S05.E21: White Trash, Holy Rollers and Punching People

[Bort]

As the church congregation gossips about Georgie, Missy stands up for her brother, and Sheldon is distracted by the family drama.

Airdate: 12 May 2022

[SusanM]

I've got this on my PVR but I think I'll probably wait for the comments here before I watch.  I really hate the pregnancy storyline but I trust you guys!  If it's handled well and you say there is humour I'll give it a shot.  But I admit it's getting harder and harder to watch this show,

[Tom Holmberg]

31 minutes ago, SusanM said:

I've got this on my PVR but I think I'll probably wait for the comments here before I watch.  I really hate the pregnancy storyline but I trust you guys!  If it's handled well and you say there is humour I'll give it a shot.  But I admit it's getting harder and harder to watch this show,

I'll watch it but I agree about the "Very Special Young Sheldon" story line (though it looks like Missy might get a little more time this week, but they keep promising but then don't deliver).

[greekmom]

Well....

I feel for Mary, George and Missy. They are really struggling with being the town's gossip.  Plus George thinks that Mary is cheating on him.

I am glad Mary gave the Chancellor a whats for.  Chancellor didn't have to be so smug and she forgets that Sheldon is what - 12/13?

The head Pastor is a dick for bowing to pressure from the congregation and firing Mary.  I do hope this also teaches Mary a lesson - he that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by greekmom

[ItCouldBeWorse]

The youth pastor should be more honest with himself and not be alone with Mary.

 

[Browncoat]

And that there is exactly why I don't particularly care for organized religion.  That pastor and the whole congregation are not very Christian, in my opinion.  So much for "Judge not lest ye be judged", eh?  Good for Missy for standing up for her family, and good for the youth pastor for standing up for them, too.  For that matter, major props to Connie and even Georgie for being there for Mandy.  But damn, I felt bad for all of them.  Especially George and Mary.

[BitterApple]

Billy jumping in to help Missy was so freaking sweet. 

Pastor Jeff really surprised me. I'm sure plenty of people in his congregation had pre-marital sex and eight-pound preemies. Everyone acting like Georgie committed mass murder is ridiculous.

Also ridiculous is MeeMaw continually driving a wedge between Mandy and Georgie. Mandy has every right to be mad that Georgie lied, but she's 50% of the equation and needs to be held accountable too. Icing Georgie out of the pregnancy as a form of punishment only hurts her in the long run.

Clearly Pastor Rob is coming around for more than prayers and well wishes. I don't know why Mary told George about the visit. 

It really annoys me how callous the college staff are towards Sheldon. Yes, he's a grating know-it-all, but he's also a child. Maybe instead of being so dismissive they could set him up with a counselor.

Missy was the shining star of the episode. 

[Ms Lark]

Didn't judgemental Pastor get a divorce? Surprised they didn't run him out of town!

Well, Mary. Karma's a bitch. Glad Youth Pastor pointed that out to her. They are treading on thin ice there, though. Wonder if he'll be showing up for future pastorly duties.

I like Georgie's sincere efforts, but he's just too young for all this.

1 minute ago, BitterApple said:

Billy jumping in to help Missy was so freaking sweet. 

Wasn't it? And go Missy. Glad she gave that little shit a knuckle sandwich. Team Missy/George on this one.

[bad things are bad]

Missy hugging her mom legit brought a tear to my eye 

[Spartan Girl]

Missy won the episode right when she hit that kid, and finished strong by hugging Mary. And Billy jumping to aid her! That kid turned out to be a good egg.

14 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

And that there is exactly why I don't particularly care for organized religion.  That pastor and the whole congregation are not very Christian, in my opinion.

George had it exactly right: “A bunch of holy rollers with no lives.”

As bad as I felt for Mary at the end, I’m kind of on George’s side. Yes, he has been projecting his own near infidelity on her, but he’s been trying and Mary has shown time and time again that that she puts more weight with the pastor’s opinions because he’s a fellow religious person. She only finds fault with George and everything he says and does. And the fact that she alluded that they wouldn’t even been married if not for her pregnancy episodes back had to hurt too.

[EtheltoTillie]

Sheldon wants to switch to Judaism because William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were Jewish.  Bwah ha ha   

 

 

[freeser]

18 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

It really annoys me how callous the college staff are towards Sheldon. Yes, he's a grating know-it-all, but he's also a child. Maybe instead of being so dismissive they could set him up with a counselor. 

