S02.E07: The Problem

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Allison learns that Neil told Diane her secret. She searches for Neil before he can tell anyone else, especially Tammy. With Allison's help, Kevin devises a plan to save himself from arson charges. But the plan will have consequences for Tammy.

Streaming on AMC+ 2022.09.26

Original network air date 2022.10.03

[Harvey]

Well that was a whole lot of nothing. I'm looking forward to the finale next week. They are clearly building everything up to happen in that one.

[Spartan Girl]

Damn, Allison actually did it.

I like that the moment she finally decided to see it through was the realization that she was becoming just as toxic as Kevin. “We make a pretty good team” was the best and worst thing Kevin could have told her. If she was going to stay by using Kevin to ruin Tammy’s life and cover her ass, then she lost whatever moral high ground she had.

Also loved that Neil called her out on being her own problem. He told Kevin and a bunch of people what he knew, and nobody believed him. I never thought I’d ever pity him, but damn, he is broken. And him hooking up with Diane, another broken person, isn’t going to fix that.

I think Pete is pretty much done.

Wonder how it’s all going to end.

[Cranberry]

That was so good... such a good character episode. It made me feel so bad for Diane and for Neil, and even Tammy, a little bit -- you know she must have felt gaslit as hell when Patty pretended not to know what she was talking about. And Allison realizing that if she truly cares about Patty, she has to leave, even though neither of them wants her to go... just really good stuff. Even though not a lot of major plot stuff happened, I was tense for the entire episode.

Edited to add: That bit where Kevin left the room and Allison stayed alone in the sitcom world holding the false statement (gifs here) was brilliant. It didn't transition back to reality until she realized what she was doing and threw the papers down.

[Avabelle]

I actually find Alison so unlikeable at this point, I’m not rooting for her at all. I’m certainly not rooting for Kevin but I’m really sick of Alison’s victim shtick while she fucks over everyone else. Even the friendship with Tammy which is supposed to be the central relationship of the series is just all about Alison. 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Avabelle

[Cranberry]

I liked this Reddit comment:

[Spartan Girl]

That Reddit comment was spot on. Yeah, Allison can be awful, but that’s kind of the point. It’s not always likable people that wind up in this situation.

Ironically, the “never my fault” mentality is something that she and Neil have in common. The only difference is Neil is still very much in the victim mindset while Allison is starting to break free. 

[possibilities]

Allison suffers from learned helplessness. Every time she tried to do anything self-affirming, it was taken from her. The suit, sure. But then she wanted to go to school, then she got a job as a paralegal and Kevin tanked that career. From the small things to the big ones, nothing she's ever tried has been celebrated or even tolerated. So she gave up.

People who have given up are hard to be around, it's true. Cynics, pessimists, people who are passive for whatever reason-- it's tiring. 

But we see she keeps trying and failing. And finally she decides she's a failure. It takes a lot to reverse this self-image. Even Neil, who I think is waaaaay worse on every level, has more confidence in himself than she has in herself, and so he can judge her and she just caves. 

It's like Diane-- she is another one who has basically given up. It's sad. But no one is building her up, not one wants her, no one shows her even a tiny amount of respect, and eventually that wears a lot of people down.

Neil has been coddled and taken care of by Patty. She pays his bills, cleans up after him, looks after him when he's drunk. The only thing he's ever done for her is take her skating, which she doesn't even like. How can anyone be sympathetic to Neil and not to Allison? I don't get it. Allison may be stuck, but she TRIES. And she WORKS. And she CARES. And she's never been violent or abusive. Neil is a doormat to Kevin, and that's his choice. He has less reason to stay than Allison with Kevin. Why does he do it? That's not Allison's fault. And it's not her fault that Kevin doesn't believe him about Allison, either. Kevin sees Allison as weak and servile, because she's been that way for 15 years. So has Neil. Everyone around Kevin is that way. And that's a choice Neil makes for himself, not something Allison forced on him.

Edited October 4, 2022 by possibilities

[TiffanyNichelle]

On 9/26/2022 at 9:07 AM, Spartan Girl said:

I like that the moment she finally decided to see it through was the realization that she was becoming just as toxic as Kevin. “We make a pretty good team” was the best and worst thing Kevin could have told her.

I noticed that the sitcom world lingered for a lot longer after Kevin left the room and usually it disappeared as soon as he did. This time it only went away once she dropped the paper.

It took a while but I realized Patty was the  one I was really rooting for. This show was just as much about her as Allison. I still don't want her with Tammy but I want her to move on and find something good for herself. I also like that Neil realized that he should have done more for her as well.

