S05.04: A Bird in the Hand

[Whimsy]

Quote

Gary and Maggie gain much more than breathing techniques at their birthing class. Meanwhile, Rome and Regina’s quest to hire a caregiver for Walter takes an unexpected turn, and Theo learns a tough life lesson from an unlikely duo.

Original airdate 03/01/23

[Snazzy Daisy]

A Million Little Things | 5x04 Promo "A Bird In The Hand"

Edited February 27, 2023 by SnazzyDaisy

[chitowngirl]

They are making it SO hard to want to watch this show until the end! I’ve come this far, but…argh!!

Edited March 2, 2023 by chitowngirl

[historylover820]

I was mostly bored by this one.

Didn't The Andy Griffith Show do a pretty similar plot 60 years ago where Opie accidentally killed a bird and then took care of the babies? It was the only thing I could think of, that The Andy Griffith Show did this plot better. 

Run away, Evan and Claire. Just run away. Of course, they ended up being as crazy as Gary and Maggie. And I really hope he's got other bits than Gilligan's Island. Because those jokes have been going on since Gilligan's Island was on the air! How has he never thought about the batteries? My 10 year old self thought about how they had batteries, and why no one could patch a hole in the boat but could build such elaborate things. Oh, and I've heard--although I've never seen this episode (not a Gilligan's Island fan, so I haven't seen every episode)--but apparently there's an episode of Gilligan's Island where the castaways put Gilligan on trial for wrecking the Minnow, and they build a full-sized replica of the Minnow. But no one thinks "We could get in this boat and leave!"

(For the record, I don't know if that episode is a real one. I heard about it years ago on the radio, and I always remembered that.)

So, what happens if Tyrell wants to visit Gina and Rome? And what happens to Walter's house? Is Rome selling it? I can't imagine Walter will be so enthused about getting rid of his house. That was a little too pat. Also, a trained home care provider would be more patient than that. Did Rome and Gina just put an ad out on Craig's List or something with no specifications that they must be trained? Oh, what am I saying? Sophie will be babysitting next week.

[txhorns79]

9 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

And I really hope he's got other bits than Gilligan's Island. Because those jokes have been going on since Gilligan's Island was on the air! How has he never thought about the batteries? My 10 year old self thought about how they had batteries, and why no one could patch a hole in the boat but could build such elaborate things. Oh, and I've heard--although I've never seen this episode (not a Gilligan's Island fan, so I haven't seen every episode)--but apparently there's an episode of Gilligan's Island where the castaways put Gilligan on trial for wrecking the Minnow, and they build a full-sized replica of the Minnow. But no one thinks "We could get in this boat and leave!"

I can't even imagine how terrible this guy's "comedy" must be if Gilligan's Island jokes figure into his routine. 

Can someone remind me who Dustin was?  Did he work at Regina's restaurant?

Eddie and Greta continue to be a more believable couple than Greta and Katherine.  Theo continues to be tiring.

19 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

So, what happens if Tyrell wants to visit Gina and Rome? And what happens to Walter's house? Is Rome selling it? I can't imagine Walter will be so enthused about getting rid of his house. That was a little too pat. Also, a trained home care provider would be more patient than that. Did Rome and Gina just put an ad out on Craig's List or something with no specifications that they must be trained?

For someone whose main characteristic throughout the series has been how stubborn he is, it was surprising that Walter so readily agreed to move in with Gina and Rome.  I also predict that Gina and Rome have zero real idea what they are signing up for, and it was shocking how fast everyone seemed to give up on the idea of an aide helping Walter. 

Also, way to keep things professional Rome.  I know I would love it if my kid told me the teacher left in the middle of class to take a personal call.    

[KaveDweller]

Is Theo 5-years-old? A stray cat attacks a wild bird and instead of being like, "well, that's sad, but it is the food chain in action," they take this bird to the vet? Seriously? Also, Greta, I don't think you are supposed to pick up a nest of baby birds with your bare hands like that.

I am not sure why Gary suddenly wants new best friends, he is attached at the hip with the ones he has. But going with that, has he really never heard jokes about the Professor on Gilligan's Island before or was he pretending to make the guy like him? And what is wrong with Maggie? She knew Gary was Googling these people and she whips out the iPad in front of them? Luckily they are as weird as them.

Maggie seems to be about 8 months pregnant. Shouldn't they have discussed a birth plan by now?

I don't remember the homeless guy Regina bumped into, even with the flashback. Did he work at her restaurant or something?

I hope Regina is really okay with her father-in-law moving in. I am not sure what they will do if Tyrell ever comes back from school though. And if Rome and Regina both work, won't he still be alone most of the time? It is a really hard thing to deal with though, and Walter is making it tough because he is still with it enough to insist he doesn't need help. Some of those interviewees were awful.