I really disliked just about everything concerning Sheldon in this episode. 

He didn't go to the college president to ask her to "help" his family in a difficult time.  He asked her to "fix" things in the family because their fighting and problems were causing Sheldon to be unable to concentrate on his school work.  The whole Georgie situation to him was all about making the family fighting and disagreeing and that upset Sheldon regardless of what was causing the fights.  

Georgie and Missy (and somewhat MeeMaw) were the only characters trying to be nice and understanding.  I am tired of Mandy basically blaming Georgie TOTALLY for the pregnancy.  Mary is maybe finally understanding how judgmental her church 'friends' are.  She also realizes that she would be one of the members to blame a family if this had happened to someone else.  George is mad at everyone.  Pastor Rob has ulterior motives.  Pastor Jeff turned on the Coopers pretty quickly. 

Missy was outstanding.  Bravo to Missy.  This show might need to be reclassified from a comedy to a drama if this story line continues.  I don't recall a laugh at all in this episode. 

[Chit Chat]

Dang, this show is depressing!  There were a few funny moments, but all in all, it's not what I enjoy watching when I need to unwind after working all day with a boss who is the biggest doofus I've ever worked with.  Sigh.  

[Grizzly]

I love Billy.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

33 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

Clearly Pastor Rob is coming around for more than prayers and well wishes. I don't know why Mary told George about the visit. 

She felt guilty (and maybe thought Missy would mention it) so insisted the visit was in the course of his job.

 

[SusanM]

17 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

And the fact that she alluded that they wouldn’t even been married if not for her pregnancy episodes back had to hurt too.

I don't think I saw that episode, the one I saw where they talk about their oops pregnancy it was George who was basically berating Mary and insisting that Georgie and Mandy shouldn't marry because if they did they'd be as unhappy as George and Mary are.  Not one of his finer moments as a husband, or as a father for that matter.

[pennben]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The youth pastor should be more honest with himself and not be alone with Mary.

 

As should Mary. 

[MollyMelrose]

Way to go, Billy! You became a rock star in your 15 seconds of air time tonight.

And what a disappointment, Pastor Jeff. Bowing to pressure from the pharisees in the flock to shun Mary when it wasn't so long ago that you were the one tongues were wagging about. Biblically speaking, you're behaving like the jawbone of an ass.

While Groovy Hip Pastor might do well to refresh himself with Commandment #10 to avoid breaking #7. (That's 9 and 6 for the Catholics in the congregation. 😉)

Missy continues to be awesome, both with the punch and the hug.

 

 

 

[Yeah No]

I'm hoping Mary learns not to be so judgmental from this experience.  It looks like she was forced to see a bad side of herself in this episode.  Too bad she is not as aware of her vulnerability to the ulterior motives of the youth pastor.  Maybe George's suspicions are going to build further resentments between him and Mary and make whatever he might do in reaction more understandable.  

One minor continuity issue, though - Bagels were barely a thing in CT when I moved here from NYC in 1991 so I kind of doubt they were all that available in Texas either.  That soon changed in CT in the 90s but I would be very surprised that someone would find them so easily in Texas at that time.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

3 hours ago, pennben said:

As should Mary. 

Definitely, but he came to her home.  I certainly hope she will never visit him alone at his.

Edited May 13, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[rmontro]

Missy somehow manages to be the MVP of this series. 

The great thing about this show is most of the characters are likable.  Even though they are shown to be fully human and making questionable decisions, they still manage to be understandable and relatable, and you end up rooting for them.

 

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

One minor continuity issue, though - Bagels were barely a thing in CT when I moved here from NYC in 1991 so I kind of doubt they were all that available in Texas either.  That soon changed in CT in the 90s but I would be very surprised that someone would find them so easily in Texas at that time.

I'm in the midwest and I swear I remember bagels back in the 70s.  

[Yeah No]

9 minutes ago, rmontro said:

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

One minor continuity issue, though - Bagels were barely a thing in CT when I moved here from NYC in 1991 so I kind of doubt they were all that available in Texas either.  That soon changed in CT in the 90s but I would be very surprised that someone would find them so easily in Texas at that time.

I'm in the midwest and I swear I remember bagels back in the 70s.  

