S02.E02: Wrong Delivery

[jah1986]

1 hour ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

It is WAAAAAAAY better than a Sno-Cone. 

From NPR: It's a frozen treat made from water, sugar and some sort of flavoring — usually fruit. It is firmer than a slushy, softer than sorbet and smoother than granita. Unlike with a snow cone, the flavor is mixed in before freezing, instead of being poured over a frozen ball at the end. 

And the "proper" pronunciation is wooder ice. 😊

A true Philadelphian, I can tell, you even got the pronunciation right, lol. 

No one from Philly would just call it "ice" and the texture can be different depending on where you get it from, there's so many more options than Rita's.

I'm glad I watch this show with close captions on so I could see Taylor's text read Broke Boi, that was harsh, but Barbara pronouncing it bwah was so funny.

[Empress1]

3 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

It is WAAAAAAAY better than a Sno-Cone. 

From NPR: It's a frozen treat made from water, sugar and some sort of flavoring — usually fruit. It is firmer than a slushy, softer than sorbet and smoother than granita. Unlike with a snow cone, the flavor is mixed in before freezing, instead of being poured over a frozen ball at the end. 

And the "proper" pronunciation is wooder ice. 😊

I describe it as a cross between a Slurpee and a Sno-Cone. A Sno-Cone’s ice is … harder and the flavor is less intense because it’s poured over the ice. A Slurpee is drinkable but the flavor intensity is closer. “Wooder* ice” is in between. When I first used the term with a non-Philly friend he was like “… Ice is made of water. What?”

*I don’t pronounce it “wooder.” I think that’s my mother’s Brooklyn accent influence.

[MicheleinPhilly]

3 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I really think it could be as simple as Taylor not thinking through what she wanted in a partner or thinking Gregory not making more money was going to be ok. Gregory was also thinking of a way out of the relationship for reasons he also did not seem to think about when starting a relationship with Taylor.

Doesn't Taylor also live in New York? Or am I mixing up my tv show characters? 

[Enigma X]

Just now, MicheleinPhilly said:

Doesn't Taylor also live in New York? Or am I mixing up my tv show characters? 

I think she does.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Taylor and Gregory were dating over the summer, so maybe he was just hanging out with her in New York? And now that he’s got to work all day and can’t go and do stuff whenever Taylor’s kind of over him? And vice versa? Idk, I’m spitballing. 

[roseslg]

4 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Are you familiar with Italian ice? It's similar, but a little icier.

How old do you think he's supposed to be? I assumed that he was supposed to be in the 25-27 range. He has a masters, and it doesn't sound like he has much work experience (aside from landscaping).

Also, did we know before that Janine went to Penn?

It could also be that his dad owns a business, so there are expectations there. Taylor works in liquor distribution, right? So I think she is used to a certain lifestyle, especially with going to all the tapas places. Those are not cheap.

[Crashcourse]

18 hours ago, cincivic said:

I lol so hard watching the male cafeteria worker during the mouse scene. He was behind Jacob readying for a fight with the mice. I caught it during my second viewing. 

Yeah, he was going all Rocky on those mice! 😅

As the season goes on, I'd love to see more of the cafeteria workers, like the fighter guy and the tong lady making lunches for the kids. 

[Jobiska]

18 hours ago, cincivic said:

I lol so hard watching the male cafeteria worker during the mouse scene. He was behind Jacob readying for a fight with the mice. I caught it during my second viewing. 

Not since The Good Place has there been a show we have to pause...often multiple times...so we can laugh our heads off without missing something.  I had paused it right there, and not only did we catch that guy thinking "Let me at 'em!"--his expression was so great--but at the same time, Ava is in the background having just turned around to hightail it out of there!  So then we had to laugh some more!

I live near "Philly Flavors" in Fairmount which does a great wooder ice...I've branched out from lemon this summer, and the black raspberry is amazing too!  

[Black Knight]

5 hours ago, Blakeston said:

How old do you think he's supposed to be? I assumed that he was supposed to be in the 25-27 range. He has a masters, and it doesn't sound like he has much work experience (aside from landscaping).

