S03.E07: Fumble in the Dark

[jewel21]

Quote

Abishola and Kemi are conflicted as to how to handle Morenike after she confides her deepest secret to them. Also, when Bob gets credit for Christina's idea for a Twitter marketing campaign, she considers leaving MaxDot.

Airdate: 11/08/2021

[greekmom]

Well that ends the  Morenike/Chewie storyline. I can't believe that this is the first time in America that Kemi and Abishola have encountered a gay person of Nigerian descent, 

I like the fact of Christina branching out. I was hoping that maybe the competition scoops her up and values her.

Their mother Dottie has really made them dependent on her.

 

[Keywestclubkid]

She is the only one! … How sad that they were expecting her to be unhappy the rest of her life just to keep their family happy. Glad at the end at least she felt more accepted 

[DoYouLikeMutton]

Anyone else notice how much weight Billy Gardell has lost?

[SoMuchTV]

4 minutes ago, DoYouLikeMutton said:

Anyone else notice how much weight Billy Gardell has lost?

I think “Bob” mentioned something an episode or two ago. Something like “50 pounds ago I would have…” but I can’t remember the exact context now. 

[Brian Cronin]

38 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

I think “Bob” mentioned something an episode or two ago. Something like “50 pounds ago I would have…” but I can’t remember the exact context now. 

He wanted to show off his new body at the beach. Gardell is a great spokesman for that product of his that involves him losing weight!

[Kiddvideo]

1 hour ago, Brian Cronin said:

He wanted to show off his new body at the beach. Gardell is a great spokesman for that product of his that involves him losing weight!

At the nude beaches in Greece on their Honeymoon, I believe. Lol

[Harvey]

I'm gonna need Ogechi to drop dead already, god she's the worst.

Other than that, really good episode. I really liked Kemi's scenes with Abishola and how they tried to handle the situation. However, it is shocking how little screen time Bob and Abishola share with just the two of them being there. The show really needs to  focus on the two of them as a couple more, like it used to.

And too much focus on Goodwin, god. The quality of this show is going downhill and not because the writing is getting worse, but because they give so much attention to these unlikeable uninteresting characters 🙄

[shapeshifter]

LOL! 😆:

• [Gloria]     Ten bucks on the little one.
• [Abishola] I will get my purse.

[greekmom]

3 hours ago, Harvey said:

I'm gonna need Ogechi to drop dead already, god she's the worst.

No wonder Chewie is attracted to Kemi. She's a "mother figure" that he can actually sleep with. His toast to his "Mumsy Wumsy" was just ick. Dude has serious mommy issues.

 

9 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

He wanted to show off his new body at the beach. Gardell is a great spokesman for that product of his that involves him losing weight!

Curious. What product is he promoting?

[Brian Cronin]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

Curious. What product is he promoting?

Gardell was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes back in 2019. Since then, he's been using the diabetes drug, Ozempic, which helps with your blood sugar and makes it a little easier to lose weight. He's been using trainers and dietitians, as well, of course. The diagnosis was obviously a major wake up call for him, so he's lost a lot of weight to help with his health. 

Oh, and obviously he's become Ozempic's new spokesperson.

"Obviously," only in the sense that that was you were asking and i went on a whole tangent without specifically addressing the question. ;)

[LittleIggy]

I want more at home scenes with Bob and Abishola, like how they are adjusting to married life especially one with Dot living there.

[DanaK]

There was a good interview with the lady playing Kemi, who is gay, about how bad gays have it in Nigeria (quite badly as they can get arrested) and how gays were well accepted prior to the British control and them bringing Christianity. The writers wanted to show how Abishola handled Morenike being gay but didn't want to go too far because she's the star of the show. I think they made a good compromise of the ladies still not fully understanding but being willing to accept Morenike. I can see Morenike being willing to go for Kemi's arrangement in order to have her family's acceptance, but it was good in the end that she couldn't go through with it

[joanne3482]

When they first introduced Morenike to Chukwuemeka, I definitely thought she was going to fight for her man. I was surprised that she is a lesbian. That seemed to come from left field. From a family perspective, this could be the best thing for her. She gets her beard and the ability to love whomever she wants (just not publicly.) This has the potential to be an interesting storyline. Here in the US in most places love is love, but in many places worldwide, as in Nigeria, you can be put to death for being gay. 

