Better Things Season 5 Discussion

[sistermagpie]

I assume I'm not the only one who, the minute Convenient Cool Cousin mentioned she was looking for a new flatmate that Max was going to wind up exactly where she ended up. Could have skipped to the end on that one. Max's life is a series of opportunities people just offer her to show off her great wardrobe. When she said how much she needed a change I couldn't help but think maybe she ought to have stayed in college, which was a change she ran away from. Since this is almost the last ep maybe she'll stay in London.

So she can't work legally in the UK, right? So she's just going to live with a bunch of cool artistic people and being in London is "close enough" to Liverpool that she can "check in on" Gran? Why was Sam acting as if Max was going to be some sort of caregiver? 

I did love Caroline pissing on her mom's ashes. Phil and Max really were assholes getting out of the whole reason they were there, with Marion playing for the whole trip.

I did like Duke. Say what you will about her bad mood all season, girl went through depression with most people barely noticing and eventually seemed to work it out herself. She's still the best.

[circumvent]

With all the black and white photos of Phill I thought they were going to kill her.

I can finally relate to something in this show: my disdain for the monarchy. I 100% agree with Phill - bunch of people who get paid to do nothing other than wave. I also agree that the French were right and long for the day we will bring back the guillotine, this time for the "new monarchy" - aka, the corporate world.

[HollyG]

14 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

What was the song they played in the beginning?

Ugly Little Sunflower by Charlie Abbott

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by HollyG

[Nande]

I feel like I'm the only one still enjoying myself haha

[sistermagpie]

43 minutes ago, Nande said:

I feel like I'm the only one still enjoying myself haha

I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy myself. It's just impossible to not notice stuff like how Max's situation. (She's not only living with cool kids but FANS who think her instagram shows she's an artist etc.) 

[Nande]

40 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy myself. It's just impossible to not notice stuff like how Max's situation. (She's not only living with cool kids but FANS who think her instagram shows she's an artist etc.) 

I definitely agree some of the criticisms being voiced in here are legitimate and valid (even if some are kinda nit-picky), yet I still find myself enjoying the show despite all its flaws.

[Door County Cherry]

6 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

So she can't work legally in the UK, right?

Didn't the kids get their UK citizenships in the previous episode?  So if she's a UK citizen, then she'd be able to work in the UK. 

I think it's pretty silly that Max and her grandmother would be able to just stay in the UK without planning or packing up at home--especially Sam's mother--but I don't think Max staying in London is a bad thing. 

Sure, it's pretty convenient but she does have family there.  She is a citizen there.  It might be a good thing for her to not have the complete support she gets from Sam available.  Getting away from people who know you can be the perfect way to grow into who you're meant to be.  I know I felt more comfortable trying new things when no one knew who I was or had expectations of what DCC would or would not do.

[sistermagpie]

13 minutes ago, Door County Cherry said:

Didn't the kids get their UK citizenships in the previous episode?  So if she's a UK citizen, then she'd be able to work in the UK. 

 *Sam* was getting dual citizenship, which she could do because she has an English parent. The kids can't do that. They're still just American.

13 minutes ago, Door County Cherry said:

I think it's pretty silly that Max and her grandmother would be able to just stay in the UK without planning or packing up at home--especially Sam's mother--but I don't think Max staying in London is a bad thing. 

Certainly not a bad thing for her in the long run, I agree. I thought college was a good thing for her too. She had that situation and ran away from it. And maybe now that she's older she's ready to handle it. 

It just seemed characteristically lucky for her that she stumbles off the plane into the arms of a bunch of cool artist types who seem to exist to give her the exact type of life and encouragement so she can be cool too--and without any expectations or demands at all like when she was in college and had to take classes etc. (And since she's not a citizen she wouldn't be expected to get a regular job, presumably.)

And it was also just funny to me when Sam was acting like she was taking over responsibility for Phil, who would living with a man 2 hours away by train--you can't take care of someone with possible dementia from another city. (And you know if there was an actual crisis Sam would be on the plane immediately.

