S05.E05: No Place Like Home

[Whimsy]

Quote

Maggie and Gary explore the possibility of a home birth, while Regina and Rome adjust to life with their new roommate. Katherine and Greta reach a crossroads in their relationship.

Original airdate 3/8/23

[Snazzy Daisy]

A Million Little Things 5x05 Promo "No Place Like Home”

 

[cinsays]

oh, so we're going with the "i'll have it at home, easy-peasy, and then there's a complication and she has to get rushed to the hospital" routine that has been done to death .........  ho-hum

Edited March 5, 2023 by cinsays

[CrystalBlue]

Maybe Maggie will insist on the home birth scenario and something will go wrong and on the delayed rush to the hospital, at which she isn't a registered patient which causes further delay, will die in childbirth, leaving Gary and the Codependent Weirdos Community to raise baby Jon.

[Sandman]

23 hours ago, cinsays said:

Oh, so we're going with the "i'll have it at home, easy-peasy, and then there's a complication and she has to get rushed to the hospital" 

I smell Sweeps Week!

Wait — is that still a thing?

[historylover820]

19 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Maybe Maggie will insist on the home birth scenario and something will go wrong and on the delayed rush to the hospital, at which she isn't a registered patient which causes further delay, will die in childbirth, leaving Gary and the Codependent Weirdos Community to raise baby Jon.

I see that happening

[JayDub1987]

Eddie’s totally gonna bang the professor, right?

[ams1001]

I think this is the first episode this season that I've actually watched in real time... I have thoughts...

When I was a kid, permission slips had to be turned in before the day of the field trip. How is it kids on TV always forget theirs the day of?

What time of year is it, anyway? Baby birds are being born, which suggests spring, Theo's somewhere mid-school year, and Eddie's college is just starting the semester? And/or he's registering for a class that's already in progress (literally in session as he's at the registrar)? Gee, college works differently than when I was in school, I guess. My spring semester started in January and we registered before classes started (one year we walked through two feet of snow on registration day)... (And if she can't bump him up to the top of the waitlist, how does 'adding a slot' to the class help him? That slot should still go to the next person on the waitlist. That's how waitlists work.) 

So Regina spent a whole day calling shelters without even asking if the guy wanted help finding one? (Of course, she did.)

Well, gee, Maggie, maybe you should have told Gary why you want the home birth instead of expecting him to read your mind...I wonder what a therapist would say to a couple in that situation.

No, Eddie, Theo's first woolly mammoth is not an urgent text. (This kid should be in middle school by now, right? And he's never been to the natural history museum?)

Claire's home birth plan went wrong and she had to go the hospital? Who could have predicted that?! (Oh, right, me, and probably a million other people.)

I can't decide who's worse with Theo...the actor or the character. Would he be better if he wasn't written so badly? Or does the actor just make the badly written character worse?

Just now, JayDub1987 said:

Eddie’s totally gonna bang the professor, right?

Only after he tears up that drop form and proves how determined he is!

[JayDub1987]

4 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Only after he tears up that drop form and proves how determined he is!

Pretty sure he already crumpled it up and threw it to the side after reading Theos note to him. Step 1 complete. Time to get all the way down for step 2. Eddie will prepare his….erm…..oral presentation within the next 2 episodes. 

[ams1001]

3 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

Pretty sure he already crumpled it up and threw it to the side after reading Theos note to him. Step 1 complete. Time to get all the way down for step 2. Eddie will prepare his….erm…..oral presentation within the next 2 episodes. 

I typed that while he was looking at it. I debated whether he would rip it up or crumple it into a ball and toss it away. 

I dunno...I hope the prof will have more professional ethics than that and at least wait until he's no longer her student. (But if he's going to major in psych he could very likely need to take more classes with her.) Imagine the dramatic sexual tension!

Edited March 9, 2023 by ams1001

[historylover820]

Thoughts--

Gina's plot? Don't care. Don't remember him. Don't understand why we're even revisiting him. Because I doubt whether many people remember him and went "Ooh! Left a plot dangling with him!"