15 hours ago, greekmom said:

I can't believe that this is the first time in America that Kemi and Abishola have encountered a gay person of Nigerian descent, 

So I grew up in the 80s/90s in a very small town. When I met my first gay friend in college I said something about there being no gays in the town I grew up with and he promptly replied, "That you know of." Which, now that I've been out of high school a very long time and am facebook friends with some old high school friends, the "that you know of" is definitely accurate.  I suspect it is something similar here. I could believe that the gay Nigerians are probably not publicly out and so Abishola and Kemi don't know they know gay Nigerians. 

[shapeshifter]

38 minutes ago, DanaK said:

There was a good interview with the lady playing Kemi, who is gay, about how bad gays have it in Nigeria (quite badly as they can get arrested) and how gays were well accepted prior to the British control and them bringing Christianity. The writers wanted to show how Abishola handled Morenike being gay but didn't want to go too far because she's the star of the show. I think they made a good compromise of the ladies still not fully understanding but being willing to accept Morenike. I can see Morenike being willing to go for Kemi's arrangement in order to have her family's acceptance, but it was good in the end that she couldn't go through with it

I wondered if there was such a backstory to this episode, especially given the episode title and the context of that line, so thanks for sharing 

34 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

So I grew up in the 80s/90s in a very small town. When I met my first gay friend in college I said something about there being no gays in the town I grew up with and he promptly replied, "That you know of." Which, now that I've been out of high school a very long time and am facebook friends with some old high school friends, the "that you know of" is definitely accurate.  I suspect it is something similar here. I could believe that the gay Nigerians are probably not publicly out and so Abishola and Kemi don't know they know gay Nigerians. 

I got the impression that the writers (including Gina Yashere) wanted to convey it’s a little different for Nigerians——that the sense of danger that goes with even admitting homosexuality exists is very real for them, even here in the U.S., and does not go away.    

If the show continues for a few years, it will be interesting to see Dele’s views, given his time spent in both cultures. 

[DanaK]

2 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I wondered if there was such a backstory to this episode, especially given the episode title and the context of that line, so thanks for sharing 

I got the impression that the writers (including Gina Yashere) wanted to convey it’s a little different for Nigerians——that the sense of danger that goes with even admitting homosexuality exists is very real for them, even here in the U.S., and does not go away.    

If the show continues for a few years, it will be interesting to see Dele’s views, given his time spent in both cultures. 

Found the article https://tvline.com/2021/11/08/bob-hearts-abishola-morenike-gay-lesbian-storyline-gina-yashere-interview/

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, DanaK said:

Found the article https://tvline.com/2021/11/08/bob-hearts-abishola-morenike-gay-lesbian-storyline-gina-yashere-interview/

Thanks for the link! The article confirms that my take on the episode was what Yashere wanted to convey. I'm glad I didn't read the article before seeing the episode, because I can say that it was successful in conveying that message without my having known in advance anything in particular about Yashere's sexual orientation or Nigerian morés.

[HurricaneVal]

Sex Education also had a plotline where Eric--who is openly gay in the UK--went to Nigeria for a family wedding and had to suppress his normal, fairly flamboyant, self.  Not just for family reasons, but for life-or-death reasons.  The show did a good job of showing the difficulties and dangers of being gay in Nigerian society, and how an underground society sprang up in response.

Edited November 9, 2021 by HurricaneVal
Eric deserved a little more description. He's a good guy.

[possibilities]

There really isn't any best of both worlds by accepting the arrangement. First of all, she was expected to bear 8 children-- that seemed to be the dealbreaker!

But also, you really aren't loving whoever you love if you have to do it in secret and live a double life. The toll of that is extreme, and it never goes away. That is extremely debilitating on all participants-- not just you but also whoever you love. 

 I hope they don't drop this story.

