using it. And I'm pretty sure that either I've forgotten more WWII info than I ever learned, or movie trivia has forced my WWII education out of my mind. But that whole storyline was just strange. I sure wouldn't spend the day joyriding with a stranger in my car. I don't care if he claims that he owned the car long before I did!

I'm pretty sure Paragon+ would have filed a lawsuit immediately, rather than wait 6 months. From my knowledge of lawsuits, which ain't much, lawsuits are easy to file. It would be the discovery that would take a while. And I'm still confused why Rome thought that Paragon+ wouldn't find out about this. Even if I still say that there are more loopholes in this so-called contract than the show is letting on. Did Rome even sign anything, or did his agent forge his signature? I don't get it!

However, good that there are some consequences for some of these characters for actions. 

[Amethyst]

Did they really just waste a whole plot line for Gary to learn a Very Special Lesson about how he can't live in the past?  What even was that?  I can't believe that guy put up with that as long as he did.  

Honestly, I thought Gina's father was going to do a fake out and surprise her on set.  But no, he really pulled a "something came up" excuse.  Whatever.

Did they mention Peter or his wife?  I missed the first few minutes.  Last I saw his wife had confronted him.

[Chewy101]

 What the HECK. This show took years to cover a year in their time, and then they take a 6 month leap? Who ARE these people? Nobody seemed normal. The entire thing was jarring.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Chewy101

[Frisky Wig]

So, Maggie’s boss (or whoever the lady is) opened Maggie’s mail, hence her learning about the guy wanting to take Maggie to Hawaii and seeing the pic of him that he included? Pretty sure that’s illegal! 
 

Why did Gary send Eddie to Sophie’s house to check on her? What if she was upstairs and didn’t answer him when he yelled? He can’t exactly climb the stairs to check on her. You send someone who restricted to the first floor of the house? 
 

Delilah was unhappy at her house, too many memories of Jon. Ok. Then just sell the house and buy/rent a new one in Boston! Don’t fucking move to FRANCE, taking Sophie’s mom, brother and little sister away! 

[Brian Cronin]

I think it was one of their better episodes, really, but of course, A Million Little Things can't be A Million Little Things without some weird shit mixed in there.

As other noted, the timeline on Maggie's relationship is weird. They had a chance meeting six months and have been dating each other for two months, soo....huh? The time jump really just seemed like they wanted to fastforward her return to Gary as her coming off a relationship herself, so she and Gary could both have longterm relationships before they get back together, which, well, fair enough, really. Ryan Hansen is great.

No college student is letting this dude drive around in your car, but whatever, once you look past that, it was a fine sequence.

Rome and Regina's plots were pretty crazy, though. Rome, you seriously can't both take the "integrity" road AND sign the contract! Remember, Rome didn't sign any deal when he learned what Paragon Plus planned to do and he still signed the deal and then just decided to intentionally violate his contract. JUST DON'T SIGN THE DEAL, DUDE! You can't take their money and then violate your deal, buddy. So silly. 

As for Regina, the father stuff was actually quite good. I assume Nash has someone like Regina's dad in his life, as the only time he can write authentic characters is when they literally happened to him in real life it seems. However, the prison stuff was insane. I don't even think it was unreasonable to reveal her partner's criminal record, but A. Regina made it sound like she was trying to tell a "story" about her partner, and that's just fucked up, 'Gina and B. You TELL HER that you told people. No one would make that mistake. NO ONE.

It was then compounded when her friend, who didn't want to leave the restaurant because of her need to keep a job, just walks away from this job? She can't walk away from the job! She NEEDS the job! You can't make a point of having a character say they NEED a job in one episode and then have her walk away at her first fight in the next episode. Not good. 

Rome possibly cheating is whatever. Cheating happens, so fair enough. 

The one thing I was absolutely SHOCKED about was that the show didn't use the six month gap to have Katherine being super gay now and in a relationship with a woman. For them to take a six month gap and have Katherine only having her FIRST date with a woman next episode is so shocking, but also shocking because it just doesn't make narrative sense, really. 

Nash said that we would see Darcy again after she left, but I think that THAT was probably all he meant. Similar to how Delilah's actor is not technically never returning, but expect a whole lot of one-sided phone calls from Delilah for the rest of the series.