12 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

Oh, and I've heard--although I've never seen this episode (not a Gilligan's Island fan, so I haven't seen every episode)--but apparently there's an episode of Gilligan's Island where the castaways put Gilligan on trial for wrecking the Minnow, and they build a full-sized replica of the Minnow. But no one thinks "We could get in this boat and leave!"

(For the record, I don't know if that episode is a real one. I heard about it years ago on the radio, and I always remembered that.)

Okay, I was curious so I just Google this to see if it was actually that bad and there IS an episode sort of like that. The whole episode is on Vimeo. I didn't watch the whole thing, but it doesn't look like he made a functioning replica, it is just a platform the size of the Minnow so they could determine who was at fault. But Gilligan's Island was still really dumb. 

[Brian Cronin]

Nash's whole thing is, "Nothing that would ever be done normally in real life is dramatic enough for this show," even when the real life stuff is, in fact, VERY DRAMATIC. My mom had a terrible debilitating disease that eventually killed her. She also had home health aides for the last year of her life. Did their presence make it less dramatic? Of course not. Was my mom some perfect patient? Of course not, she was dying of a fucked up disease, she was a pain in the ass sometimes, but the aides were pros and they knew how to deal with this stuff. The notion that a home health aide for a dementia patient would be, like, "Nope, Walter Howard is the one patient I can't deal with" is fucking INSANE and honestly, grossly offensive to home health aides overall, who do some of the emotionally toughest work around.  

[Winston Wolfe]

6 hours ago, historylover820 said:

Oh, what am I saying? Sophie will be babysitting next week.

Poor Sophie. Other than the potential Love interest last week, when's the last time we've seen her with someone her own age? That being said, Regina and Sophie have excellent chemistry and a nice mother/daughter vibe between them.  And Sophie really needs a Mother figure in her life. 

Also, it occurs to me that Rome and Regina share a "social justice/save-the-world" gene. A fitting end to their arc would be to have them start some kind of nonprofit, maybe Alzheimer's related.

6 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Eddie and Greta continue to be a more believable couple than Greta and Katherine.

Yes indeed. I wasn't a Greta fan, but am warming to her. She and Eddie have a nice, comfortable vibe, whereas Katherine and Greta seem kind of forced at this point.

[historylover820]

Yeah, the one bright spot in this dreck of an episode was the chemistry between Eddie and Greta.

[cherrycoke]

Dustin was a regular at Regina’s restaurant who last appeared in the season three finale. (I had to google)

[Lady Calypso]

I don't think I've ever called the Gary storyline forced, but it felt VERY forced here with creating a Gary/Maggie 2.0. The comedy between Gary and Gary 2.0 was really awkward (no, show, the Gilligan's Island 'jokes' aren't new, and they weren't even really jokes). I also can't handle ANOTHER Gary/Maggie. Plus, my guess as of this moment is that Gary/Maggie 2.0 will be used to showcase the dangers of childbirth. Either the child or mother will die, and will give Gary/Maggie more angst to their storyline. This show tends to use the really heavy storylines with guest stars and have the main characters react.

The Eddie/Greta/Theo storyline started off VERY annoying but I was very surprised by the turnaround. I did not expected it to land on it being about Jon's suicide. Yet, it kind of worked for me? Relating it to the bird was a bizarre choice, but I actually did like the conversation Eddie had with Theo about it. And yes, Greta/Eddie have insanely good chemistry together. I love their budding friendship.

10 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

She knew Gary was Googling these people and she whips out the iPad in front of them? Luckily they are as weird as them.

I think they hinted at pregnancy brain at the start, so I assume that's what they were going for.

The Rome/Regina/Walter stuff was ok but, yeah, a home health aid deciding to quit because Walter argued about golf? It would have been better if the guy decided to leave to give him space because Walter was TOO stubborn in accepting him into the home, rather than the aid being annoyed at Walter for stupid reasons. I also suspect Walter moving in with Rome and Regina won't go well.

[nexxie]

Is this show being written by middle-school kids?

[historylover820]

I will give one more positive, and it is in the Eddie/Greta/Theo storyline--

I too was surprised that it circled back to Jon's suicide and I think that it was handled well for this show. I actually quite liked the talk that Eddie and Theo had. 

I'm actually shocked that Gary/Maggie 2.0 didn't hear Gary and Maggie talking about them. Gary and Maggie's "whispering" were loud enough that they could wake up the dead. And 2.0 were right beside them.