The actor is about to turn 30, so I figured that's what he is on the show too, especially since Gregory acts closer to 30 than he does 25. Even his reaction to being called a broke boi seemed more like that of someone on the verge of 30, where such a comment hits harder because people often feel like they're supposed to be on firmer financial footing by that point. I even wonder if it might drive him to angle for Ava's job this season.

[JakeyJokes]

Thank you for all your water ice expertise. Should I ever make it to Philly, it’s on my list. 
 

1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

The actor is about to turn 30, so I figured that's what he is on the show too, especially since Gregory acts closer to 30 than he does 25. Even his reaction to being called a broke boi seemed more like that of someone on the verge of 30, where such a comment hits harder because people often feel like they're supposed to be on firmer financial footing by that point. I even wonder if it might drive him to angle for Ava's job this season.

Without veering too much OT, Gregory is a Virgo and you can’t convince me otherwise. My ex wasn’t a teacher but also very driven like this, with lots of goals he *had* to hit before 30 because that’s just the way things are done, and God forbid you stray from the “plan”.  (I have theories about everyone’s signs on this show that I can take to Small Talk)

Upon rewatch, I loved Jacob’s quick “find a bestie and flap your gums” — my father always uses “flapping your gums” to describe someone talking, usually in a negative way.

i thought Janine going to Penn was another Quinta-ism, but Quinta matriculated at Temple. I’m so interested by these choices. Like how Tina Fey went to UVA but Liz Lemon went to University of Maryland.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this show wins Ensemble at the SAG awards next year. I know some episodes will naturally highlight some characters more than others, but this felt like a truly balanced ensemble comedy episode to me.

Edited September 30, 2022 by JakeyJokes

[irisheyes]

Loved this episode even more than the last one. I’ve taught in low income schools (though not inner city), and it shocks people when I tell them how much I spend just to make sure my kids have the supplies they need. (I second Donors Choose!  It’s a fantastic site. If you Twitter, searching #clearthelist pulls up tons of teachers with Amazon wish lists for their classrooms too.)

I really like the character growth we’ve seen from Ava. While she’s still insanely over the top, there are moments where she understands how important it is to make sure the kids feel loved and appreciated. And Janelle James plays her perfectly. 

[mrsbagnet]

On 9/29/2022 at 3:47 PM, marceline said:

Gregory and the petering out storyline cracked me up. I'm so glad I gave up on dating ages ago. But I have to ask: what's the issue with small plates? What does that mean? Confession: I haven't done indoor dining since pre-pandemic so I'm not up on the trends.

It seems like every new restaurant in DC in the past 5-10 years serves small plates. Instead of each person getting their own entree, you select a bunch small plates of different things for everyone to share. You have to order lots of dishes for each person to get a full meal's worth of food, so it adds up fast. While I do like trying different things, the costs ends up not being worth. Basically, you spend a lot of money and could still leave the restaurant feeling kinda hungry.

[Neiman]

I'm glad Gregory and Taylor are done.  From the beginning, it was obvious it wouldn't last.  

I waited for the Pina Colada song to play in the background as Janine handed Gregory the water ice.

"If you like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the cape
You're the lady I've looked for
Come with me and escape"

[shapeshifter]

22 minutes ago, Neiman said:

I'm glad Gregory and Taylor are done.  From the beginning, it was obvious it wouldn't last.  

Taylor's pairing with Gregory served the purpose of making him attractive to women who are not cougars like Ava.

[Neiman]

I can see I have a minority opinion, but I didn't care for the way they portrayed Barbara confusing black and white actors.  She's been a strong, knowledgable character, so I'm disappointed they're now making her out to be one who has memory issues even if it is common with aging.  Their attempt to dumb her down wasn't funny IMO.

I realize charter schools are different across the country, but the one portrayed in the show is not typical for what we see around here.  They may look new/good from the outside, but the walls are paper thin and the furnishings are bare. 

I'm curious to learn more about Melissa and her sister.  The Shark Tank scene was my favorite.