Maybe they were in some areas where there was a Jewish population but Texas?  And I am talking about barely 40 miles from NYC in CT and they were very hard to find in 1991 and believe me, I was looking for them.  Maybe there were some awful frozen ones in the supermarket but no bagel shops like we have all over now and the donut shops didn't have them either yet.  That didn't start for a few years yet.  And that was in CT, much closer to bagel "ground zero" geographically and socially than Texas.

Also, I traveled all over this country in the 1970s and never saw a bagel outside the NYC area.  And again, I would have loved to find one.  I'm sure they had them in California, though, although I didn't get there until the '90s.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Yeah No

[Prairie Rose]

Anyone else feel that Sheldon has become practically a non-entity on his own show? It's sad how this show has gone from a light-hearted comedy to a depressing soap opera.

Having said all that, the acting from everyone has been nothing short of outstanding. I just hope there's actual levity next season.

[pennben]

Maybe it was a muffin with seeds and an unreliable narrator…Sheldon?  

[Yeah No]

28 minutes ago, pennben said:

Maybe it was a muffin with seeds and an unreliable narrator…Sheldon?  

President Hagemeyer (Wendy Malick) said something about having her morning coffee and bagel in this episode and Sheldon reminded her that she had it on a certain date in 1991.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Yeah No

[pennben]

Maybe then it was a sitcom that didn’t spend budget to research bagel introduction by county/year after line was written and just rolled with it? I’ll allow it. 
 

 

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Maybe they were in some areas where there was a Jewish population but Texas? 

As I said I'm in the midwest and I went through a long period of my life having never met a Jewish person.  I seem to recall bagels being in the grocery stores, not in bagel shops.  But I have no trouble believing there were places that didn't have them yet.  We still don't have bagel shops.

[JKL845]

3 hours ago, Yeah No said:

 

One minor continuity issue, though - Bagels were barely a thing in CT when I moved here from NYC in 1991 so I kind of doubt they were all that available in Texas either.  That soon changed in CT in the 90s but I would be very surprised that someone would find them so easily in Texas at that time.

I feel sorry for the whole family. I too hope next season gets back to more comedy and less drama.

Surprising about CT. Texas definitely had bagel shops in the 70's. We're from Brooklyn and actually moved to Texas in the 70's. Dad had to have bagels. Good ones too. Not quite as good as NY but close. 

[Snow Apple]

6 hours ago, Prairie Rose said:

Anyone else feel that Sheldon has become practically a non-entity on his own show? It's sad how this show has gone from a light-hearted comedy to a depressing soap opera.

Having said all that, the acting from everyone has been nothing short of outstanding. I just hope there's actual levity next season.

I was just thinking yesterday "what happened the the once charming show?" This was never the pure comedy of TBBT, but even knowing the future, we did not sign up for this depression. It no longer has heart. 

And yes, I'm disappointed in both reverend. I'm tired of Mandy. 

Billy and Missy are the only thing that saved this episode.

[bad things are bad]

Pastor Jeff was the worst. Terrible pastor and friend. Maybe he and TimTom will have a confrontation 

[Yeah No]

25 minutes ago, bad things are bad said:

Pastor Jeff was the worst. Terrible pastor and friend. Maybe he and TimTom will have a confrontation 

Haha, Tim Tom was from "The Middle" but I think of him that way too!

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, JKL845 said:

Surprising about CT. Texas definitely had bagel shops in the 70's. We're from Brooklyn and actually moved to Texas in the 70's. Dad had to have bagels. Good ones too. Not quite as good as NY but close. 

I was surprised too given how close I was to NY at the time.  By the mid '90s they were everywhere, though, although most of them sucked by NYC standards.  Now I live further away but we get great bagels.  It's surprising to learn that Texas had them so soon.  My Jewish grandfather retired to North Carolina in the '70s and '80s and was always complaining that he couldn't find bagels, so we used to bring a dozen with us when we visited.

ETA:

This quote from this article, written in the NYT in 1982:

Quote

Despite Texas's proximity to Louisiana, crawfish traditionally have been about as common in the Lone Star State as fresh bagels and good sturgeon. 

So that's some reference as to how rare they were.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Yeah No

[nora1992]

I didn’t get the point of the bar scene. Was the point to show that George has no support network, making it okay for him to find comfort elsewhere?  It felt shoehorned-in.

