S01.E08: The Audacity of Hope

[DearEvette]

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The friends help Lance as he grapples with a family crisis; at Quentin's, ugly truths unfurl right before a huge celebration; Harper and Robyn struggle to redefine their relationship; Jordan considers the road less traveled; Shelby considers reality.

Airdate: 12/22/22

[funnygirl]

The limited series started off strong, but veered into Lifetime movie of the week territory towards the end. 

I think a third cohesive movie would've been better. YMMV

[Meedis]

I may have missed a throwaway line but did they say what happened to Quinton's dad.   The last time I remember them talking about him was when they were cleaning his house.   Quinton's heart attacks seem to come from out of the blue too.

And I thought Candance would have more of a reaction to Murch's MMA fighting.   I was surprised too they didn't have Murch MMA fight the professor.  I thought that was where they were going.

As for Robyn and Harper, I was frankly surprised it lasted as long as it did.  Her "whateva, man" in Best Man certainly didn't sound like anyone that even wanted to be in a marriage.   Plus at the time it seemed like Harper only proposed so he would have "a moment" at Lance and Mia's wedding.   And way for her to make a unilateral decision to move their daughter half way around the world and everyone expects Harper to be okay with that.   Yeah sure.

It definitely wasn't the best ending.   I did like the blooper reel though.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Meedis

[jah1986]

12 hours ago, Meedis said:

 

It definitely wasn't the best ending.   I did like the blooper reel though.

The blooper reel kind of saved the whole thing. I'm glad they did a limited run series because a 2 hour movie would not be enough but it did run a little off the rails.

[chabelisaywow]

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As for Robyn and Harper, I was frankly surprised it lasted as long as it did.

I really had an intense dislike for Robyn in this mini series. Yet, I realized, she's the same flakey person she was in Best Man. 

She's flirting with Jaha and gets mad at Harp for not jumping to buy a whole building in NYC.

LOL

I admit I wasn't paying full attention - but where was Harper during the NYE party? On location with his movie?

I think it was left open for more installments, if necessary. 

[Meedis]

16 hours ago, chabelisaywow said:

I really had an intense dislike for Robyn in this mini series. Yet, I realized, she's the same flakey person she was in Best Man. 

She's flirting with Jaha and gets mad at Harp for not jumping to buy a whole building in NYC.

LOL

I admit I wasn't paying full attention - but where was Harper during the NYE party? On location with his movie?

I think it was left open for more installments, if necessary. 

I'm wondering if they have a Season 2 if they'll say she had a brief fling with Jaha.   Robyn just came across flaky-AF throughout the whole series seemingly changing her mind moment to moment.    I believe in the premiere she whispered in Harper's ear about wanting to stay at whereever island they were at and then the subject magically disappeared until she bought up Ghana.  And why Ghana?   Did she even consider what uprooting her child who would miss seeing her Dad regularly would do?   She's selfish-AF.

 I don't remember if they said what happened to Harper but it's safe to say he probably was at his movie location.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I LOVED the whole series!  Seriously!  I thought that Taye was just fantastic!  Terence and Nia too!  I would still take another series!

[Joimiaroxeu]

Lance really had his head stuck in sand about LJ. Guess he needed a scary wake-up call.

I guess I missed why Quentin was wearing a caftan at the beginning of the episode. Or was it a dashiki?

That last fight between Harper and Robyn was brutal. I actually recoiled.

They just had to throw in the tired Will Smith line. Ugh. And Q was being more sarcastic than anything else.

Mia is a precocious little angel.

Meh, I feel like Robyn was willing to risk letting Mia suffer emotionally in order to punish Harper. She didn't have to move to a different continent to get away from him.

Jasmine is stunning. She and Lance make a beautiful couple. I could see Yvonna Pearson playing Pam Grier if that biopic ever come to fruition.

The ending was a bit of a let down to me. Harper won the Pulitzer Prize and that's the greatest achievement? Whatever.

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I think it was left open for more installments, if necessary. 