3 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Taylor's pairing with Gregory served the purpose of making him attractive to women who are not cougars like Ava.

I don't feel they needed him to have a relationship with Barbara's daughter to make that point.

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, Neiman said:

I don't feel they needed him to have a relationship with Barbara's daughter to make that point.

21 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Taylor's pairing with Gregory served the purpose of making him attractive to women who are not cougars like Ava.

Oh, I don't either.
But introducing a temporary bf or gf is a common plot device to make one character seem to notice the attractiveness of the other.
And it does happen in real life, so it's a valid plot device, IMO. We got to see Janine seeming to realize that Gregory might not always be interested in her.
(I *think* we were supposed to see Janine noticing Gregory's interest in her in the first season.)

[Black Knight]

53 minutes ago, Neiman said:

I can see I have a minority opinion, but I didn't care for the way they portrayed Barbara confusing black and white actors.  She's been a strong, knowledgable character, so I'm disappointed they're now making her out to be one who has memory issues even if it is common with aging.  Their attempt to dumb her down wasn't funny IMO.

I didn't take it as memory issues due to aging. She seemed like someone who doesn't actually watch much of anything, just sees mentions in media and half-listens to chatter from the kids in school. The biggest indication of that was her talking about Michelle Williams being on Dawson's Creek, where all the leads were white, so clearly she'd never actually watched it even though she made it sound like she had. It's obviously something where she'd heard/read someplace that Michelle Williams was on Dawson's Creek and assumed it was the Michelle Williams she'd heard of, not having any idea that there is another famous Michelle Williams or that DC had no black leads.

I liked it because it keeps Barbara from being too perfect. She knows a ton about many things. She can't know everything.

[roseslg]

I dont think it's dumbing her down. My mom, aunts and older cousins mix people up all the time. It's a running joke in the family. 

It's not that serious.

[Neiman]

4 minutes ago, roseslg said:

I dont think it's dumbing her down. My mom, aunts and older cousins mix people up all the time. It's a running joke in the family. 

It's not that serious.

Like I stated, I realize it’s not a majority opinion. It’s out of character for her and I don’t care for this depiction. Mixing white people up with black people? An odd joke that I felt wasn’t funny. No need to bring race into it like that, and no need to do it at Barbara’s (a strong character’s) expense. I guess it’s not a surprise, though, as it’s already been mentioned in this forum about how some find the sexual harassment of Gregory not funny.  Yet they keep doing it. 🤔 

[Blakeston]

21 hours ago, Black Knight said:

The actor is about to turn 30, so I figured that's what he is on the show too, especially since Gregory acts closer to 30 than he does 25. Even his reaction to being called a broke boi seemed more like that of someone on the verge of 30, where such a comment hits harder because people often feel like they're supposed to be on firmer financial footing by that point. I even wonder if it might drive him to angle for Ava's job this season.

If Gregory is supposed to be 30-ish, then I hope they explain what he did for the previous 12 years of his adulthood, aside from getting a bachelor's degree and a master's.

His backstory seems pretty unusual to begin with. He pursued a master's in education, with the goal of becoming a principal, but why? He showed zero interest in teaching or working with children until last season. We know his father didn't push him in the direction of education. If it was about money, there are far more lucrative fields he could have pursued.

[mrsbagnet]

I just had my own Barbara moment. I had to spend a few minutes Googling to distinguish between Robert Sean Leonard, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Sean Patrick Thomas.

Edited October 1, 2022 by mrsbagnet

[mansonlamps]

28 minutes ago, mrsbagnet said:

I just had my own Barbara moment. I had to spend a few minutes Googling to distinguish between Robert Sean Leonard, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Sean Patrick Thomas.

Don't even get started on Dylan McDermott vs. Dermot Mulroney.  Confused those 2 for years. 

[peachmangosteen]

2 minutes ago, mansonlamps said:

Don't even get started on Dylan McDermott vs. Dermot Mulroney.  Confused those 2 for years. 

I still don't know which one is which.

[Crashcourse]

I remember McDermott and Mulroney laughing about it on some show, and SNL even did a skit about them.