[shapeshifter]

I appreciated Missy's line about punching hurting a lot more than on TV while she soaked her bruised and battered knuckles. I am going to assume that she will not be doing any more punching.
--Just hugging those who need comforting, and, when it seems like it won't be a waste of breath, defending them against bullies with her words.
Two days ago in my locale, 2 young men got in an argument, and one punch knocked a guy to the ground, causing him to hit his head and die.
And a "black eye" can lead to retinal detachment, including blindness. 
So I'm also fanwanking that while George understandably and with love defended Missy for punching, he really would prefer she not punch or be punched. 

 

I'm also hoping that the Youth Pastor cares for Mary with agape and brotherly love, not the boot-knocking kind.

 

I appreciated the flashback of Meemaw telling Mandy that she had already been through the pregnant daughter thing with Mary and had learned how to do it wrong. 
And now we have a worthy plot point for Meemaw's gambling winnings.  Meemaw offering to help support her great-grandchild financially means the show doesn't have to sweep under the rug the reality of the financial hardship Mandy and her new family would face (regardless of Georgie's role), but the show also doesn't have to dwell on it to the degree it would warrant otherwise. 

Edited May 13, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Chit Chat]

2 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I appreciated the flashback of Meemaw telling Mandy that she had already been through the pregnant daughter thing with Mary and had learned how to do it wrong. 

I think it's nice that MeeMaw is helping her.  I do wish, however, that Mary would lend a hand too.  That way she could show people that no matter the mistake, she'll take the high road and give her support without the judgment.   

I appreciated George defending his family to Pastor Jeff.  Yes, his reaction was quite disappointing.   Way to kick a person when they're down!  

Missy for the win!  And Billy too!  He is just so sweet.  

[Prairie Rose]

After everything Mary did for Pastor Jeff after his first wife left him...he sure has some nerve. Yet it also comes as no surprise that he proved to be this weak.

[Magnumfangirl]

The church reaction to what's going on is ridiculous.  No church would have done that in 1992.  But it's typical for Hollywood.  🙄

Edited May 13, 2022 by Magnumfangirl

[Tom Holmberg]

They only redeeming features of this episode were Missy and Billy.  Next week is the season's final episode and we'll probably have no payoff on the laundry/casino plot, which is largely ignored and probably a big George/Mary cliffhanger. I suspect that episode will be equally boring.

[freeser]

18 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

  Next week is the season's final episode .... and probably a big George/Mary cliffhanger. I suspect that episode will be equally boring.

Did I hear George say in the preview something about having no job?  The parents of the football team are unhappy with his coaching now with the Georgie problem added in - do you think George get officially fired?  I guess he still has the part time job with Dale.....?

It will be a real downer if the finale is that neither George or Mary have jobs.  What a depressing cliffhanger.  We need the Missy and Billy Show to cheer us up.  Either reclassify Young Sheldon as a drama or get some real humor back.

[SmallTownMom]

I see everybody blaming Georgie for lying about his age.  But Mandy lied, too,  When they first met, I think she told Georgie she was 23, and he said he was 21.  I can kind of understand why he lied, but she should have known better.  She couldn't find anybody her own age?  And why on earth would she believe that Georgie was 21?  Because he's so sophisticated?

I used to absolutely love this show.  I don't know if it is because his voice changed, but Sheldon is so annoying now.  And the whole show now seems very depressing, George and Mary, all the stuff about the church, everything.  Pastor Jeff turned out to be a real jerk, too.

Missy is my favorite.  I like that she stood up for Georgie, and Billy offering to help her made me tear up a little.  When Georgie made her promise to never hit anybody again, that was a good moment.  Reminded me of "To Kill a Mockingbird", where Atticus tells Scout that she's going to hear a lot of bad things and not to let them get under her skin.  I love Georgie and Missy together.   They've had some great moments.

 

 

[SusanM]

43 minutes ago, Magnumfangirl said:

The church reaction to what's going on is ridiculous.  No church would have done that in 1992.  But it's typical for Hollywood.  🙄

Honestly, I grew up Catholic and even in the 80s there were more than a few girls from my Catholic high school who got married and had 11 lb "premature" babies or didn't get married at all.  I absolutely don't recall anyone in my parish or in the neighbourhood reacting the way these people are reacting.   

On the George and Mary front it seems like they are doubling down on the George does cheat but it's all going to be Mary's fault idea which is the final nail in the coffin that was my love for this show.

Edited May 13, 2022 by SusanM

[Bobbin]

53 minutes ago, Magnumfangirl said:

The church reaction to what's going on is ridiculous.  No church would have done that in 1992.  But it's typical for Hollywood.  🙄

There are churches displaying the same reaction in 2022 toward gay members -- hence the pending split of the biggest Christian church in the USA. Same self-righteousness, just different excuse.