[historylover820]

4 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

Nash said that we would see Darcy again after she left, but I think that THAT was probably all he meant. Similar to how Delilah's actor is not technically never returning, but expect a whole lot of one-sided phone calls from Delilah for the rest of the series.

I giggled at Sophie's memory. Not because it was stupid or anything but because that was so not Stephanie Szostak.

[Trillian]

7 hours ago, historylover820 said:

How would anybody know what Maggie looks like? I follow my favorite DJs on Facebook, and they post pictures of themselves, and I still probably wouldn't be able to know who they were if they were standing in front of me!

I dated a radio DJ in the ‘80s, in the dark days before the internet plastered everyone’s picture around. Small/mid market, pop station, and he was working his way through school so didn’t have years in the community or the drive-time slots.  I was amazed how often people recognized him on the street and even asked for autographs. Not every time we went out, of course, but it wasn’t particularly rare.  Maggie’s being recognized was one of the more plausible plot lines for me.

5 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

So, Maggie’s boss (or whoever the lady is) opened Maggie’s mail, hence her learning about the guy wanting to take Maggie to Hawaii and seeing the pic of him that he included? Pretty sure that’s illegal! 

Even stranger than opening her mail was that (I thought I heard) they were reading her email. I know an employer usually has the right to do so, but why would they do so routinely? Paper mail, I get -  I once worked in an office where anything not marked “personal and confidential” was routinely opened by the admin. Of course, it was a law firm and it was important to catch time-sensitive documents and direct (or redirect if someone was sick or on holidays) them appropriately so it’s not entirely the same, but it was not at all uncommon back in the day when people actually wrote letters on paper.  I found it doubtful that Maggie would get so many hard copy letters.

 Hilarious that the boss and security phoned her right away, told her she was in danger and then hung up without giving any advice.  Realistically, there’d be a meeting with security and a plan set out for her safety, and a decision made about going to the police. And new boyfriend should be calling in his security people to coordinate.

Not a spoiler or anything, since I have no idea, but I wonder if they’re setting up wide-eyed fan on the street to be the stalker?

[ams1001]

6 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

So, Maggie’s boss (or whoever the lady is) opened Maggie’s mail, hence her learning about the guy wanting to take Maggie to Hawaii and seeing the pic of him that he included? Pretty sure that’s illegal! 

Since it's fan mail sent to her at the radio station, it's probably not unusual to have someone opening it. I'd think she'd get more email than snail mail in this day and age, though. Then again, we never quite know when it is in AMLT-land, do we?

 

26 minutes ago, Trillian said:

Not a spoiler or anything, since I have no idea, but I wonder if they’re setting up wide-eyed fan on the street to be the stalker?

I had the same thought.

[tennisgurl]

So the show decides to do a time skip so we can finally get out of 2020 and the show can officially get to the point where fans stop complaining about how, after COVID was a huge plot at the start of the season it basically disappeared when the writers got bored with it, despite the fact that they should still be in the thick of it. The time jump felt really weird though, the sequence of events felt off. Maggie has her meet cute with the hockey player six months ago and they wait to start dating for three months? Rome has been showing is movie around and its taken this long for him to get sued or even consider the possibility? Everything felt so weird. 

Shockingly, leaving a traumatized teenager alone in her giant house has led to her not doing super great. Her and Eddie were definitely the best plot of the episode, I am glad that Sophie is being allowed to be pissed, she has every right to, even if I know she will end up forgiving all of the idiots who have let her down, Her mom fucked off to France and left her all alone to focus on her self (as always), her surrogate uncle made her assault all about himself, its been a real mess, no wonder she's upset. At least she will get another chance at music, even if she is really hurting right now. 

Also in shocking news, Rome is getting sued after breaking his contract, just like everyone said that they would. I hope that they aren't setting up him having an affair with Kelly from Supergirl, that would feel really out of character. 