[Suzn]

I don't understand how having Walter live with Rome and Gina is a solution.  He can't be trusted to be alone and neither of them are going to be staying with him 24/7.  Now he can burn down the apartment instead of his house.

Why do Gary and Maggie need new couple friends?  How lame is it that a comedian bases his act on Gilligan's Island?  Is that some universally and eternally popular thing that we all watch/watched or give a shit about?

I don't want to be mean to a child but Theo is is just unbearable.  He is some unreal combination of precociously wise and babyish.

I can't warm up to Greta.  Her hair scares me.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Suzn

[Brian Cronin]

1 hour ago, historylover820 said:

I too was surprised that it circled back to Jon's suicide and I think that it was handled well for this show. I actually quite liked the talk that Eddie and Theo had. 

One of the few things this show has always done well is the suicide stuff. Plus, the handicap stuff. Basically, anything Nash has direct first hand experience of.

[Madding crowd]

Regina and Sophie were sure devastated about a man they don’t even know. They aren’t going to make money hanging around homeless camps. Theo needs to be told birds sometimes die and they are not the same as people. I agree Eddie and Greta have good chemistry. 
I would run the other way if I saw Gary and Maggie coming. I like funny people but they are superior and sarcastic. When Gary said Maggie hates everyone I thought what a good trait for a psychologist!

[tennisgurl]

12 hours ago, historylover820 said:

Didn't The Andy Griffith Show do a pretty similar plot 60 years ago where Opie accidentally killed a bird and then took care of the babies? It was the only thing I could think of, that The Andy Griffith Show did this plot better. 

 

I was thinking the exact same thing, that's how I knew that Theo would find the birds babies at the end. Was it a deliberate shout out, or is this show just painfully cliché? That episode was a whole lot better, but this plot actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, mostly them tying it into Jon's death, which was actually well handled. Maybe the reason Theo still acts like a five year old despite being almost a teenager is because of the insane amount of hugely dramatic things that have happened in his family in the last few years? I really like the chemistry between Greta and Eddie, its weirdly so much better than the chemistry between Katherine, Greta, and that ferret on Katherines head, which always feels forced.  

Good thing Katherine apparently makes a good living, visits to the vet are pretty pricy. Meanwhile, Rome and Regina should probably consider selling Walters house right away, Regina is obviously going to run yet another business into the ground if she wont move her truck to somewhere where people can afford to buy fancy food truck food are. Cant she spend some of her time making more money in wealthier areas and then she can afford to give free food to the homeless? Is that happening offscreen? I am actually surprised that Sophie's homeless friend died, I expected him to be Regina's next project, but now I guess its going to be this other guy, who I don't remember at all, even after a flashback. 

I don't buy at all that a home aid would be running from Walter after just one day, these are people who do some of the hardest work in healthcare and this guy sounds like he had a lot of experience. Walter is a grumpy stubborn old man but he's not so bad that he would send this guy packing in about a day. Its obvious that all of this happened just so that Walter could move in with Regina and Rome, which I do not see going smoothly. 

Why do Gary and Maggie need new friends when they have the codependent weirdo collective? I guess they were auditioning parents to have play dates with, which is totally weird but luckily they found another couple just as weird as them. The guy is always "on" the wife is judgmental, its a match made in the land of self importance. No new characters exist on this show unless they are going to be a part of some plot where we learn a very important lesson about some issue or they get into a conflict with the main characters, so I am guessing they are going to start some issues between Maggie and Gary on how they will handle their birthing plan, which is weird because you would think that this would be something they had decided on after about eight months. Did they really do zero planning during the time skip?

How much of the comedians act revolves around Gilligan's Island jokes that people have been making since it came out in the 60s? Is Gilligan's Island really the best and most up to date comedy he could come up with? This guy is supposed to be an up and coming comic? Of course that's just this show, they also think that a Tammy Faye joke will kill with a ten year old. 

[Winston Wolfe]

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Meanwhile, Rome and Regina should probably consider selling Walters house right away, Regina is obviously going to run yet another business into the ground if she wont move her truck to somewhere where people can afford to buy fancy food truck food are.

I'm madly in love with Christina Moses and Regina Howard - but - even though Regina may be a marvelous Chef, it's pretty clear now that she is a HORRIBLE business-person.  She should either get a partner with some business savvy or find a five-star Zagat's establishment to work at.  How many different businesses can she run into the ground?

 

5 hours ago, historylover820 said:

I will give one more positive, and it is in the Eddie/Greta/Theo storyline--

David Giuntoli is SUCH a gifted actor. When Theo started into his little freak-out at the vet, Eddie gave Greta that "confused" look that parents sometimes give each other - that kind of "I have absolutely NO idea what to do here, do you?" expression and it was Gold.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Winston Wolfe

[historylover820]

To jump on the "huh?" bandwagon regarding Maggie's birthing plan now--

Yeah, why would you wait until you're 8 months pregnant for this?