 

[chocolatine]

I wish Sam had asked Max how she was planning to support herself in London. Max had moved back in with Sam because she couldn't afford to live on her own in LA, and the cost of living is even higher in London. Since Max now has a parent who is a British citizen she *could* also apply for citizenship and then get a job, but that would be a lot of initiative for someone who just a few episodes ago couldn't be bothered to clean up after the dog. But Sam being the pushover that she is, she's probably going to fund Max's living expenses because some London hipsters liked the photos Max posted on IG.

And of course Sam will continue supporting Phil because that's what she had been doing in LA. At least I hope that Phil can move in with her gentleman friend in Liverpool and Sam won't have to buy or rent a place for her.

On 4/15/2022 at 11:49 AM, gingerella said:

I'm so over Sam behaving like a doofus tomboy off their ADHD meds.

She couldn't even pull it together long enough to make a toast. Pathetic.

Edited April 19, 2022 by chocolatine

[sistermagpie]

46 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I wish Sam had asked Max how she was planning to support herself in London. Max had moved back in with Sam because she couldn't afford to live on her own in LA, and the cost of living is even higher in London. Since Max now has a parent who is a British citizen she *could* also apply for citizenship and then get a job, but that would be a lot of initiative for someone who just a few episodes ago couldn't be bothered to clean up after the dog. But Sam being the pushover that she is, she's probably going to fund Max's living expenses because some London hipsters liked the photos Max posted on IG.

According to my quick google search is looks like you have to have a parent who was a citizen of the UK when you were born so Sam wouldn't count. Of course, as you say, at this point it doesn't look like Max would have any reason to even be looking into it for her life. Sam seemed to act like Max's job would be living in the same country as Phil. I'm sure Max has a wallet full of credit cards that Sam pays.

Oh, also couldn't relate to Sam giving Max her boots because even if I loved somebody's shoes, seems weird to want shoes broken in for somebody else's feet. I seem to remember the writers of Yellowjackets saying something similar, like that they assumed the girls would just wear each others' clothes so different people would be sharing the same sneakers. Is that a thing I've missed that peopel do? 

 

[chocolatine]

5 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Oh, also couldn't relate to Sam giving Max her boots because even if I loved somebody's shoes, seems weird to want shoes broken in for somebody else's feet.

When I was a pre-teen I coveted some of my mother's shoes, so I made her promise to give them to me when she got tired of wearing them. But then my feet outgrew hers when I was 12 (my mom has tiny feet). I had a completely different style by the time I was in my 20s, so wouldn't have wanted my mom's shoes then even if we'd still been the same size.

[txhorns79]

A few too many bowel and pee jokes for my tastes.  Was that Natascha McElhone that Sam ran into on the street? 

I do find it interesting that even though Frankie is identifying as non-binary(?), the character looks the most feminine I think they have ever looked during the series. 

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Was that Natascha McElhone that Sam ran into on the street? 

Yes, it was. At first I thought the man Natasha was with is also a famous actor and this was supposed to be one of those scenes where a famous person recognizes Sam, but then Natasha acted really upset as if she thought the guy was cheating on her with Sam, so I don't really know what that scene was supposed to be about.

Edited April 20, 2022 by chocolatine

[EtheltoTillie]

17 hours ago, Nande said:

I feel like I'm the only one still enjoying myself haha

I like this show a lot. I don’t find the kids bratty. I find them interesting and artsy. 
I think Max could work since Sam got her UK citizenship, which would include the kids?  ETA maybe not, seeing other posts above. 
You can’t hop on a quick train to Liverpool from London, BTW.  My husband had to take a bus between Liverpool and London a couple of years ago. It was the most direct and cheapest way. England has a great National bus system. For a small country it’s hard to get around between some places. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[aghst]

I thought this was the finale.

Kind of wrapping some things up.

Parts of it looked like a rock video.  Or a Nike commercial.

Marion had Sam pegged.  Once all the girls leave, Sam will be restless and bothering him and the dragon lady.