[cardigirl]

A couple of observations after this episode:

The sitcom trope of beautiful wife with dopey husband isn't working. Annie Murphy is stunning, but as Allison she resorts to some crazy grimace or smile, and it's really off-putting. I guess it's to show just how much pressure she is under, but all it does for me is undermine whatever nonsense she's spouting about "fixing" things. 

These people are living on the edge, financially, yet Diane's house was nice, Neil's apartment was decent (after Patty cleaned it up), Patty's place is really nice, and even Allison's house isn't that bad. Television always gets it wrong. Either it's like the Connors situation where they just can't get out from under themselves, or it's like this show, afraid to show what true lower middle class is. 

Worcester cannot be loving all the digs at the city and the people who live there. 

It's amazing that this is the season they decided to create the Diane and Neil relationship. Too bad, I find it very compelling. 

And I still like that Tammy told Patty about the video, and was truthful in saying she couldn't leave it alone,  so she ended things with Patty. I don't think she was hoping Patty would confess or tell her what was going on and then she could say, "Gotcha!"  I feel like she was really trying to find a way to help Patty, but Patty didn't trust her enough to admit it was her in the video. 

I've mentioned before, Tammy is the same in both worlds, sitcom and Allison's reality. I think that's significant for some reason. We'll see. 

[heatherchandler]

On 9/26/2022 at 3:41 AM, Harvey said:

Well that was a whole lot of nothing. I'm looking forward to the finale next week. They are clearly building everything up to happen in that one.

I certainly hope so!

[qtpye]

On 10/3/2022 at 11:24 PM, possibilities said:

Neil has been coddled and taken care of by Patty. She pays his bills, cleans up after him, looks after him when he's drunk. The only thing he's ever done for her is take her skating, which she doesn't even like. How can anyone be sympathetic to Neil and not to Allison? I don't get it. Allison may be stuck, but she TRIES. And she WORKS. And she CARES. And she's never been violent or abusive. Neil is a doormat to Kevin, and that's his choice. He has less reason to stay than Allison with Kevin. Why does he do it? That's not Allison's fault. And it's not her fault that Kevin doesn't believe him about Allison, either. Kevin sees Allison as weak and servile, because she's been that way for 15 years. So has Neil. Everyone around Kevin is that way. And that's a choice Neil makes for himself, not something Allison forced on him.

Maybe that's the point? We give a lot more leeway to men than women in our society...hence the whole basis of the fat schlub/ hot naggy wife sitcom.

[TakomaSnark]

On 10/4/2022 at 9:00 AM, cardigirl said:

Worcester cannot be loving all the digs at the city and the people who live there. 

Just under 20% of the population is derived from college students, with 12 colleges and universities in the city - including Holy Cross, Clark, WPI and Worcester State. You get no sense of that culture, which has a considerable impact on the place. They've gone overboard to populate every set and costume with Boston sports logos but didn't bother to incorporate the recently (2021) relocated from Pawtucket 'WooSox,' which locals have embraced.

The connection to Worcester seems to have begun and ended with 'overdone accents' and Red Sox/Celtics/Bruins branding.

[qtpye]

2 hours ago, TakomaSnark said:

Just under 20% of the population is derived from college students, with 12 colleges and universities in the city - including Holy Cross, Clark, WPI and Worcester State. You get no sense of that culture, which has a considerable impact on the place. They've gone overboard to populate every set and costume with Boston sports logos but didn't bother to incorporate the recently (2021) relocated from Pawtucket 'WooSox,' which locals have embraced.

The connection to Worcester seems to have begun and ended with 'overdone accents' and Red Sox/Celtics/Bruins branding.

The fact that Sam wanted to open a hipster diner there speaks to an educated (or maybe even overeducated )population.

Also, have you guys noticed that they want to portray Patty as a loser yet she owns her own home ( I think she made references to paying a mortgage but I am not totally sure) and has her own salon?

That's pretty good for someone in their mid-thirties.

[possibilities]

Patty and Neal live in their parents' house. I don't think she's a loser, though. I just think she's depressed. 

[TiffanyNichelle]

Both Tammy and Neil complained about Alison's effect on Patty but Tammy doesn't know the Patty before she started hanging out with Alison and Neil has always taken her for granted. But then you look at it, Patty has stopped being the grouchy sister hanging out with her brother and his friends where they barely tolerated her (they were happy to replace her last season). She's stopped selling drugs. She's changed up her hair and her look and she's finally in a relationship she wants to be in, rather than going through the motions with the pharmacist dude. 

[Ms Lark]

Well, at least in the end Kevin really did f**k himself.