S01.E08: Chapter 8

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Michael prepares to face Colin at the wedding of the Jonathans, where sobering news, blunt toasts and deep reflections make it a night to remember.

Dropping Friday, July 29, 2022.

[Jillybean]

I loved this episode! Even though I totally expected Suzanne going to see Kai's father and Colin being at the apartment, it was still a great ending. Love Billy's dawning self-awareness. And although I love MGH, I didn't miss Claire at all. I don't think a season 2 will be as good but I'm hoping for it, anyway. I read somewhere an opinion that NPH was mis-cast, but I thought he was perfect.

[ctmd]

I honestly felt that had we left out the last scene (Colin in the apartment, wanting Michael back), this would have been a perfect one-season series. I loved the whole thing, and Michael's whole journey. He went from blind-sided and self-involved, to learning how to be independent and there for others. I honestly had never realized just how good an actor NPH was. From the point of view of a cis-white(ish)-bi-female in a monogomous hetero relationship, I can't comment on how realistic the portrayal of gay lifestyle was on the show, but it definitely reflected the life I saw a few of my gay male friends live in NYC while I was in school. Including the Grindr app. I very clearly recall going to a club with a friend, and him coming back from the bathroom telling me how he had just gotten a BJ from someone while back there. I know that life isn't all gay men by any means, but it's also not a fallacy among gay men in NYC. 

[Snow Fairy]

I don't see Michael and Collin as a good couple. Somehow they just don't 'click' to me.

I hope Michael does not take him back.

[Angeleyes]

I’m wondering if the last scene is a fake out and Colin has changed his mind about the apartment and not the relationship. 
I’m glad that we saw growth in the characters this season since a lot of the characters on Darren Star’s other series become caricatures. I really hope they move on from the breakup next season and give us more of his friends and real estate life or even how he’s having to navigate some of the real life issues the LGBTQ+ community is facing right now. I would think NPH would grow bored if Michael just became a gay version of Barney Stinson. 

[TV Diva Queen]

I guess I'm the only one that feels that this is a male/gay version of Sex and the City and I'm not sure how I feel about that

[ctmd]

23 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

I guess I'm the only one that feels that this is a male/gay version of Sex and the City and I'm not sure how I feel about that

I can see that to some extent. Billy was the Samantha, Stanley was Charlotte, was Suzanne the Miranda? And obviously Michael was SJP. 

honestly though, I think Michael had more motivation for his behaviors, and more character growth in one season than we ever saw in Sex and the City. The other characters were largely there as a reflecting pool for his growth though. They weren't complete caricatures, but they also weren't fully fleshed out. I still loved the show though. 

[twoods]

The other characters made this show for me. Michael got annoying at times so I would FF his cringey scenes. His best friends were awesome, as was Claire. I would watch the second season if they got bigger storylines. 

[memememe76]

I loved Suzanne. The father has to be Martin Lawrence! 
 

While I wished there were more independent storylines for Suzanne, Stanley and Billy, I liked them nonetheless and the actors did their best to add nuance to their roles. I foresee the future doctor treating Stanley to be a romantic interest, just not sure for which character. 
 

I liked that it was not slap sticky. It had a pleasant undercurrent, which may not be really exciting but felt warm to me. I liked any scenes where they all just hung out and made jokes. 

Who still gets paycheques? Especially upper class people like these folks. 

[Roccos Brother]

I just finished binge-watching the series, and I must say it exceeded my expectations. Hard to believe this show was created by the same man as AJLT. NPH has a lot of natural charisma and really carries the show, as does Tisha Campbell. The two of them have great chemistry together and unlike AJLT, the diversity doesn't feel like forced tokenism. Rather than serving as a focal point, it just *is*.

My favorite part of the show was making the older neighbor who originally appeared as a nuisance, turn out to be the sage voice of wisdom. That moment of perspective he shared with NPH standing outside the building was well-staged and extremely poignant for me, as a gay man terrified of aging and thinking it's all over once you hit (insert arbitrary number here).

Edited August 15, 2022 by Roccos Brother

[Jillybean]

On 8/14/2022 at 8:47 PM, Roccos Brother said:

I just finished binge-watching the series, and I must say it exceeded my expectations. Hard to believe this show was created by the same man as AJLT.

Darren Star was one of the creators of SATC, so he may have a creator credit on AJLT, but he was not actually involved. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/darren-star-emily-in-paris-backlash-1234995876/

[NeenerNeener]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:01 PM, TV Diva Queen said:

I guess I'm the only one that feels that this is a male/gay version of Sex and the City and I'm not sure how I feel about that

Well, it should, because it's created by the same guy. This is what he wanted to do back in the 90s, and why he wrote the straight women of SATC like they were gay guys. I'm ok with it. I enjoyed this, which is more than I can say about And Just Like That. 

ETA: and I'll happily watch a second season of this, which is also more than I can say about And Just Like That. Darren Starr > Michael Patrick King.

Edited August 28, 2022 by NeenerNeener

[Blakeston]

On 8/9/2022 at 2:11 PM, ctmd said:

I can see that to some extent. Billy was the Samantha, Stanley was Charlotte, was Suzanne the Miranda? And obviously Michael was SJP. 

Aside from working in an art gallery like Charlotte, I think Stanley was Miranda - the bitter, cynical, sarcastic one. Sweet, bubbly Suzanne seemed more like the Charlotte.

On Sex and the City, I totally believed that someone like Carrie could be friends with Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, but I never believed that Samantha and Charlotte would be friends with each other. And in this case, I could buy Michael being friends with Billy and Stanley, but I didn't buy Billy and Stanley being friends with each other. So I was glad that they explored the Billy/Stanley connection a bit in the final episode. I'd like to see more of that in season two.

Anyway, I'm guessing that Suzanne's "oh my god" at the restaurant was because her son was there meeting his dad. 

I never liked Colin, but I especially disliked him when he said that he broke up with Michael because he didn't want to feel like his story had already been written. That would be understandable coming from a 25-year-old, but a 50-year-old? Grow up, man-child. You still \have a ton of life options ahead of you without being single.

[JustHereForFood]

I liked this series, even though I expected a bit more from it, based on the trailer.

Too many cliffhangers for my taste, especially if we don't get a second season. I would also prefer if they skipped the last minute story about cancer, I am probably obnoxious about this, but I prefer not to have stories about serious medical problems in series where it's not obvious from the start, as I want to avoid them. Too much real-life worry.

Billy and Stanley were otherwise good characters and I liked Stanley's words this episode about how he accepts Billy for who he is and doesn't expect him to change his ways.

[PWHCHCH]

It would be cool if Tai’s father was played by Damon Wayans.