 

[heatherchandler]

15 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

 

Oh, also couldn't relate to Sam giving Max her boots because even if I loved somebody's shoes, seems weird to want shoes broken in for somebody else's feet. I seem to remember the writers of Yellowjackets saying something similar, like that they assumed the girls would just wear each others' clothes so different people would be sharing the same sneakers. Is that a thing I've missed that peopel do? 

 

In high school and college, my friends and I would borrow each other's clothes and shoes all the time.  Now, I would never want anyone else's boots.  

 

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Yes, it was. At first I thought the man Natasha was with is also a famous actor and this was supposed to be one of those scenes where a famous person recognizes Sam, but then Natasha acted really upset as if she thought the guy was cheating on her with Sam, so I don't really know what that scene was supposed to be about.

I couldn't figure that out either.  Who was the guy she was with?  Are we supposed to know who he is?

[TVbitch]

I also didn't understand the encounter between Natasha, the guy and Sam, but it would be par for this show to suggest Natasha was jealous. 

Sam needed to go to A&E after that fall down the stairs. What was that about?!

Sam is the quintessential loud American, but just so you guys don't think I am a totally soulless hater of this show, I did maybe release a couple tears at the very end when Frankie saw Phyllis as a kid. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by TVbitch

[One Imaginary Girl]

23 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

Convenient Cool Cousin

Ha.  How accurate--and don't forget her flatmates who all have out-of-the-ordinary jobs.  Yes, it couldn't have been any less subtle what would eventually happen.

I was confused early on in the episode--the caption said that they were in Liverpool, but Marion and Caroline mentioned that they were in London, and then the girls did, too, even before the caption did.   This episode and the last have been stangely moving to me, though--I really like the topic of someone connecting to their family's old country.  Phyl certainly seemed so alive when talking about England.

[aghst]

The guy with Natasha, they couldn't get Duchovny.

Probably just a little favor for her former cast mate from Californication to do a cameo.

 

 

[possibilities]

Frankie was hardly in this episode, but she was the most likable person when she was. She seems to have gotten a bit less obnoxious. Funny how the show didn't focus on her evolution, in favor of portraying the dysfunctional stuff.

I was amazed when Caroline peed on her mother's ashes. She's angry a lot, but now I wonder if it's not all from how awful Marion's family behaves, and some of it is also from her own baggage.

 

[QQQQ]

I have a vague recollection of an episode where Max borrowed Sam's boots without permission... maybe I'm imagining things.

 

Frankie was barely in this week's episode. Wonder if the actress had other obligations which cut down on her scenes?

[Lone Wolf]

On 4/19/2022 at 3:15 PM, Door County Cherry said:

I think it's pretty silly that Max and her grandmother would be able to just stay in the UK without planning or packing up at home--especially Sam's mother--but I don't think Max staying in London is a bad thing. 

Sam'll pack up Max's stuff and ship it over along with whatever Phil wants.  Phil's house will probably sit unoccupied, although if Sam was savvy she'd rent it out.

On 4/19/2022 at 10:31 PM, chocolatine said:

Yes, it was. At first I thought the man Natasha was with is also a famous actor and this was supposed to be one of those scenes where a famous person recognizes Sam, but then Natasha acted really upset as if she thought the guy was cheating on her with Sam, so I don't really know what that scene was supposed to be about.

Me neither, although I remember one season Sam went on a "mad tear" (3 or 4 dates), and I wondered if maybe he was one of the guys, and his wife knew about it and was reacting accordingly.

I knew as soon as they started the walkaround montage that they were going to recreate the Abbey Road cover.  So cliche'.  One of them should have been barefoot so it could have been completely unoriginal.

The grainy, jerky, cuts to Duke's camera footage were annoying, but that's probably just me being a cranky Old Fart.

Might not be quite the same thing, but I've had a pair of my father's Marine Corps boots since he passed.  I don't wear them often, but if the opportunity presents itself...

I've been watching since the first season and I've liked Adlon since her Lucky Louie days, but I feel like the show's run its course.  If this wasn't the final season I'd still watch, but I'm not going to miss it when it's gone.