I've never been pregnant, but I was born nearly 3 months premature. Of course my parents didn't have a plan for my birth at just over 6 months pregnant. While my premature birth is uncommon, I don't think premature births in the late 7th or 8th month are all that out of the ordinary. If I ever got pregnant, I sure as hell wouldn't be waiting until I'm only two weeks from having contractions to plan my delivery. I'd start looking into it in maybe my second trimester. Of course, I'd be with Gary and insist on going to a hospital. 

[Lady Calypso]

3 hours ago, Suzn said:

I don't understand how having Walter live with Rome and Gina is a solution.  He can't be trusted to be alone and neither of them are going to be staying with him 24/7.  Now he can burn down the apartment instead of his house.

I think, with how stubborn Walter is about needing help, this isn't a bad middle ground. At the very least, he won't be alone always, there will at least be Regina or Rome around to lessen the chances of something bad happening. Walter won't accept help from anyone else, so this at least allows them to have some comfort that he'll be looked after in these early stages.

3 hours ago, Suzn said:

I can't warm up to Greta.  Her hair scares me.

I actually like Greta's hair, especially compared to some of the shorter haircuts they've given the women (Katherine this season, Maggie in season 2).

59 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

Yeah, why would you wait until you're 8 months pregnant for this?

Did she wait until she was eight months, or was it more of a change of mind after speaking to Claire? Because I think Maggie is well within her rights to change her mind whenever she wants about her birthing plan and it sounds like she had discussed having the baby in the hospital before. 

I get why Gary would be upset at the last minute change, and the decision can't be made lightly, but if Maggie changed her mind, then that's what it is.

[historylover820]

Well, that's true. She could have been speaking with Claire and went "Ooh! I want to do that!" And that's perfectly valid.

[KaveDweller]

8 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

The Rome/Regina/Walter stuff was ok but, yeah, a home health aid deciding to quit because Walter argued about golf? It would have been better if the guy decided to leave to give him space because Walter was TOO stubborn in accepting him into the home, rather than the aid being annoyed at Walter for stupid reasons. I also suspect Walter moving in with Rome and Regina won't go well.

I actually thought the aid was just pretending to be angry to connect with him, but was going to come back a few minutes later or something.

[bybrandy]

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

 

In fairness they were dealing with Gary’s terminal cancer and the treatment of same. That is pretty overwhelming by itself. 
 

having Walter live with Gina and Rome covers nights which is half the time. It absolutely doesn’t fix anything and Gina and Rome seem poorly prepared for this but getting 12 hours a day ocveted is not nothing and Tyrell can sleep on g TV he couch or in one of the 87 free rooms at Sophie and Danny’s. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by bybrandy

[bybrandy]

7 hours ago, historylover820 said:

 

I've never been pregnant, but I was born nearly 3 months premature. Of course my parents didn't have a plan for my birth at just over 6 months pregnant. While my premature birth is uncommon, I don't think premature births in the late 7th or 8th month are all that out of the ordinary. If I ever got pregnant, I sure as hell wouldn't be waiting until I'm only two weeks from having contractions to plan my delivery. I'd start looking into it in maybe my second trimester. Of course, I'd be with Gary and insist on going to a hospital. 

Me too. My parents hadn’t even told many people. My dad had a lot of awkward phone calls to make. But I can but that they were waiting to get into the second trimester, and then Gary was in a difficult part of his treatmen, and then Javier died…

[JayDub1987]

How friggin' old is Theo on this show?! I know I was raised on a farm so animal deaths were just a part of life, but holy crap on a cracker. A kid of that age shouldn't be this rattled by a cat going after a bird. 

[Lethallyfab]

Maggie, re: their new potential stand-up comic best-friend: “Is he one of those people that’s always on?”

Gary, in the style of Taylor Swift: “It’s me. Hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

(See also Taylor: “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser.”)

It is 1000% percent accurate that Gary want the approval of a stand-up comic, but could Maggie (autocorrect had that as ‘Naggie,’ which might not be accidental) and Gary  BE any more desperate for friendship? 
 

It just came off as uncomfortable, awkward and, as the kids would say, super cringe.  I would’ve run, but of *course* their new potential BFFs listen to Maggie’s radio show and are super fans!  Is there a single person in Boston who *isn’t* an avid listener to ‘In The Room with Dr Bloom’!?  I’m predicting that she gets a baby AND a national radio gig in the finale.  Sirius XM, it’s not too late to spring for extremely obvious and ham-handed product placement!