[luckyroll3]

21 minutes ago, mansonlamps said:

Don't even get started on Dylan McDermott vs. Dermot Mulroney.  Confused those 2 for years. 

19 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I still don't know which one is which.

And those 2 actually resemble each other a bit too, making it even more confusing!

[irisheyes]

8 hours ago, Neiman said:

I realize charter schools are different across the country, but the one portrayed in the show is not typical for what we see around here.  They may look new/good from the outside, but the walls are paper thin and the furnishings are bare. 

I suspect some of their inspiration for the charter school may have been the Ron Clark Academy. 

[SoMuchTV]

51 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I remember McDermott and Mulroney laughing about it on some show, and SNL even did a skit about them.

With the final punch line being, next up, 3 white girls from Alaska play "Djimon Hounsau or Chiwetel Ejiofor"

[kwnyc]

My mother used to mangle celebrity names, and it was a family joke: she referred to Dorothy Hamill as "Wanda Shimmell." So Barbara's mistakes had me rolling on the floor.

Edited October 1, 2022 by kwnyc

[lovinbob]

2 hours ago, kwnyc said:

she referred to Dorothy Hamill as "Wanda Shimmell." 

That is amazing. I am giggling. 

I knew the water ice was going to feature at the end. And that Barbara was awkward with Gregory because she knew Taylor wasn't interested. 

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

My boss (who is only 38) has confused David Bowie and Billy Idol and has insisted that Freddie Mercury was in the Beatles.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 9/30/2022 at 5:06 PM, JakeyJokes said:

i thought Janine going to Penn was another Quinta-ism, but Quinta matriculated at Temple. I’m so interested by these choices. Like how Tina Fey went to UVA but Liz Lemon went to University of Maryland.

Mindy Kaling went to Dartmouth, but Mindy Lahiri went to Princeton.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Don't, you know, where her mother eats.

Charter school doppelgänger.

You don't quit Martha or the Vandellas will slash your tires.

Water ice. Another new thing I learned from this show.

Petering out is not of the Lord!

I liked how at the end Janine both showed concern for dejected Gregory and subtly eased in to fill the gap left by Taylor. On another kind of sitcom she would've been a lot more aggressive about it.

Quote

When Jacob said he couldn't stand Chris Pratt, I did a fist pump. 

I know that's right. He's the reason I haven't seen any of the Guardian of the Galaxy movies. Truly the Worst Chris.

Quote

And on a shallow note, the pink dress Ava was wearing was so pretty!

Yes it was, and I thought it was a surprisingly softer look for her. Usually she's all about the sexy bodycon stuff.

[MicheleinPhilly]

On 10/1/2022 at 5:53 PM, mansonlamps said:

Don't even get started on Dylan McDermott vs. Dermot Mulroney.  Confused those 2 for years. 

Mine is Elizabeth Banks and Rachel McAdams. Names couldn't be more dissimilar but if one of them knocked on my door, there is a 99% chance I will call them by the other's name. 

[roseslg]

On 10/1/2022 at 10:24 PM, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

My boss (who is only 38) has confused David Bowie and Billy Idol and has insisted that Freddie Mercury was in the Beatles.

My husband is convinced I told him that I ran into Billy Idol one time. I have no idea what Billy Idol looks like. He is adamant that I did. I have no idea what he's talking about. The mind/brain is a fascinating thing.

[questionfear]

On 10/1/2022 at 11:23 AM, Black Knight said:

I didn't take it as memory issues due to aging. She seemed like someone who doesn't actually watch much of anything, just sees mentions in media and half-listens to chatter from the kids in school. The biggest indication of that was her talking about Michelle Williams being on Dawson's Creek, where all the leads were white, so clearly she'd never actually watched it even though she made it sound like she had. It's obviously something where she'd heard/read someplace that Michelle Williams was on Dawson's Creek and assumed it was the Michelle Williams she'd heard of, not having any idea that there is another famous Michelle Williams or that DC had no black leads.