Edited April 23, 2022 by Lone Wolf

[QQQQ]

Maybe Frankie and her friends can rent Phil's house. Obviously not the smartest financial move for Sam, but it would be a little better than Frankie continuing to live at home. Plus it seems like she always has friends in search of housing or more supportive situations.

[SunnyBeBe]

I loved this episode mainly due to the setting.  I’ve only been to England once, but it was heaven!  Based on how I felt there, I must have lived there in a previous life.  Lol  My dad’s dna ancestry shows almost all Great Britain. 

So, Max complains to artsy cousin, You should try living with an actor!  Really?  What’s so terrible about living with her overly indulgent actor mother who displays infinite patience and tolerates any behavior from her kids? What a horror.   Just wait.  I doubt Max will find future roommates who will be amused by her spoiled antics.  Max seems she may on the road to being a malcontent.  Great opportunity to live in England though, assuming she gets legal status. 

Leaving Phil and Max in England was a win win.  Two down and two to go. Lol

I don’t like that they downplay nursing homes. They are quite necessary for people who need them.  It’s often done by people who haven’t had a family member who needed to be bathed, changed, turned, fed, etc.  With dementia, Phil will likely get to that point. 
 

Sam’s fall should have resulted in hospital visit. Was this filmed before Saget’s death?

 

 

 

[QQQQ]

Sam's fall reminded me of a trip to London with my mom about 15 years ago. A woman (also an American tourist) in her 70s fell down a short flight of stairs at our hotel and received a nasty head wound. My mom, a retired nurse, bandaged her head and cared for the woman in the hotel lounge until a taxi arrived to take her to the hospital (not sure why an ambulance wasn't called... the woman's scalp was gaping). The hotel later sent my mom a bottle of wine as a thank you.

[txhorns79]

The ending group sing was cute, and Phyl looked great in her brief scenes.   Otherwise, the show went out as expected, a mostly unfocused smorgasbord of loosely connected scenes that in the end, did not have a huge amount to say about anything.  Good bye Sam Fox! 

[sistermagpie]

Really liked this last episode, I love shows that just end with everyone still being where they are organically instead of feeling like they need to fling everyone into unrealistic endings that feel fake.

It occurred to me watching it that I like how the show gave Frankie and Duke recognizable friends. I don't remember Max having friends, but then, that seems like it fits Max that she seemed to have groups of people that were cool but probably weren't very reliable. Unlike Frankie' group and Duke's bff. It sums up Max that I felt like her taking that little class at the end that looked like a sort of self-help through sculpting was the heathiest, happiest, best thing she'd done on the show. Maybe a small step, but certainly a good one.

Found time for bathroom humor to say goodbye--periods and communal pooping and weird smells!

Really liked Caroline in this ep. She's had me since she peed on her mom's ashes.

Unclear how good of a waitress Phyl is when I thought she had dementia (is that why she didn't remember the couple getting married or was that just flakiness?), but she got what she wanted. I liked how she assumed that was the best Sam could hope for and it wasn't.

I think, honestly, that Frankie isn't necessarily non-binary or trans. Maybe for a while now he's just been working up to admitting she's cis.

Loved Sam's, "It's all for you, Damien!"

 

[gingerella]

Well, that certainly met the 'meh' standard for thr last couple of off the rails seasons. Disjointed scenes, shoehorning as many tertiary characters as possible. It all just felt very forced yet unfocused, if that makes sense. They made it seem, at least to me, that Sam was going to get with thr Fish & Game dude and move into her childhood home. But then that gets dropped. I thought she was headed there when she ducked out of the wedding party but instead she drives where? To the desert? I don't know...the whole episode was just a goulash is shit, as has the entire season with the exception of last week's London episode. 

I will say I loved then scene with Caroline, and when Duke said she liked how Sam lives her life making people feel comfortable and welcomed. The rest of the epi.was dreck for me. I'm glad its over so I don't have to hate watch anymore.