Oh no, no, FFS no. This series was dragged out enough IMO. I don't even think another movie would be a great idea at this point. But good on Taye Diggs for using his Hollywood clout to get his friends more jobs.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Joimiaroxeu

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 1/7/2023 at 6:49 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

They just had to throw in the tired Will Smith line. Ugh. And Q was being more sarcastic than anything else.

LOL I'm sorry I thought it was so funny and ballsy hahaha

[Joimiaroxeu]

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LOL I'm sorry I thought it was so funny and ballsy hahaha

Yeah, I think it would've been nine months ago. Everyone has made that joke now.

[Joimiaroxeu]

On 1/9/2023 at 4:27 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Yeah, I think it would've been nine months ago. Everyone has made that joke now.

Quoting myself to say I take my gripe back. Eddie Murphy said some things at the 2023 Golden Globes last night and I don't think anyone saw it coming:

 

[Scarlett45]

Yeah Robyn was being an ass. GHANA? Yes I get that Harper has money, and he can write from anywhere (unlike someone who has a regular 9-5 job), but he’s always been an active involved father. It’s not right for Robyn to want and up move their child 1000s of miles away. Yeah of course he filed for custody! When they spilt he thought they would be five blocks away. I get where Murch is coming from in this instance Harper is right. Divorce when you have a 6 year old means you don’t just get to do what you want. And Harper had a point, Shelby kept Kennedy from Quentin for TEN YEARS? She doesn’t have a leg to stand on. 

On 1/7/2023 at 5:49 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Meh, I feel like Robyn was willing to risk letting Mia suffer emotionally in order to punish Harper. She didn't have to move to a different continent to get away from him.

Yes she was. Mia was the only card she had so she played it. 
 

The little girl playing Mia was so precious! I did love the casting of the teens. They weren’t used too much and had actual personalities. The young actors were amazing. 
 

 

They couldn’t cast a 4th child for Lance???

 

I cannot remember who said in another episode thread that Lance’s new love would make an awesome young Pam Greer- and you are right!

[Scarlett45]

On 12/25/2022 at 8:54 PM, funnygirl said:

The limited series started off strong, but veered into Lifetime movie of the week territory towards the end. 

I think a third cohesive movie would've been better. YMMV

The thing I did enjoy about a limited series vs a movie was 1. being able to see relationships we dont get to see i.e. Jordan and Lance, working together, and emotionally leaning on each other in a totally platonic way after Mia's death. LJ and Kennedy's relationship- it makes sense that the kids of these characters would grow up very close. More Melissa De Sousa, I think she has amazing comedic timing and wasnt used enough in the other movies; and 2. you got a chance to deal with the time jumps a little better and downfall of Harper/Robyn's marriage. We ALL knew it was coming (because they shouldn't have been together in the first place), but we SAW it.

[Artsda]

I really enjoyed the series, just seeing the characters again but I really tried to give Robyn benefit of the doubt until she picked the child up to move to Ghana because it was something she had to do. 

She didn't care about what it would do to her daughter at all, it was pure punishment. She didn't even discuss it he found out over the house being divided up.   I wish he hadn't given up his fight, get 50-50 at least. 

Loved the bloopers. 

[Scarlett45]

On 5/4/2023 at 11:36 PM, Artsda said:

I really enjoyed the series, just seeing the characters again but I really tried to give Robyn benefit of the doubt until she picked the child up to move to Ghana because it was something she had to do. 

She didn't care about what it would do to her daughter at all, it was pure punishment. She didn't even discuss it he found out over the house being divided up.   I wish he hadn't given up his fight, get 50-50 at least. 

Loved the bloopers. 

Yup I hated Robyn for that. I always thought Robyn resented Harper because she knew he didn’t really want to be with her, but she was there at the time he wanted to be married. However she said yes to him! I will never understand why she agreed to marry him in the first place when he admitted that he was going to cheat on her with Jordan and only didn’t because he got his ass beat!(not that he realized he loved her or something)