I’m very happy for Eddie and Greta’s burgeoning friendship but it’s weird that Katharine was completely sidelined off-screen for a very dramatic turn for Theo.  I thought it was pretty realistic for Theo to be more affected by Jon’s death than anyone thought at the time. And I honestly wouldn’t be unhappy if Katherine quote-unquote “took a trip to France” at this point. They’ve already assassinated her character and made her superfluous to the plot - go on, girl, go get your baguettes and the work of an extremely talented Parisian hair stylist to fix that mess.

21 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I can't even imagine how terrible this guy's "comedy" must be if Gilligan's Island jokes figure into his routine. 

Honestly, though, a stand-up comic whose running bit is that all their pop culture references are 60 years old would be a GREAT GAG.  “So I hear Jennifer Lopez got married again and I’m thinking, when did she find the time to divorce Eddie Fisher?”

Edited March 3, 2023 by Lethallyfab
Deleted Joke

[circumvent]

I never liked Gary, I tried to liked Maggie but I can't stand those to on the screen and everything they say or do are so pathetic and self-centered, I don't know why we are being punished with their presence. And the writers use yet another trope about pregnant women having to pee so badly they have to talk about it the whole time. We got it the first, second, tenth time writers. Then the trope of a new mother having no idea of how to swaddle a doll. I thought we were going to have a "three men and a baby" moment after she did the diaper. 

Theo is about 12, right? He acts and is treated like a 5 year-old. At the same time, he follow her mother's steps to work and is worried that she doesn't return his calls. And people around him think that this is an acceptable behavior? He needs urgent guidance, from people who see how emotionally young he is for his age. Then he cries several (fake) tears* because a bird died after being attacked by a cat. He must have watched cartoons, wasn't there one of the cat that wanted to get to the little bird? Nature, cartoons, common sense, everything tells children that cats attack, and eat birds. But Theo is so disturbed, he needs "time" to process an act of nature. WTF? 

*the director should have told him to sniffle a couple of times because the fake tears need to come with some sort of acting to make the crying believable

The home health aide was just another entitled and self-centered ass. He believes he is so good, the first time a potential patient clashes with him, he bolts. This is not how the profession works. It is not about you. I do know some terrible ones, there are cases of abusive ones. But if that one was good, he would have stayed. But because Walter didn't like him, he felt offended. Good health workers keeping doing this very difficult job because they feel empathy and want to help, not to be praised and boost their own egos. 

I agree with a statement above that the actor who plays Eddie did a good job. It is not the first time he rises above the rest of the cast and the writing. I didn't know him before but he is somewhat saving the bad writing, even when acting with that terrible kid that is also a terrible character. I am disappointed that Grace Park - the only actor I knew before this show - is not doing the same, as she was in the earlier seasons.

[smartymarty]

22 hours ago, Suzn said:

Now he can burn down the apartment instead of his house.

Exactly what I said at the time!

22 hours ago, Suzn said:

I can't warm up to Greta.  Her hair scares me.

This is bad, because she can't change it, but her pointy chin bothers me. (Wicked Witch of the West chin?)

22 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

One of the few things this show has always done well is the suicide stuff. Plus, the handicap stuff. Basically, anything Nash has direct first hand experience of.

My only quibble was Eddie suggesting that Jon's depression was temporary, rather than chronic. But I guess it would have been scarier to Theo to say that because it could suggest that untreated depression always leads to suicide, which it doesn't. But to say it was temporary suggests that depressed people are only depressed about something, or that they can get over it somehow.

21 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Theo needs to be told birds sometimes die and they are not the same as people. 
 

Greta's trying to be a good parent/guardian of Theo that day and her impulse is to take a wild animal to the vet instead of explaining the facts of life to Theo? What did she think the vet could do? Stop the internal bleeding, a little sewing up of the organs? Come on! And a real veterinarian would have pulled the adults aside to say "yeah, we can't do anything here, you need to talk with your kid." Not "oh, we'll examine the bird...."

21 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I don't buy at all that a home aid would be running from Walter after just one day, these are people who do some of the hardest work in healthcare and this guy sounds like he had a lot of experience. Walter is a grumpy stubborn old man but he's not so bad that he would send this guy packing in about a day. Its obvious that all of this happened just so that Walter could move in with Regina and Rome, which I do not see going smoothly. 

The mantra of people dealing with Alzheimer's patients is to always agree with them. It was ridiculous that the aide would get in an argument with Walter. I too thought that it would end up some scheme to gain Walter's trust, but no.

12 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

And I honestly wouldn’t be unhappy if Katherine quote-unquote “took a trip to France” at this point.

She needs to go to the Grand Canyon!