I liked it because it keeps Barbara from being too perfect. She knows a ton about many things. She can't know everything.

My mother does this ALL the time with Jewish celebrities (and sometimes with queer ones for my benefit). It's that there's some affinity that sticks in their head, but not enough to stick the whole name/set of details, hence the mixups. I totally followed how it would happen, and I agree it's not a memory thing, it's a "someone with this name-ish has a connection I care about" that makes it sort of stick but not with a significant amount of detail. 

[tennisgurl]

I knew right away that the woman with all of the blond hair was Melissa's sister right away, I bet it was the one who blackmailed her who she refuses to speak to! 

That cold open and then the tag at the end with Barbara and her mixing up celebrity names killed me. 

"You remind me of a an old me." It was great seeing Courtney again, that kid is going places. 

Oh no, Taylor and Gregory didn't work out? Janine is clearly heartbroken...

[DearEvette]

On 9/28/2022 at 9:51 PM, peridot said:

It's sad that the grant money can't really do much.  Cleaning supplies and wet wipes?  Ouch.  Saying that, it was hard to follow Janine's train of thought for buying 1 computer. It seems like a waste of money and could better be used elsewhere.

I think it was the rest of the many that hadn't already been apportioned to other things.  Barbara said in the first ep that she helped Ava appropriate the grant money and part of the funds went to her ramp.  That was a nice looking ramp, a poured cement one with wrought iron railings on each side, so that could not have been cheap.

[LydiaMoon1]

On 10/1/2022 at 10:10 AM, Neiman said:

• I can see I have a minority opinion, but I didn't care for the way they portrayed Barbara confusing black and white actors.  She's been a strong, knowledgable character, so I'm disappointed they're now making her out to be one who has memory issues even if it is common with aging.  Their attempt to dumb her down wasn't funny IMO.

To me, that particular quirk is very indicative of people in her age group, at least the ones I know. Every person I know that is Barbara's age or older, have absolutely no interest in pop culture. There's a reason advertisers only cater to people 18-49. If you haven't friended them on Facebook, they don't give a dayum. Even I'm at the point where I don't know who anybody is on awards shows anymore. I don't know who those people are and I don't want to know.  That running gag was one of the highlights of the show to me.

Other show highlights:

• Seeing the teacher that kicked the student again. The charter school must have lax requirements for teachers, because she still has some anger issues.
• Courtney! Although, Courtney didn't have to come for Janine the way she did. Ouch!
• Shark Tank for school personnel was hilariously degrading, as everything will be as long as Ava is in charge.
• Janine was so excited to give her presentation, bless her heart.
• The Lunch Lady's name is Shanay, thank you.
• You really need to stand out more.
• All of Ava's outfits were fire this week.
• Broke Boi. Poor Gregory got dumped via text by way of his GF's mama. Doesn't get much worse than that.
• Sydney, baby. It's good to see you again, but please stop picking up snakes and mice and things from off the ground.
• "Kids happy. Janine quiet. Gregory fine".
• That's Melissa's sister??!!! Is that the one that blackmailed her? I hope so, because I'd hate to think that she has yet another sister that she's feuding with. Imma tell you right now, I'd pay cash money to get invited to a Schemmenti Family Reunion. I bet it's nothing but private feuds and a sea of Uncle Tonys.

Edited October 3, 2022 by LydiaMoon1

[MicheleinPhilly]

24 minutes ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

• That's Melissa's sister??!!! Is that the one that blackmailed her? I hope so, because I'd hate to think that she has yet another sister that she's feuding with. Imma tell you right now, I'd pay cash money to get invited to a Schemmenti Family Reunion. I bet it's nothing but private feuds and a sea of Uncle Tonys.

You can come and hang out in my neighborhood for a weekend. I live in the heart of South Philly and it is Schemmentis as far as the eye can see. 😊

[RedInk]

On 10/1/2022 at 12:59 PM, Blakeston said:

If Gregory is supposed to be 30-ish, then I hope they explain what he did for the previous 12 years of his adulthood, aside from getting a bachelor's degree and a master's.