[Suzn]

I discovered this show quite recently and caught up on all episodes before catching this final season as episodes were released.  It always had a lot of annoying things and the daughters were mostly awful, but the balance went from mostly positive to really full on hate watching for the last season.

I actually liked the next to last episode for the location; I could enjoy it as a travelogue and I liked the ending song of the last.  Otherwise the last episode was a fragmented, aimless slog.  Sam claims to have realized that she is happy.  OK, if you say so, Sam, but you don't look or act like a happy person.

Duke's sudden expression of love and appreciation for her mother came out of nowhere and didn't really ring true and neither did Caroline's.

I feel like the show became an ego trip and wish fulfillment for Pamela Adlon.

[heatherchandler]

Well that was... something.

[sistermagpie]

51 minutes ago, Suzn said:

Duke's sudden expression of love and appreciation for her mother came out of nowhere and didn't really ring true and neither did Caroline's.

 

I did have to laugh at all of those. People just randomly deciding to tell Sam how great she was. I can sort of buy it from Duke in that moment because it's Duke, but it was still kind...sure, love it when that happens.

[peeayebee]

I liked it. The whole episode was positive, and I sure as heck need that in my life, with this world.

I didn't think Duke's telling Sam that she likes her and all that came out of nowhere. Although the kids regularly exhibited surliness, selfishness, etc., there were also, always, scenes of them hugging their mom, enjoying her company, being loving. Not every scene, of course, but I felt the girls' love and appreciation for their mom was always there, if not openly, then below the surface.

I was glad to see Caroline tell Sam what has been going on with her because of her relationship with her own mom. Again, I don't see this coming out of nowhere since her mother just died.

The ending with Sam driving in the night, the sky full of wonder, shooting stars, aurora borealis, spaceship?, was a wonderful way to show the beauty in this world. Always Look On the Bright Side of Life was perfect.

[aghst]

They've never shown why the show is called Better Things.

You can kind of make an argument for it.  Sam has plenty of family and friends, has an artistically and financially rewarding career.

Despite the messiness of some of these friends and family, including her own daughters being miserable to her, she lets it rolls off her shoulders and while it seems like she's being a doormat, she doesn't care.

And she realizes she's happy.  She's past a bitter divorce, doesn't want to be swept off her feet, at least for now.

Otherwise this show tries so much to be liked.  That opening video showed how creative Sam and her friends and family are, though there was a self-congratulatory stench in the air as they celebrated.

These are her golden years?

The ending song, it's cutesy.  More and more shows seem to be going this route, to have the cast do a musical performance and/or a choreographed dance.

Some are so-so, like the ending of The Affair.  Others are awesome, like the opening credits of The Peacemaker.

Lasting impression for me is one of befuddlement at the raves this show has gotten and kind of a shrug, probably something I will quickly forget, have little interest in watching again.

 

[justmehere]

I enjoyed a lot about the finale.

-That everyone gathered for the wedding - friends old and new. 

-Checking in with Max and Phil - who both seemed happy and in their right elements.

-Caroline visiting -- agree with peeayebee that the "release" with her mother's death motivated her to reach out. A parent passing does prompt contemplation and even self-evaluation. Good on her for taking the step.

-I appreciated Duke's expression of love toward Sam. Duke seemed to get her "powers" back in England - seeing Phil and Ben as the young people they still felt like inside with each other - and she was only "problematic" (though far less than the other girls) when she felt insecure about having lost her gift. And now, with a touch more maturity, she sees more to her mother than just "mom"; she can see the person her mother is.

-I remain a little confused about Frankie, who has been fairly absent the last couple of episodes. She did have some lines here, but I have no idea about her now. Hoping that she, too, has outgrown the bad behavior - she was at least neutral in recent appearances.

-I also appreciated Sam's discovery that she's actually pretty happy. It's very easy to get caught up in taking care of things and managing day-to-day life, to the point of losing sight of the good that is also present. I think she was aware on some level - the cooking was an expression of joy, and I think she enjoys gathering people in (in most cases) - but it finally clicked for her that yeah, even with all the recent changes, things are good, and she's happy. She's moving on, putting Phil's house up for sale, leaving a party at her house and going for a drive like she wanted to do without worrying about everyone else.