[tennisgurl]

I hope that Morenike isn't totally dropped after this, I would like to see more of her trying to live her life as a gay Nigerian woman in the US. It sounds like its an important story to a lot of people behind the scenes and it would be nice if it became a reoccurring subplot. I can see why Abishola and Kemi thought that her getting into a beard would be the best idea, especially if she ever goes back to Nigeria where going gay is illegal, but living a double life like that just sounds exhausting.

"Well since  its illegal, I guess it never happens." Bless Gloria, the woman must be exhausting carrying around all of the sense in that hospital. 

I liked this episode, but I hope that we get more focused on Bob and Abishola's married life, it seems like we are spending more and more time with the supporting cast since they got married. 

[VanillaBeanne]

Me too.  I like this plot.  Didn’t know Kemi’s portrayer (and show writer) was gay.   If I had i might have enjoyed the episode all the more while watching because I was bracing myself for some insensitive joke or remark. Like in the last scene where Kemi is asking M about how lesbianism works.  I started to cringe but Kemi’s line about already knowing the gyst from her days experimenting in an all girls boarding school cracked me up.  

Also like Christina’s plot as well, maybe because it resonated with me.  I’m not the family underachiever but never taken seriously.   Probably deserved it as a kid as I was the youngest, but no matter what I do to change that dynamic, I can’t decades later.  The way that Christina’s family ignored her idea but then liked it when it was repackaged as Bob’s rang so true.  IRL, that sequence wouldn’t have happened so quickly but stuff like this happens to me all the time, and I really don’t think my family members even see it.   And it’s hard because there is a lot of love in the family(Christina’s and mine) so it’s hard to break away. But Christina will never grow in that environment   

anyhoo, I was wondering last where where they were going to go with Bob and Abishola already married, as there are only so many episodes per season that can focus on their relationship, so was surprised that there are two other promising plot lines for the season.  

Edited November 9, 2021 by VanillaBeanne

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, possibilities said:

There really isn't any best of both worlds by accepting the arrangement. First of all, she was expected to bear 8 children-- that seemed to be the dealbreaker!

Chukwuemeka's mother suggested 8 kids, but did Chukwuemeka look surprised at that? Or did he seem to agree?
I can imagine a happier, sitcom scenario in which Morenike marries Chukwuemeka in part to get citizenship, in part to avoid criminal proceedings back in Nigeria, and perhaps even more because she might like to have a baby. A baby. Maybe 2. Not 8 babies. 
Eventually--perhaps if Chukwuemeka's mother dies, but maybe before--they might divorce, and she might marry someone she loves. Maybe even a Nigerian who will then get to become a U.S. citizen by being married to Morenike after she is a citizen. 

However, I agree that there are a lot of things that can go wrong in such an arrangement, not the least of which could be child custody issues.

I know of a person identified as male at birth from New Zealand who was transitioning to female who, on paper, married a lesbian friend to be able to stay in the U.S. Eventually the lesbian person transitioned to male. At some point their gender statuses became a legal issue, and the New Zealander had to leave the U.S. The New Zealander was the only SO of my middle daughter I ever got to meet and enjoy. It's sad that the law punishes people for gender identity in so many parts of the world.

But this episode gave us a glimpse of how terrifying it must be in Nigeria to be non-heteronormative. So terrifying that Abishola and Kemi agree to pretend to themselves that it does not exist. 
Except for Morenike.

Edited November 10, 2021 by shapeshifter

[possibilities]

I forgot to comment on Christina. I like that they're finally giving her something to do other than be the butt of the family jokes, and I hope they continue in that direction. The way they treated her in that pitch meeting made me really like Bob and Dotty a lot less, though. 

That episode of Sex Education, where they had Eric navigating being gay in Nigeria, was really intense. If anyone liked this episode of Bob and Abishola, they'd probably find that one interesting, too.

I have seen plenty of shows portray married people, so I don't think it's impossible to do that here. I like that they are developing the rest of the ensemble, but I do hope they also spend some time on Bob and Abishola together, also.