His backstory seems pretty unusual to begin with. He pursued a master's in education, with the goal of becoming a principal, but why? He showed zero interest in teaching or working with children until last season. We know his father didn't push him in the direction of education. If it was about money, there are far more lucrative fields he could have pursued.

If I’m not mistaken, he said he entered a program that was designed to bring Black males into leadership positions in schools. I remember being confused about the whole thing because I’m also a teacher, and in my state, we don’t get a degree to become a principal without first having worked as a teacher for a requisite amount of years (my state is 4). I thought maybe that initiative was a loophole and also why he wasn’t excited about being an educator. They’re very different roles with very different pay scales. But idk. 

Edited October 3, 2022 by RedInk

[sweetandsour]

On 10/1/2022 at 4:18 PM, kwnyc said:

My mother used to mangle celebrity names, and it was a family joke: she referred to Dorothy Hamill as "Wanda Shimmell." So Barbara's mistakes had me rolling on the floor.

It's a real Adele Dazeem kind of thing.  John Travolta wants everyone to know this is super common!  Even if you're looking at the teleprompter.

[kwnyc]

And am I wrong or was that Miriam Shor playing Ms Schemmenti's sister? We'll see her again.

[Black Knight]

There's some visual resemblance, but no, that wasn't Miriam Shor. She would certainly have been credited and she's not in the episode, nor is it on her IMDB page or the episode's IMDB page.

I wish that they had had Barbara mix up Sheryl Lee and Sheryl Lee Ralph. I wonder if it came up in the writers' room as a possibility.

[peachmangosteen]

The actress playing Melissa's sister was definitely familiar though. As soon as I saw her I knew there'd be more to it because she wasn't some nobody.

I juts googled it lol: I think she was Lauren Weedman and she's been in a ton of stuff.

[Black Knight]

Good google-fu! There's an article in the Media thread that confirms it's Lauren Weedman playing the sister.

[roseslg]

I thought it was Morgan Fairchild playing her sister! 😂

[mrsbagnet]

2 hours ago, roseslg said:

I thought it was Morgan Fairchild playing her sister! 😂

This reminds me -- when I was a kid, I worked hard to distinguish between Morgan Brittany and Morgan Fairchild. Except for their hair color, they looked almost identical to me. I think I might even have thought they were sisters of one point, which makes absolutely no sense.

ETA: I just read that Morgan Fairchild is 72. Maybe she could come on as Melissa's mom.

Edited October 5, 2022 by mrsbagnet

[shapeshifter]

Every time the title of this episode pops up in my PrimeTimer feed, I keep wondering why Abbot didn't just keep the Wrong Delivery of nice books. Wouldn't the other school have just been sent another batch when theirs didn't show up?
I mean, what are the odds they'd have even noticed they were addressed to the other school?

[lucindabelle]

I don’t think I mixing up names is specifically about race; it just happened to be here perhaps because the white actors names are thrown around more. I thought it was hilarious and had zero to do with age and everything to do with Barbara not caring all that much about pop culture.

im in a title 1 school and just learned the school doesn’t buy tissue boxes for us. This after a pandemic. We’re supposed to teach the (high school) kids to be responsible. Which suggests they know they need to sneeze before they come to school which arent they supposed to stay home?

i will be buying tissues and bringing them in.

sigh.

at my old rich district this was a no brained (my new school does do wipes, but, no tissues!)

srill I love my students and feel more needed.

even if my key fob still doesn’t work with copiers, the copiers don’t do duplex or staple and there’s only 3 available to all the teachers in the school…

[BAForever]

4 hours ago, lucindabelle said:

srill I love my students and feel more needed.

even if my key fob still doesn’t work with copiers, the copiers don’t do duplex or staple and there’s only 3 available to all the teachers in the school…

Right there with you LucindaBelle. I miss the Starbucks gift cards from parents at holidays and the plentiful supplies, but love my team and my kids at my title school. This show really gets what it's like in elementary education. Maybe they'll do an holiday episode with a gift giving scenario. I've been regifted a lot, but that's ok.