4 hours ago, circumvent said:

He acts and is treated like a 5 year-old. At the same time, he follow her mother's steps to work and is worried that she doesn't return his calls. And people around him think that this is an acceptable behavior? He needs urgent guidance, from people who see how emotionally young he is for his age.

Again, what I said at that moment in the show. He's worried about his mother getting to her office? That sent off alarm bells with me, and I'm not even a parent! I assume his acting like a 5 year old is something the writers want, not actually part of the plot, so I'll give the other characters a break on not being concerned by that (and continuing to treat him with kid gloves because of it).

Also, those baby birds are so going to die. How does Greta think they're going to feed them? Alternatively, they're going to be squashed on the porch deck when they fall out of that nest before they learn to fly.

[Clanstarling]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:37 PM, KaveDweller said:

Is Theo 5-years-old? A stray cat attacks a wild bird and instead of being like, "well, that's sad, but it is the food chain in action," they take this bird to the vet? Seriously? Also, Greta, I don't think you are supposed to pick up a nest of baby birds with your bare hands like that.

As I recall, not touching a nest or baby bird was so the mother bird wouldn't smell humans on it and then reject it. Given that the mommy bird is dead, it's no problem.

I was more taken aback by the next being in a not at all safe place on the porch, and that Sam the cat hadn't had some tasty snacks while they tried to rescue mommy.

One of my kids is very empathetic, and at 12 she would definitely been extremely upset if a bird she'd been watching for days had been killed, pretty much in front of her, by a cat. She wasn't acting 5 years old, she just had a really big heart and a love for animals of all kinds. That being said, they have been keeping Theo childish, though I think there's more going on here that will come out in future episodes.

On 3/2/2023 at 6:09 AM, Lady Calypso said:

The Eddie/Greta/Theo storyline started off VERY annoying but I was very surprised by the turnaround. I did not expected it to land on it being about Jon's suicide. Yet, it kind of worked for me? Relating it to the bird was a bizarre choice, but I actually did like the conversation Eddie had with Theo about it. And yes, Greta/Eddie have insanely good chemistry together. I love their budding friendship.

They are really the best characters in this episode.

16 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I actually thought the aid was just pretending to be angry to connect with him, but was going to come back a few minutes later or something.

That's what I thought too, but the scene didn't seem to bear it out.

6 hours ago, circumvent said:

 And the writers use yet another trope about pregnant women having to pee so badly they have to talk about it the whole time. We got it the first, second, tenth time writers.

Theo is about 12, right? He acts and is treated like a 5 year-old. At the same time, he follow her mother's steps to work and is worried that she doesn't return his calls. And people around him think that this is an acceptable behavior? He needs urgent guidance, from people who see how emotionally young he is for his age. Then he cries several (fake) tears* because a bird died after being attacked by a cat. He must have watched cartoons, wasn't there one of the cat that wanted to get to the little bird? Nature, cartoons, common sense, everything tells children that cats attack, and eat birds. But Theo is so disturbed, he needs "time" to process an act of nature. WTF?

That trope was my life when I was pregnant. I got to know the location (and condition) of every bathroom that was anywhere near where I was during those months. So, I kind of relate to it.

I think they're setting up anxiety, obsession issues with Theo.  BTW, knowing intellectually that things happen in nature doesn't mean seeing it in front of your eyes isn't traumatic. We all know we're going to die - but when someone we love dies, it isn't "welp, that's nature for you."

1 hour ago, smartymarty said:

Also, those baby birds are so going to die. How does Greta think they're going to feed them? Alternatively, they're going to be squashed on the porch deck when they fall out of that nest before they learn to fly.

You feed them with eyedroppers, and they can fall a good way onto tough surfaces without being squashed. The bird we rescued when I was a kid did. Though sadly, my rescued bird did get squashed when my friends and I were "teaching" him to fly by tossing him in the air. One of the friends stepped on him. Squished little bird is a sight I've never forgotten.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Clanstarling

[JayDub1987]

Anybody else realize that Scott could easily get into that low-hanging flower pot from the porch rail. He's an effing cat. Theo probably doesn't realize this yet, but those things can jump. 

[Winston Wolfe]

1 hour ago, smartymarty said:

On 3/2/2023 at 10:32 AM, Suzn said:

I can't warm up to Greta.  Her hair scares me.

This is bad, because she can't change it, but her pointy chin bothers me. (Wicked Witch of the West chin?)

This is equally awful, but for me it's the combination of the two. She looks like a Gremlin, but I'm warming up to her anyway.

[circumvent]

9 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

That trope was my life when I was pregnant.