I always end up relating so much more to the minor characters on this show, trying to live their lives while brushing up against the melodrama of the main cast, like the waitress suddenly stuck in the middle of Regina and her fathers awkward drama. We have previously gotten Regina's angst with her mother and that side of the family, so now its time for angst with her father and his side of the family. Because everyone on this show needs MASSIVE baggage with every family member they have. Did her dad mention that he has other kids? Did we know that Regina has siblings? In even more shocking news, her catering buddy doesn't like the fact that Regina broadcasted her personal story to everyone because she thinks its "inspirational" despite it not at all being her story to tell. That being said, of course people will know that she's on parole, it should have been on her paperwork when she got the job, and her storming off and giving up a lucrative job is really stupid. She had to lie to get the job she had before because its hard for an ex con to find work, and now she's giving up an unrealistically perfect job with someone who doesn't care that she was in jail? Just because she would feel uncomfortable? Why is everyone on this show so dramatic? 

Gary seemed like he was starring in a horror movie, I thought at first it would turn out that the kid he was stalking said hi to Sophie at her party and he was going to attack him for daring to make eyes at her, or would pull the car over and pull a gun on him to take the car. When he showed up and started talking about all of this personal information he knows about him, the college kid should have ran away or called the cops, Gary came across as so creepy, especially now that we know what he is capable of. When you add that kind of element to a character, it really changes how you see them, so now whenever Gary is around other people I am always going to be worried about what he could do. Don't get into the car with some random creepy stranger! Don't go to the second location, no one comes back from the second location! Why does Gary at all think its appropriate to stalk and harass some random person, be a dick about their life choices, insist on driving around in their car just because you used to own it, and try to buy the car from them and get pissy when they don't want to just sell their car to a stranger as they go about their day. I wouldn't be surprised if Gary went back and stole the car, we know he is down to steal from people (hence his dog) and doesn't much care about breaking the law if it makes him feel better. 

Edited November 4, 2021 by tennisgurl

[circumvent]

11 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

So the show decides to do a time skip so we can finally get out of 2020 and the show can officially get to the point where fans stop complaining about how, after COVID was a huge plot at the start of the season it basically disappeared when the writers got bored with it, despite the fact that they should still be in the thick of it.

They probably got complaints, or read this board, and included the time jump as an afterthought (without the thinking part, apparently) so time is just an illusion (at least they are consistent on that part)

The writing of many shows have declined so drastically, I wonder if it is because during the "worst" of the pandemic (quotes because it is still worst, most of us are just in denial about it) writers had to find other means of income and ended up not returning so they had to hire all the bad writers that everyone knows cannot write for TV, or they hired teenagers and pre-teens to tell the stories. I am only half-snarking. Something must have changed because the decline in quality is palpable.

[Suzn]

I agree with those saying that the scenes with Eddie and Sophie were the best part of this episode (or maybe the only good part).  It's completely understandable that Sophie has gone off the rails.  She's been abandoned  and expected to take care of the house and show it to prospective buyers.  That's too much to ask of an 18 year old girl with no support.

Otherwise, this episode was filled with unrealistic nonsense.  Apparently Gary's violent criminal act is being forgotten and he is miserable but has no real consequences.  He is free to stalk a stranger and somehow wind up on a joy ride in the car he previously owned.  It's pretty hard to imagine that the young man would let Gary drive his car around and offer advice.

I'm glad Darcy has moved on and so glad that the baby is not Gary's.  We should be able to close out her story.

The contract for Rome's movie never made any sense and now it took six months for him to be sued.  It seems possible that he got away with it once but not not ongoing large public showings.  Also, I'm not going to be happy if they ruin Rome with him having an affair - I really don't like that woman he had lunch with and don 't want to see that happen.

How dumb is Gina?  I don't know why she would think it was alright to tell about her friend's record.  I also don't understand how catering on a movie set is an improvement over the restaurant job.  When is she ever going to be at home again?

Then we have magic Maggie, all cute with the new boyfriend.  She met him six months ago, but they have been dating only two months - why did it take four months - did he pursue her for four months?

This episode is just filled with questionable stuff.

[Clanstarling]

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I really hope that was a fakeout and he's just calling her to get a lawyer recommendation.

I thought he threw the number away after talking to Gina. 

12 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

So, Maggie’s boss (or whoever the lady is) opened Maggie’s mail, hence her learning about the guy wanting to take Maggie to Hawaii and seeing the pic of him that he included? Pretty sure that’s illegal! 

I think media businesses probably screen the talents' email and snail mail as a matter of routine, since there are so many crazies out there.