I want Olu and Tunde to be supportive of Morenike, but I understand why it would be too much to ask them to do all that in this episode. Maybe over time.

[Yeah No]

5 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I forgot to comment on Christina. I like that they're finally giving her something to do other than be the butt of the family jokes, and I hope they continue in that direction. The way they treated her in that pitch meeting made me really like Bob and Dotty a lot less, though. 

Yep, me too, and I wish the show had found a way to make them realize the error of their ways and give Christina the recognition she deserves.  Although that may end up being the resolution at the end of this story arc.  I'm hoping so, anyway.  Although I can see her getting a job at a rival company along the way and end up in competition with her own family and coworkers, which would certainly spice things up a bit.  But this is getting quite far afield from the two main characters of the show, Bob and Abishola, and I think the show needs to find a way to work them into these plots with supporting characters other than just sitting there reacting on the sidelines in the scene.

[HurricaneVal]

I wouldn't want Christina to get a job at a rival company, that would put too much tension in the family.  But I like the idea of her getting a job at another company and being wildly successful there.  I think a great idea would be for her to start work in marketing in a related field, like a work shoe manufacturer.  Then she comes up with some cross-pollinating advertising ideas where Maxdot socks feature in WorksHard shoe ads and vice versa.  Bob and Dottie get all enthused about the idea, then go to a meeting at WorksHard shoes and find Christina in charge of the whole campaign and very valued by the management of the other company.

[Brian Cronin]

I've followed Yashere's stand-up long enough to know about her significant other (by the way, you all should really check out her comedy specials. She's very funny. Much different style of humor than her role as Kemi, which is a lot more traditional of a sitcom style of humor), but she's usually so dedicated to making everything as accurate as possible on this show when it comes to Nigerian culture that I was seriously worried we were going to get some very sketchy stuff from Abishola. Thankfully they toed the line well. I was still disappointed in Abishola at times, but not absurdly so. 

[LittleIggy]

Sorry, I can’t see Christina getting a job that didn’t involve asking “Do you want fries with that?”

[Keywestclubkid]

3 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Sorry, I can’t see Christina getting a job that didn’t involve asking “Do you want fries with that?”

She has shown she is capable at her job but that she isnt taken seriously.. I think she would thrive at another job where they arnt family ... she has the experience 

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Sorry, I can’t see Christina getting a job that didn’t involve asking “Do you want fries with that?”

That's a fair assessment, but I'm recalling Penny from TBBT who went from not being able to use glue to having a high-powered business career in a suit.
That's the magic of Hollywood, right?
Plus, Christina could easily be re-characterized at this point as having been dopey due to anti-anxiety meds necessitated by her stressful family.
I'm not saying they will or should go there with Christina's character, but I could buy it if they did, and might even enjoy it.
And, like @Keywestclubkid, just posted, she has "experience" that would look good on a résumé.

Thank goodness Abishola wasn't day drinking in this episode.

[bad things are bad]

I'm here to tell you that sock manufacturing isn't really a thing in Detroit.  But automotive is! Plenty of opportunities with carmakers and suppliers and textile experience  (seats,  interior trim) could be valued. Why not feature what the city is known for? Christina could have a life :) and maybe her family would take her seriously 

[femmefan1946]

On 11/9/2021 at 9:30 AM, joanne3482 said:

Here in the US in most places love is love, but in many places worldwide, as in Nigeria, you can be put to death for being gay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Nigeria

Only in the Northern (Muslim) states and even there only if the trial is under religious law. In the south (pagan/ Christian) and under the secular laws of the northern states, the maximum sentence would be 14 years.
Not that that is a great improvement.

sock manufacturing isn't really a thing in Detroit.

MaxDot does not manufacture in the USA. I think the socks are actually made in Thailand and imported. MaxDot own the brand and do design, marketing, shipping  etc.

But Christina did show some marketing intelligence in early episodes but was brushed off/fell off the wagon which ended the idea. I'd have to review all the episodes to remember which, but I think it was before she went to the dude ranch.

Edited November 15, 2021 by femmefan1946