The trope is not having to pee all the time. It is talking about it all the time. Sorry, it is very annoying and I don't need to hear it 30 times per minute

[marceline]

A few seasons ago someone said that this show should be called Codependent Weirdoes and boy did they earn that title with this episode.

This show really thinks that Gary and Maggie are adorable. I'll be interested to see how they destroy this friendship.

I liked seeing Rome at work. At this point I'm happy to see any of these people do some work. Also nice to see that Maddox is still in class and apparently doing well.

Theo needs therapy. These people seem to think he will outgrow his anxiety but he's already a hot mess. He needs someone to talk to. Maybe Dr. Jessica Bruno.

[candall]

Theo's very tall for a five y.o.

[cardigirl]

Re: Maggie's new birth plan. UGH. I am not a fan of home births, especially for a first pregnancy where there are so many unknowns. 

Plus it's messy.  And yes, I realize that a cancer survivor, who has spent much of her life in hospitals already, might look at things differently than I do, I still don't know why she would put herself and her baby at risk like that. If something goes wrong, you don't have an operating room just down the hall, or lots of specialists available to help. 

It's a control thing, and personally when I had my two kids, I remember my body took over and I really wasn't in control. I was very appreciative of the doctors and nurses who took care of me and my kiddoes. 

So, ugh, again I say. 

Edited March 4, 2023 by cardigirl

[CrystalBlue]

3 hours ago, circumvent said:

The trope is not having to pee all the time. It is talking about it all the time. Sorry, it is very annoying and I don't need to hear it 30 times per minute

I don't like it when anyone announces they "have to pee" before taking off to the bathroom or restroom.  Maggie is annoying whatever she does.  She is such a bitch too.  She made fun of the birth class teacher because her name is spelled Cindee.  Now she wants to be just like her newfound friend of two minutes and do a home birth like her.

Ugh.

[TivoFan]

21 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

A kid of that age shouldn't be this rattled by a cat going after a bird. 

I’m 70, and I was rattled when a neighborhood cat killed a beautiful red-bellied woodpecker under our bird feeder. 😢

[izabella]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:55 PM, Lady Calypso said:

Did she wait until she was eight months, or was it more of a change of mind after speaking to Claire? Because I think Maggie is well within her rights to change her mind whenever she wants about her birthing plan and it sounds like she had discussed having the baby in the hospital before. 

I get why Gary would be upset at the last minute change, and the decision can't be made lightly, but if Maggie changed her mind, then that's what it is.

That's the problem for me.  She made the decision seemingly without giving it much thought based on what she heard from a random woman whom she had just met.  It's not like she did any research of her own between meeting her new best friend and going home.  Nope, one conversation with someone she didn't even know and suddenly she has a whole new plan.

Edited March 4, 2023 by izabella

[KaveDweller]

7 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

One of my kids is very empathetic, and at 12 she would definitely been extremely upset if a bird she'd been watching for days had been killed, pretty much in front of her, by a cat. She wasn't acting 5 years old, she just had a really big heart and a love for animals of all kinds. That being said, they have been keeping Theo childish, though I think there's more going on here that will come out in future episodes.

I don't think him being upset is what made him seem 5, I think most people would be upset. It was how Greta and Theo were treating him. For an older child, you would talk to them and let them learn sometimes bad things happen. I feel like going to the vet to try and shield him is treating him very young.

3 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Maggie is annoying whatever she does.  She is such a bitch too.  She made fun of the birth class teacher because her name is spelled Cindee.

Making fun of someone's name or how they spell it is just obnoxious. Most people don't choose their own names or the spelling.

[Winston Wolfe]

7 hours ago, marceline said:

Theo needs therapy. These people seem to think he will outgrow his anxiety but he's already a hot mess. He needs someone to talk to. Maybe Dr. Jessica Bruno.

Remember, as Gary said "we don't talk about Bruno."

[CrystalBlue]

Isn't Maggie in Theo's adult friends group?  Isn't she a therapist?  You'd think Maggie might have noticed Theo's emotional immaturity but she is too wrapped up in herself to notice.

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, Winston Wolfe said:

Remember, as Gary said "we don't talk about Bruno."

What do you want to bet they give the character that name just so they could have him make that joke?

1 hour ago, CrystalBlue said:

Isn't Maggie in Theo's adult friends group?  Isn't she a therapist?  You'd think Maggie might have noticed Theo's emotional immaturity but she is too wrapped up in herself to notice.

Okay, I read the thread before I watched the episode; just got to the "we have to go to the vet" scene and I'm rolling my eyes even harder than I expected. (And sorry, but the actor trying to be all dramatic...I just don't buy it.)

I'm sorry...swaddling a baby is a two-person job? Really?