As for the guy living in her old house... something still could come from it, but it doesn't have to. She doesn't require someone to sweep her off her feet - the prompt that clicked for her since there hasn't been any focus on her dating for some time. Basically, Sam will finally live her own life. I liked all the shooting stars and such, but I especially loved her wink at the end. She's got this and is going to be just fine.

 

[peeayebee]

39 minutes ago, aghst said:

The ending song, it's cutesy.  More and more shows seem to be going this route, to have the cast do a musical performance and/or a choreographed dance.

I wouldn't call it cutesy. It's from Life of Brian, sung over the scenes of crucifixion. 

[aghst]

I don't mean the song itself, the whole number or performances, even with minor characters like the Feng Shui guy.

 

 

[Cheezwiz]

I think I would have been fine with this show ending last season. I was actually surprised that a 5th season was added as a series finale, because I thought the  season 4 ending was satisfying.

I enjoyed the first couple of seasons, but the daughters became unbearable to me. Yes, I know teenage girls can be awful (I was one once), but they were just so over-the-top hateful, and Sam never checked them. It was exasperating to watch.

The episode formulas became predictable:

• Sam is in the middle of something that makes her frazzled.
• Phil does or says something weird or offensive.
• One or more of her kids has a meltdown of some sort.
• Long cooking montage (I actually liked these at first, but I started rolling my eyes after awhile).
• Poignant indie music at the episode conclusion.

Rinse, repeat.

I think I would have enjoyed more glimpses of Sam's career and the strange avenues it took her on, because those were genuinely interesting and felt real. I like Pamela Adlon, and could envision being friends with someone like her, but I wanted to strangle all three of her kids.

For some reason my cable provider isn't airing the finale until May 2nd, so I'll have to wait for that. Enjoyed it for awhile, but not sad to see it go.

 

[chocolatine]

I really hate scenes of people on the toilet, so the finale was a miss for me.

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I wouldn't call it cutesy. It's from Life of Brian, sung over the scenes of crucifixion. 

 

2 hours ago, aghst said:

I don't mean the song itself, the whole number or performances, even with minor characters like the Feng Shui guy.

 

 

That's actually what makes the song a little odd to me. Because the point of it is that it's an over-the-top stupid advice song for a crucifixion so when people sing it the irony is usually the point. Where as in this case it's a bunch of wealthy people singing at a lovely outdoor dinner, or their pub, or their cool new apartment where they're staying in London. Like...you all live on the bright side?

I think that's why it seemed to work better when Sam's dad had a line with child Sam--because as a dead guy with the little daughter he left behind (however old she really was when he died) the song suddenly seemed to make sense in ways it didn't with anybody else.

[possibilities]

Duke's depression was never directly addressed, she just outgrew it, I guess. I know they showed her smiling again in England, but for how bad off she was all season, I thought that was a wildly unearned resolution. 

I actually didn't mind the finale. I don't need there to be a linear plot, and it reminded me of why I used to like the show-- there was a whole community of people interacting, and it wasn't all about Sam indulging her disgustingly spoiled lazy obnoxious offspring. 

Was Marion implying that he and this week's groom had been lovers in the past? "I miss smoking bones with you."

 

[Faceplant]

On 3/29/2022 at 7:16 PM, chocolatine said:

BTW, did anyone catch what Max was doing at the bank? She can't really apply for a loan, can she? She has no credit history and no collateral.

Was this ever answered or just a weird scene that was shown for no reason?

[TVbitch]

I liked the music video opening. ...probably cuz I still have a 15 year-old flip phone! : D   Also enjoyed learning a bit more about Carolyn and wish they would have developed her character earlier.

There was some poignancy around death, and I appreciated the mythical story told in the pottery class about life pouring in and out of us. Then the shooting stars, Sam's old house, the fish, Sam's empty chair at the party also tied in, but, as a whole, it never all quite congealed. Some of it was effective though, as I did feel some existential tugs.