As for Maggie, her hunk's a professional athlete. Maybe he didn't really contact her until after the season?

Gary's nostalgia tour was majorly unrealistic. The thing that got me the most was the stupid matchbook. No way that young man was the second owner. I mean it was totally weird, but for some reason that matchbook bothered me more than the rest of the crazy.

I wanted those desserts though...

[SunnyBeBe]

I don’t care for the predictable nature involving new people.  When Gary began the relationship with Darcy….you just knew it wouldn’t work out.  Same with the guy Maggie was seeing. Great relationship, but he just up and left.  Kathryn’s love interest….he seemed nice and that went south.  Let’s see…Maggie’s new boyfriend….it’s doomed.  He’ll turn out to be the stalker or he’ll be killed by the stalker.   

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I thought he threw the number away after talking to Gina. 

He threw it into the trash bin in the bedroom; the preview showed him taking it back out.

 

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Gary's nostalgia tour was majorly unrealistic. The thing that got me the most was the stupid matchbook. No way that young man was the second owner. I mean it was totally weird, but for some reason that matchbook bothered me more than the rest of the crazy.

That bothered me so much! Surely someone, in the years it has been since Gary sold the car, cleaned under the seats?

[Slade347]

More Eddie and Sophie, less of everything else, except Ryan Hansen. 

I'm not convinced the baby isn't Gary's. 

[Lady Calypso]

I actually really liked the confirmation that Maggie/Bruins Boyfriend didn't start dating right away. I like that they took their time getting together and still were new in their relationship. That was probably one of the better things this show has ever done. And I like Maggie with her Bruins Boyfriend. They really work well together, and I appreciate that this show, at least thus far, have avoided putting Maggie/Gary back together. I think, even if they kept them apart for the rest of the series, that I'll always have that fear in the back of my mind that they'll be a couple again. 

But Maggie's storyline with Bruins Boyfriend AND now having a stalker? I actually think it could be decent, but I'm not holding my breath.

So, Sophie/Eddie's plot was also the other good part of this episode. I like that Eddie is starting to interact with other main characters outside of his family again. And I thought it was decently done. Sophie is clearly spiraling, which may make us frustrated as viewers, but think about it. She lost her dad a couple of years ago. Her narcissistic mother has barely put in any time for her, as she's been off galavanting across France for the better part of a year. Delilah's solution is to abandon her children whenever she feels like it, and she was never there for Sophie when she needed her mom after Peter's sexual assault. And now her mom relies on her taking care of their house AND also showing it to people. Sophie's life needs stability and she hasn't had stability since her dad died. It's no wonder her life is such a wreck. 

And, yes, Gary had been trying to help her, but it was more about himself than about her. Due to that, that's another figure in her life that she hasn't been able to rely on. So for her to spiral like this, all I can say is that it's about damn time. I like that Eddie stepped in to help. Remember when Eddie was actually close with Sophie, even if it was due to him screwing her mom? Plus, I'll take any storyline of Eddie that isn't about his addictions. 

All the other plots? Freaking bizarre. Regina had zero right to give that information about her friend's past to anyone. She couldn't be so dumb in assuming that everyone would be fine with knowing that her friend was in prison. 

So, Rome met Azie Tesfai's new character, and it SEEMED like they were both flirting. Which means, either this storyline is heading to an emotional affair storyline, OR it'll be Rome being hit on by her and him finally rejecting her. Because goodness knows we need another cheating storyline. 

Gary's story with that college kid? Nope, I'm not gonna touch that one, besides saying how creepy it was. Also, Darcy is pregnant, because of course women on TV get unexpectedly pregnant at the drop of a hat. Why did we even need that stupid drama?

No Katherine or Theo, which I was surprisingly ok with.

[Brian Cronin]

6 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Gary's nostalgia tour was majorly unrealistic. The thing that got me the most was the stupid matchbook. No way that young man was the second owner. I mean it was totally weird, but for some reason that matchbook bothered me more than the rest of the crazy.

 

I believe the idea was that the matchbook had only recently fallen out of the dashboard, as the previous owner had kept it in the dashboard like Gary to keep it from rattling. 