Um...did Rome and Regina not actually introduce themselves to the people they were interviewing such that one of them thought Rome was the patient?

Maybe Greta and T should start by googling how to take care of baby birds..? or look for a wildlife rehab? (maybe look up A Chick Called Albert on Youtube...)

Edited March 4, 2023 by ams1001

[hoosiergirl]

I thought the home health aide guy was way too cheesy and perfect. I thought for sure he was going to steal Walter’s identity or something. 

The birthing class couple and Maggie/Gary are going to encounter some sort of trauma that forces Maggie/Gary to go back to their original friend group. I got the sense that maybe Claire would lose her baby or the husband would die in some weirdo plot twist. 

[desertflower]

I was ok with Theo being upset by the bird, some kids and adults are very sensitive about animals. I think Greta wanted to take it to the vet because she felt pressured to take care of the situation since Katherine wasn’t there. Speaking of that, I did not miss her. I liked her when she was with Eddie but I don’t like her scenes with Greta. As many of you all have noted, I also enjoyed Greta and Eddie together more.

Worst home health aide ever! That went a different direction than I thought. I thought Walter would end up getting along so well with the aide that he would treat him better than Rome and maybe as his dementia progressed he’d even think the aide was his son and Rome would have to deal with all that. Guess I was way off on that one. 

 

[ams1001]

25 minutes ago, hoosiergirl said:

The birthing class couple and Maggie/Gary are going to encounter some sort of trauma that forces Maggie/Gary to go back to their original friend group. I got the sense that maybe Claire would lose her baby or the husband would die in some weirdo plot twist. 

She said she was due in a month and I think Maggie has closer to two months to go, so she'll (most likely) have her baby first. I'm guessing something goes wrong with her home birth and Maggie changes her mind about going to the hospital.

[circumvent]

I am all for home birth, midwives, as natural as possible. But it is not for everyone and it is not a "spur of the moment" thing. The midwife needs to be involved in the process from the beginning, or at least for good part of the pregnancy. It is not like trying an new flavor of ice cream, Maggie. Midwifery was the norm for a long time, until men decided to take over control of labor from nature. Put a woman on a bed, fighting gravity and all that, many times doing unnecessary procedures and cutting women to make it easier for the doctors (great majority men when things changed) to "go through all that" with the woman.But this is definitely not for Maggie. IT is just not her personality. She is always too agitated and picking fights with people

As an aside, something I learned recently: midwifery in the United States is heavily regulated and discouraged  - likely because there is no huge profit. Don't know how it varies by state

Edited March 4, 2023 by circumvent

[Snazzy Daisy]

I continue to hate Maggie and Gary’s scenes. Can the writers bring Darcy back?

I can’t really see a connection between Theo’s bird story and Uncle Jon giving up. The whole plot is just a waste of time. Eddie/Greta’s interaction continues to be good though.

Can we have a much happier storyline for Rome please. Walter’s Alzheimer fiasco is too depressing and too consuming for final season.

Please don’t tell me that Regina is going to make Dustin a new caregiver for Walter. 😣

 

[Clanstarling]

15 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Isn't Maggie in Theo's adult friends group?  Isn't she a therapist?  You'd think Maggie might have noticed Theo's emotional immaturity but she is too wrapped up in herself to notice.

Have we seen any evidence that they've actually all gotten together - with kids - lately? Wait, it's really only one kid right, and Charley the ghost baby.

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I'm sorry...swaddling a baby is a two-person job? Really?

In my experience, swaddling the doll was much harder than swaddling an actual baby, but we were both able to do it just fine.

As for Maggie and Gary's search for friends, I think I heard them say something along the lines of they wanted to pick some friends with a baby of a similar age of theirs, before the baby itself becomes the connecting point (though that doesn't really make a lot of sense). When our children were young, we did become friends with people in our baby classes/etc. groups, but the baby isn't much of a decider until they're old enough to make their own friends.  So anyway, the point is, their group of friends don't have infant children (except for ghost Charley, of course).

[Snazzy Daisy]

TVLine Performers of the Week

HONORABLE MENTION: David Giuntoli

[ams1001]

30 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

As for Maggie and Gary's search for friends, I think I heard them say something along the lines of they wanted to pick some friends with a baby of a similar age of theirs, before the baby itself becomes the connecting point (though that doesn't really make a lot of sense). When our children were young, we did become friends with people in our baby classes/etc. groups, but the baby isn't much of a decider until they're old enough to make their own friends.  So anyway, the point is, their group of friends don't have infant children (except for ghost Charley, of course).

Plus there's no guarantee those babies will like each other when they get older...plus baby will meet kids at school. Unless they only plan to let him have one friend.