For me, the Monty Python sing-a-long took it off into the weeds. The song is meant to be ironic. But the "life is fleeting, enjoy it" message of this episode was it's true theme, and not meant to be ironic at all. It's seems like a song like "We'll Meet Again" would have been more apt. 

In conclusion, I did not hate the finale. Okay I admit to some micro-hating every time someone randomly told Sam what a super wonderful person, mother, family member, etc., she was. We get it, show, we get it.   

[Suzn]

19 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

In conclusion, I did not hate the finale. Okay I admit to some micro-hating every time someone randomly told Sam what a super wonderful person, mother, family member, etc., she was. We get it, show, we get it.   

OMG yes!  We didn't need to be beaten over the head with what a super special person Sam is.  There was just too much ego polishing in this episode in particular.  If Pamela wrote this, she was writing about herself and that is cringy.

[sistermagpie]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

Duke's depression was never directly addressed, she just outgrew it, I guess. I know they showed her smiling again in England, but for how bad off she was all season, I thought that was a wildly unearned resolution. 

 

I took that to mean that she really wasn't depressed in any clinical sense, just an adolescent going through a bad stage, feeling like everyone's prettier and more talented than she is. And in her case that also translated into her psychic powers being on the fritz for a bit.

[Soobs]

I read an interview with Pamela Adlon where she said that her goal with this show was to elevate the mundane. So many shows are melodramas, it was nice to have this sort of boring, sometimes funny, often annoying show to hang out with once a week. I'll miss it.

I liked the finale enough to say I was satisfied. I didn't love the group singing that and the opening was a little drama geek for me. But I like how someone else said that the story lines were wrapped up organically and even the negative sister-in-law got a do over. I also liked Sam saying she didn't want to be swept (swooped) away and she had a calmer relationship with herself at the end that we've seen on this show.  

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Soobs

[circumvent]

I thought it was very Meh. I was hoping for something that would make me go "Aha, that's what this show is about, now I get it" but no. It was a weird, awkward stuff that while don't really shock me, I also don't see the point of having them there - getting a terrible period and spend many minutes on that scene, being in the bathroom with someone while they poop. When Sam got her period and was surprised, I thought they were giving her the partying gift of endometrial cancer - personal experience. But no, it was just there, then the girls could smell it. 

I really didn't get the last scene, the sell the house but not really, what was present, what was future, it was just imagination?  I wasn't even too annoyed, just didn't feel anything, hence the Meh

 

P.S: I did like the opening video but that girl cannot sing, sorry

[heatherchandler]

Do friends do that, hang out while one poops?  I know they all love her so so so so so much, they need her to be there for everything.  She accepts them ALL.  But if someone asked me to stay in the bathroom, I would say no.

[possibilities]

I was upset that they didn't care that they'd dumped the fish into water where it was probably going to die. I get that they didn't know beforehand, but I did expect something other than a reaction to the fine, once they found out.

[Faceplant]

When Sam walked in on Jeff in the bathroom, she apologized and said they have a no locks on any of the doors in the house policy. I feel like using the bathroom at her house would be terrifying. Just anyone can (and does) walk in. 

 

I thought it was odd that she just chose to drive off into the night and leave her own dinner party in her own home, but it's not the first time she's done something similar. I guess it's fitting. 

[MJS]

On 4/20/2022 at 6:13 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

I like this show a lot. I don’t find the kids bratty. I find them interesting and artsy. 
I think Max could work since Sam got her UK citizenship, which would include the kids?  ETA maybe not, seeing other posts above. 
You can’t hop on a quick train to Liverpool from London, BTW.  My husband had to take a bus between Liverpool and London a couple of years ago. It was the most direct and cheapest way. England has a great National bus system. For a small country it’s hard to get around between some places. 

This show hits me in all the tender places.  I want the life and relationships she has. The relationships with her kids, and mom, and brother is so beautiful. I don’t care about nitpicky stuff- this is purely aspirational and it makes me weep with its beauty.