[JayDub1987]

It happened to me this week: the show lost me. I've managed to continue enjoying it even in spite of some cheesy stories and growing public disdain toward the show, but this week lost me.

So in a city as big as Boston, Gary not only bumps into his suddenly pregnant ex, but moments later, is almost hit by a kid driving the first car he ever owned. WOW!

Gina really didn't have any second thoughts about telling other people about her friend/business partner's criminal past? Friggin' moron. 

Maggie....well Maggie is so damn hot that I don't care what they have going on with her. Just keep her on my screen as much as possible.

[historylover820]

Sophie's spiraling is absolutely realistic. The most realistic thing in this show.

OK, Maggie having a stalker is also realistic, and nothing that should be taken lightly. Fingers crossed that it won't be taken lightly. But, hopefully that will be handled fairly well. I'm not exactly counting on it, because look at all the drama that can be milked out of it! And that's not right.

[CrystalBlue]

The whole Gary and his old Corolla storyline was bizarre.  People in Boston must be savvy enough to stay away from strangers who come out of nowhere announcing they know your name, address and phone number, even a college student!  Gary is so off the rails it's frightening.

When Maggie tells Gary she has a stalker, guess what's gonna happen.

Darcy's pregnant!  I believe her story about ex-husband Stephen "with a P H" being the baby daddy.  Six months later it wouldn't be Gary's spawn, which is a good thing.

 

[hoodooznoodooz]

9 hours ago, Suzn said:

It’s completely understandable that Sophie has gone off the rails.  She's been abandoned  and expected to take care of the house and show it to prospective buyers.  That's too much to ask of an 18 year old girl with no support.

So the only reason Delilah called Eddie was not because she was worried that Sophie was not answering her phone; it was because she needed to make sure the house was presentable for a showing.

[CarpeFelis]

Am I the only one who still finds Maggie so annoying that I’m hoping the stalker kills her? Hey writers, get rid of Maggie and find some way to keep Ryan Hansen around without her! The guys are so into hockey, maybe he can just be their new best buddy after they bond at Maggie’s funeral.

I was never completely on the Delilah Hate Train until this episode. Seriously, she expects Sophie to get the house ready to be sold out from under her?! Yeah, what teenager isn’t going to be just THRILLED to go along with that…  Get your head out of your ass, Delilah.

Guessing the daughter Regina’s dad was bragging about was a stepsister? When Regina said he’d been talking about himself and didn’t even ask her how she was doing, I was surprised she didn’t mention how he bragged about his OTHER daughter (except for the line about a chef not being a dermatologist or whatever he said Other Daughter was). In her shoes I’d have been really hurt and angry, though I suppose this is supposed to be par for the course in their relationship.

Edited November 5, 2021 by CarpeFelis

[Lethallyfab]

It was really cool the way they took a six-month gap to indicate that Gary has grown and matured from being an immature manchild who is inappropriate and has no boundaries by showing him to be an immature manchild who is immature and has no boundaries. 

This entire thing makes absolutely more sense if it’s only been a two month gap as was indicated by Maggie only having her guy for that long.

According to Google (what was the fake name for Google that they browsed?  I thought it was legitimately hilarious), the average film shoot is 3-4 months, anything longer would be extremely big budget and thus not manage with only two people.  It looks like Gina and her friend are running two jobs - craft services (the snack table they have of all those containers of snacks) and catering/individual meals.  Which is a LOT for only two people.  Which now somehow has to be managed by one person.

Sophie and Eddie was the highlight of the episode, for sure.  Losing one’s childhood home is always hard but to do so accompanied by the death of the parent you grew up there with coupled with being completely abandoned there by your mother and brother has to be devastating.

 

[hoodooznoodooz]

13 minutes ago, Lethallyfab said:

According to Google (what was the fake name for Google that they browsed? I thought it was legitimately hilarious)

Also: MOVN

(I think.)

[CrystalBlue]

35 minutes ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Also: MOVN

(I think.)

Yes, MOVN.  Complete with pink color in the logo!

[marceline]

A time jump? Of course. That's what writers do when their stories run out of steam and they just want to get stuff over with.

I legit laughed when Maggie's fan said she learned about setting boundaries from Maggie's show when we've seen that none of these idiots have any concept of boundaries.