[Bobbin]

33 minutes ago, freeser said:

Did I hear George say in the preview something about having no job?  The parents of the football team are unhappy with his coaching now with the Georgie problem added in - do you think George get officially fired?  I guess he still has the part time job with Dale.....?

I think George was told or led to believe that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.

[Welshman in Ca]

18 minutes ago, SusanM said:

Honestly, I grew up Catholic and even in the 80s there were more than a few girls from my Catholic high school who got married and had 11 lb "premature" babies or didn't get married at all.  I absolutely don't recall anyone in my parish or in the neighbourhood reacting the way these people are reacting.   

 

You're right, it's not like the catholic church is good at hiding things. 🙄

[Tom Holmberg]

Our high school class valedictorian got his girlfriend pregnant, and although all the kids were sort of amused by that, there were no public repercussions.  He still gave the speech at graduation.

[Beden]

My son was born in 1988 and, luckily, we had medical insurance. If we hadn't the bill for a normal, uncomplicated birth was running around $20,000 for the OB/hospital and sundries. That was in the New York Tri-state area so rural Texas may have been less but still...that's a lot of money for Meemaw to lay out. To her credit.

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The youth pastor should be more honest with himself and not be alone with Mary.

 

Absolutely.  Sure, Mary has a crush, but she'd never do anything to act on it because that doesn't fit with her beliefs.  He, on the other hand, is clearly very tempted and needs to take the step back.  Which is a shame since he's the only one who seems to be getting through to her right now.

Hell, I actually found myself feeling sorry for Mary this week because she was able to look at herself and realize that she'd have acted very similarly had it been another family going through this.  The self-reflection made her much more human and less holier than thou for me.

I really hope Georgie's trying to support Mandy through this doesn't end up with them getting married.  They don't love each other and it would be a disaster.

15 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I don't know why Mary told George about the visit.

I think she told him because she wants it to be nothing but support.  And it's not like he wouldn't have found out anyway since Missy knew about it, so it was definitely safer for her to tell him first.

14 hours ago, SusanM said:

I don't think I saw that episode, the one I saw where they talk about their oops pregnancy it was George who was basically berating Mary and insisting that Georgie and Mandy shouldn't marry because if they did they'd be as unhappy as George and Mary are.  Not one of his finer moments as a husband, or as a father for that matter.

I was 100% with George on that one.  It actually was one of George's BETTER moments as a father, pointing out that they didn't have to get married just because Mary's religion said they did.  He wasn't saying they shouldn't get married because he and Mary were unhappy, just that in their situation, they most likely would be miserable; Mary was the one who made it about their marriage, not George.

11 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Maybe there were some awful frozen ones in the supermarket

There were definitely frozen ones at the supermarket where I lived (no Jewish population to speak of in the 90s in rural Maryland) so I think the possibility of them being in some stores in Texas is likely.  And President Hagemeyer seems like someone who might seek them out.  No need whatsoever for them to be FRESH bagels.

11 hours ago, Prairie Rose said:

Anyone else feel that Sheldon has become practically a non-entity on his own show?

Fine with me.  He's always been my least favorite character.

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm also hoping that the Youth Pastor cares for Mary with agape and brotherly love, not the boot-knocking kind.

He's definitely interested in the boot-knocking kind, but I can't see Mary actually acting on that.  Feeling it? Yes, but acting on it, no.

2 hours ago, Magnumfangirl said:

The church reaction to what's going on is ridiculous.  No church would have done that in 1992.  But it's typical for Hollywood.  🙄

You obviously don't know many evangelical Baptists.  My cousins' church absolutely would act like this NOW, never mind in the early 90s.  Not all churches are like that, but there is definitely a particular type which is.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by proserpina65

[appositival]

I was waiting for Sheldon to recite all of the gossip about the other families in town (arrests, drunkenness, affairs, etc), but I guess that would never occur to him even if he does remember all the gossip he's ever heard.

I wonder if Sheldon will complain about missing the routine of going to church?

[DoYouLikeMutton]

I've always found Pastor Jeff to be a bit of a jerk.  This episode removed all doubt.

[SusanM]

1 hour ago, Welshman in Ca said:

You're right, it's not like the catholic church is good at hiding things. 🙄

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.