S02.E14: Osteoporosis, Benihana and a Slinky

[jewel21]

Quote

Gina gets caught in the middle when Norma's rude sister, Irene, arrives at Valley Hills. Also, Harry sets up Drew on a date, and Spencer and Bette take the next step in their relationship.

Airdate: 02/24/2022

[SoMuchTV]

Well, it was fun seeing Mike’s (of Mike & Molly) mom.  

[Brian Cronin]

How are they EXPANDING their already too big cast?

I've been saying for awhile now that if they're going to keep Drew on the show, they really should just get him and Gina together, even though I don't like them together. But man, what IS this storyline? How contrived is this thing? Real people don't act like this! People don't say, in effect, "can you wait until the season fiinale for me to agree to date you? Or at least sweeps?"

[Ms Lark]

Even though I think they should ditch Middleditch, this is painful to watch. Hey, if a spontaneous wild-type woman says "I need more time" she just ain't into you that way at all. It's a complete friend zone. Give it up! Just get in the RV and go.

[Brian Cronin]

10 minutes ago, Ms Lark said:

Even though I think they should ditch Middleditch, this is painful to watch. Hey, if a spontaneous wild-type woman says "I need more time" she just ain't into you that way at all. It's a complete friend zone. Give it up! Just get in the RV and go.

But that's what drives me so crazy about this. Yes, this SHOULD be over, but she very obviously IS into him (including trying to spy on his date tonight) and so the "I need more time" stuff is just because the show has just decided they want to wait to get them together (perhaps they're still trying to see if there's a way for them to fire Middeditch?) and not because either of them are experiencing normal human emotions. A normal situation here would either be an outright no or they would just be together. There would be no "Wait a bit." It's so, so stupid. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Harry wants to see Drew happy, so he matches him up with his psycho great-niece?  (Unless his ulterior motive was to get Drew to share his true feelings with Gina.)

Edited February 25, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[DavidWeis1]

And yet another slightly different opening sequence. 
(That’s all I got.)

[Pepper the Cat]

That was painful to watch. I have little desire to watch a person like Irene snipe at people and make nasty comments. 
Drew acting like a child taking the door hair off of Gina’s pants was ridiculous. 
I am almost over this show

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, Pepper the Cat said:

That was painful to watch. I have little desire to watch a person like Irene snipe at people and make nasty comments.

And yet they kind of did a good job of having Irene and Norma (unrealistically) resolving their life-long issues. 
I was glad to see that (because I have a sister and we're only about 10 years younger than these characters) but it felt like I was roped into watching a PSA.

[DavidWeis1]

I don’t want to get too deep (this is a situation comedy, after all) but there’s something depressing that hangs over this show. I mean, we’ve already seen one person die, and the other have their share of ailments. I’m struggling to find the humor in it. Plus, most of the characters have serious flaws and are annoying. What’s her name’s sister who showed up last night — another downer. Look, I get the whole alone thing when a spouse dies. But it’s not working here.

[iMonrey]

The actress who played Norma's sister (Rondi Reed) was one of the funniest things about Mike & Molly. She's essentially playing the same character here, but I don't mind.

And they keep adding new intros to the show so Annaleigh Ashford can sing. Maybe they should have had Gina buy a nightclub instead of a retirement home. That way she could sing a new number every week.

The part with Bette and Spencer was sweet. 

Didn't Peter run away? I was surprised to see him back.

Edited February 25, 2022 by iMonrey

[chitowngirl]

Maybe if they spent more time on the actual show instead of ways to make new openings….

[possibilities]

I don't know their names, but I liked the interaction between the character played by Ben Vereen and the character who has kidney failure, after Norma's sister implied they were lovers. 

The juvenile and ridiculous way they are having Gina behave about Drew is a humiliating insult to Annaleigh Ashford as well as to the audience. Sneaking around looking in his van window to spy on his date? Seriously???? 

[Blakeston]

Maybe the writers think that if Gina engages in sexually inappropriate behavior, we'll forget about Middleditch's? 😆

I'll give Rondi Reed credit - she was very believable as Linda Lavin's sister, and she was also very believable as Melanie Lynskey's mother on the final episode of Mom.

Unfortunately, watching her character be really mean, without being particularly funny, is not going to do anything to help the show. I think the enjoyable comedy that was season 1 is pretty much dead.

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, Blakeston said:

she was also very believable as Melanie Lynskey's mother on the final episode of Mom.

That's why she looked familiar! (Never watched Mike & Molly.)

Drew is just cringy and annoying at this point.