[Clanstarling]

18 hours ago, ams1001 said:

He threw it into the trash bin in the bedroom; the preview showed him taking it back out.

Ah, well I don't watch the previews because I don't want to be spoiled, and because they typically make it look like something it is not.

11 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

I believe the idea was that the matchbook had only recently fallen out of the dashboard, as the previous owner had kept it in the dashboard like Gary to keep it from rattling. 

Yes, that was the idea. That still beggars belief - that an old matchbook would be intact after all those years being squished, as well as that someone else might not have used some other means to quiet the rattle.

8 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

Guessing the daughter Regina’s dad was bragging about was a stepsister? When Regina said he’d been talking about himself and didn’t even ask her how she was doing, I was surprised she didn’t mention how he bragged about his OTHER daughter (except for the line about a chef not being a dermatologist or whatever he said Other Daughter was). In her shoes I’d have been really hurt and angry, though I suppose this is supposed to be par for the course in their relationship.

Or half sister. I wasn't sure.

8 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

It was really cool the way they took a six-month gap to indicate that Gary has grown and matured from being an immature manchild who is inappropriate and has no boundaries by showing him to be an immature manchild who is immature and has no boundaries. 

😆

[ams1001]

8 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

According to Google (what was the fake name for Google that they browsed?  I thought it was legitimately hilarious),

It was Paroosle. (Not sure if I'm remembering the spelling right but it was a play on the word "perusal" ("the action of reading or examining something") and definitely had a double O. I also found it hilarious.

8 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

the average film shoot is 3-4 months, anything longer would be extremely big budget and thus not manage with only two people.  It looks like Gina and her friend are running two jobs - craft services (the snack table they have of all those containers of snacks) and catering/individual meals.  Which is a LOT for only two people.  Which now somehow has to be managed by one person.

They said when Gina got the offer that it was three months. Did they say anything about it being extended or did they just hope we wouldn't remember or notice that we've jumped three more months beyond that?

 

[circumvent]

I didn't think this episode was terrible, considering that the bar is so low.  I find it plausible that Maggie and the hockey guy have been dating for only two months. I was friends with someone for a long time before we dated. I am also ok with Maggie being recognized because the fan said her words changed her life, or something like that. I guess it is pretty normal for people to look up someone online if they feel that the person is helping them somehow. In the context of the story, maybe that woman is the stalker.

Regina's story is ridiculous. She can grab Gary and disappear for a while, as far as I care. 

Is the market in Boston so terrible that it takes 6 months for a house viewing? The market where I live is crazy and things are selling really fast. But this is just one more weird thing to add to the whole mess the writers made.

And seriously, ride sharing is how Eddie is supporting himself now? Do the writers know what happens in the real world? People starve as drivers and have zero rights. But Eddie has time to chat with Sophie while waiting outside the house. And why is he still living with Gary? He told the felon who hit him that the apartment was paid for 6 months, so he should go back home. All the story about finding an accessible apartment and he just gave it up forever? 

[Brian Cronin]

40 minutes ago, circumvent said:

And why is he still living with Gary? He told the felon who hit him that the apartment was paid for 6 months, so he should go back home. All the story about finding an accessible apartment and he just gave it up forever? 

Part of the reason why he gave up his apartment was also specifically so that he COULD move in with Gary to keep an eye on him in the wake of the Darcy breakup and the criminal assault that we're just now going to gloss over. 

[circumvent]

38 minutes ago, Brian Cronin said:

Part of the reason why he gave up his apartment was also specifically so that he COULD move in with Gary to keep an eye on him in the wake of the Darcy breakup and the criminal assault that we're just now going to gloss over. 

Oh yeah, I forgot that part because I keep forgetting that those 40 year-olds need babysitters so they don't turn into at-risk geriatric cases. 

I once snarked that the writers must been teenagers, or very young tweety-something people. I take that back. No longer a snark. I do believe they are too young and immature, not to mention without any talent.

[izabella]

2 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

the criminal assault that we're just now going to gloss over. 

This is infuriating. 

[JayDub1987]

Are we all in agreement that the girl who stopped Maggie on the street for a picture is the stalker? Or am I just reading too much into it?

[Slade347]

16 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

Are we all in agreement that the girl who stopped Maggie on the street for a picture is the stalker? Or am I just reading too much into it?

I had the same thought, so if you are reading too much into it you're not alone.

[Brian Cronin]

1 hour ago, JayDub1987 said:

Are we all in agreement that the girl who stopped Maggie on the street for a picture is the stalker? Or am I just reading too much into it?

I thought it, too, but only because I automatically assume this show will go for the hackiest plot direction at all times. :D

[JayDub1987]

33 minutes ago, Brian Cronin said:

I thought it, too, but only because I automatically assume this show will go for the hackiest plot direction at all times. :D

Right. I don't think they're deep enough to swerve us with it. 

[Sandman]

On 11/4/2021 at 11:45 AM, tennisgurl said:

Shockingly, leaving a traumatized teenager alone in her giant house has led to her not doing super great.

I feel like this should be printed out and posted in the writers' room. Or maybe I'll wear it around, as a big sash. Because nothing says "parental commitment" like abandoning your traumatized child to get a fresh start in a new country!

I did like Eddie and Sophie's honest conversation. I actually like the cast a lot more than the writing, including Lizzy Greene. I think Sophie's right to pissed at the (putative) adults in her life.

I get why they went with the six-month gap, but time jumps are the worst kind of narrative crutch, lazy and overused. It feels like the writers just skipped over a passel of difficult transitions or scenes they didn't know how to write their way through. How long Famous But Bland Hockey Dude Whose Name I Have Not Learned and Suddenly Stalked Maggie have been dating isn't even that big an issue for me; they went out right away, or they didn't, and now they're "officially" together? Fine, okay. But for Maggie to go from one ooky letter from a fan who doesn't really get the concept of boundaries to "You now have a stalker. Proceed to freak out." seems ... oddly accelerated.

"Only" stalking your busted-ass old car is not healthier, Gary, you big doofus! I do kind of feel sad for Gary since he's lost basically everyone he loves, even if he brought most or all of this mess on himself. Sometimes he can be the most empathetic, least self-involved (if not precisely mature) one in the group, and other times it's "Hey, Mom, why does Uncle Gary make such hilariously bad life decisions?" all the way down. (Was cancelling the minder app supposed to be a sign of maturity? It didn't really read that way to me.)

Edited November 5, 2021 by Sandman
"Write," not "writer."

[Snazzy Daisy]

Geez, thanks show for ruining Gary, Darcy and Regina for me.

They recycle Gina's issue/anger/grudge with her mom, now it is her dad's turn. Petty Gina! I hate this plot line.

In next episode, we will see Gary steal his old Corolla and replace it with another similar Corolla, poor Benny!

Are we supposed to draw our own conclusion on Gary/Christopher/Peter's situation?

Maggie has A die hard fan and A crazy stalker, because she is sooooooooooooooo likeable! Yuck!

[CrystalBlue]

I got the impression that Jane at Maggie's workplace's stalker concern was because Maggie had received an unusually large stack of fan mail and, upon further inspection, by Jane, she realized most of letters were ookey and from the same person.  Then Jane called Security! to get involved.

[izabella]

2 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

I got the impression that Jane at Maggie's workplace's stalker concern was because Maggie had received an unusually large stack of fan mail and, upon further inspection, by Jane, she realized most of letters were ookey and from the same person.  Then Jane called Security! to get involved.

That is what happened - they found a bunch of stalker mail in with her fan mail.  But I think at the end, Maggie received a stalker letter at home, not sent to the radio station, so that is what freaked her out.

[CrystalBlue]

1 minute ago, izabella said:

That is what happened - they found a bunch of stalker mail in with her fan mail.  But I think at the end, Maggie received a stalker letter at home, not sent to the radio station, so that is what freaked her out.

I guess by the end my Maggie tolerance had been exceeded and I zoned it out.  That said, maybe Suddenly Stalked Maggie (thanks Sandman) has TWO stalkers, and one of them is the fangirl on the street!

[Clanstarling]

21 minutes ago, izabella said:

That is what happened - they found a bunch of stalker mail in with her fan mail.  But I think at the end, Maggie received a stalker letter at home, not sent to the radio station, so that is what freaked her out.

Just rewatched the end of the show - that didn't happen in this episode. It was likely in the preview.