[Brian Cronin]

17 hours ago, DavidWeis1 said:

And yet another slightly different opening sequence. 

The only thing that makes any sense to me is that they just filmed a really long version and then they've been showing us different cuts of that long theme ever since, because I just can't believe that they would otherwise seriously be still fiddling with the theme this late in the game.

Or could they?

[iMonrey]

Quote

The only thing that makes any sense to me is that they just filmed a really long version and then they've been showing us different cuts of that long theme ever since, because I just can't believe that they would otherwise seriously be still fiddling with the theme this late in the game.

I think they're just trying to work in ways to have Annaleigh Ashford sing. She's a noted Broadway musical actress and they want to take advantage of that. 

[Brian Cronin]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think they're just trying to work in ways to have Annaleigh Ashford sing. She's a noted Broadway musical actress and they want to take advantage of that. 

Oh, that's definitely the point of the new theme, I'm just talking about how the theme appears to be different each week. I think they just filmed one really long bit that they've just been messing around with since, editing it into different approaches. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

40 minutes ago, Brian Cronin said:

Oh, that's definitely the point of the new theme, I'm just talking about how the theme appears to be different each week. I think they just filmed one really long bit that they've just been messing around with since, editing it into different approaches. 

That's what I assumed. If the show is slightly shorter one week, they run more of the lengthy intro.

[Brian Cronin]

3 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That's what I assumed. If the show is slightly shorter one week, they run more of the lengthy intro.

While I'm sure that IS what happened, at the same time, it's still really weird how they debuted the short version FIRST. Typically, if you have a new, longer theme, you play the whole thing through the first time and then shorten it AFTER, not debut the short version first, then a long one and then a different long one and then, weeks later, a version with a freakin' PREAMBLE. It's all been handled so oddly. 

[shapeshifter]

21 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think they're just trying to work in ways to have Annaleigh Ashford sing. She's a noted Broadway musical actress and they want to take advantage of that. 

3 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

While I'm sure that IS what happened, at the same time, it's still really weird how they debuted the short version FIRST. Typically, if you have a new, longer theme, you play the whole thing through the first time and then shorten it AFTER, not debut the short version first, then a long one and then a different long one and then, weeks later, a version with a freakin' PREAMBLE. It's all been handled so oddly. 

Every week during Annaleigh Ashford's preamble song and dance, I think:

• Why are they airing her audition to be the lead in a new series or Broadway show during a Prime Time sitcom? 

And then I am embarrassed for her and blame it all on her costar's bad behavior that eclipsed any buzz the show was stirring.

 

[eel21788]

On 2/25/2022 at 10:18 AM, iMonrey said:

The part with Bette and Spencer was sweet. 

Does Jane Seymour's character remind anyone else of a poodle?

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by eel21788

[eel21788]

On 2/25/2022 at 9:13 AM, shapeshifter said:

And yet they kind of did a good job of having Irene and Norma (unrealistically) resolving their life-long issues. 
I was glad to see that (because I have a sister and we're only about 10 years younger than these characters) but it felt like I was roped into watching a PSA.

Norma and Irene would be saying, "Don't make it about you!"

[Zaffy]

16 hours ago, eel21788 said:

Does Jane Seymour's character remind anyone else of a poodle?

 

 

I just fell of my chair... I hadn't realized that was Jane Seymour 😲 😲 😲

[possibilities]

On 2/27/2022 at 5:23 PM, eel21788 said:

Norma and Irene would be saying, "Don't make it about you!"

Honestly, Gina is not usually making anything about herself. That line would have fit much better if they had been talking to Drew. And since he's a counselor, they could have easily written that as his role at the home, rather than a a van driver. The way they are writing this show is just weird.

[needschocolate]

On 2/25/2022 at 6:02 AM, DavidWeis1 said:

And yet another slightly different opening sequence. 
(That’s all I got.)

This one seemed to be the longest one yet.  Eventually, there will be a short opening scene, a short closing scene, and 18 minutes of the show's theme song.  

 

On 2/28/2022 at 5:34 PM, possibilities said:

Honestly, Gina is not usually making anything about herself. That line would have fit much better if they had been talking to Drew. And since he's a counselor, they could have easily written that as his role at the home, rather than a a van driver. The way they are writing this show is just weird.

He isn't much of a counselor if he hasn't figured out that he might only think he is love with Gina because she saved his life.  

[CattyK]

On 2/27/2022 at 4:20 PM, eel21788 said:

Does Jane Seymour's character remind anyone else of a poodle?

 

 

Ha!  I knew that hairdo reminded me of something!