I surprisingly kind of enjoyed Sophie and Walter. I'm surprised. I liked their talk. I liked that they bonded over music.

Gary and Maggie? I'm actually surprised that I enjoyed what the midwife had to say. And both made good points regarding hospital vs home delivery. But, yeah, not at all surprised something happened to Claire. And Evan still ain't funny.

Eddie's plot? I have a lot to say. Sorry about this.

First, the professor is a bitch. On so many levels. 

I have some experience in this. OK, I have a lot of experience in this. I was an administrative assistant at a university for 9 years. It was my previous career until things went south, which I really don't want to talk about. 

While it's way too pat that the woman who just happened to hit Eddie works at this university and can get Eddie into the class he needs, I can attest that this happens. One of my responsibilities in my department was to maintain the waitlists for the classes.  There is absolutely NO REASON why a lecture like this should only have 10 students if it's a required course in the major and it only be offered in one class a semester. 

Heck, the fact that it's a lecture, not a lab, doubly means that there is absolutely NO REASON why only 10 students can get into this class. That is beyond stupid. 

OK, I was the admin for the Chemistry Department. There were limits on labs. Safety reasons. There are no limits on the lecture. While the lecture and labs for the general chemistry classes were co-requisites of each other, if students had already taken the lab and passed with a C- or better but needed the lecture, they could get in the lecture. There were no caps on the lecture, only the labs.

Now, if you needed to take both and there were no room in the lab, you're being put on a waitlist for both.

Here's where I can attest to being able to fudge waitlists--Chemistry majors got priority. If a space opened up in lab, I would call a Chemistry major first. However, I had some flexibility. This student told me "But you don't understand!!!!!!!" when I put them on the waitlist, I'm not calling them first. I'm calling someone else. I'm calling the student who treated me with respect. 

OK, I get Psych 101 was a pre-req which Eddie took "a decade ago." And he probably should retake it. But, it is possible to brush up on the material. Plus, there's a difference between a 18 year old student who is half-assing his way through classes and a 35 year old man who wants to get his life on track. He already has the pre-req of Psych 101. Let him see if he can't get through at least until the drop day. There are set dates in the semester where students can drop classes. If I remember correctly, and I've been out of this game for 5 years, but it's something like two weeks into the semester for a 100% refund and nothing on your transcript, two months for a 50% refund and nothing on your transcript, and 3 months for 0% refund with a "Dropped" or a "No Grade" on your transcript. I might be mistaken about the length of time now, because it's been nearly 5 years. But all jucos, universities, colleges would have the same terms.

Also, students will add classes in their first week. Or change their schedules around. It happens. ALL THE TIME. So, to offer a lecture that's a requirement for only one class a semester and then limit it to 10 people when there's ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that there couldn't be 30 students in that class is not treating students with respect. It makes them have to go to college longer, building up more debt. Students will complain to the Dean's office about this. Professors can get reprimanded, disciplined, fired (if they're not tenured), or make life an absolute misery if they are tenured until they quit. I've seen this happen! An elective? Yeah. Cap that lecture at 10. It's an elective. The students can choose something else. Because not getting into an elective won't necessarily push them further behind.

Edited to add: While it's not likely that a class for a major starts at midterm, it is possible for a class to only be a half a semester. I've never seen one that wasn't an elective. But it's possible. It's usually a 1 credit hour class. I took a couple in college. It was never a matter of life and death if I didn't get in one.

Edited March 9, 2023 by historylover820
Good grief. I can't type.

[cardigirl]

Well, the home birth story was alright. I thought it was measured, informative and well acted. Color me surprised. I loved the midwife and her pinging Gary by telling him to look up how many babies are switched in hospitals. LOL!

Anytime Carter is on the show I enjoy it. What a lovely scene in the tattoo parlor, Carter is the best and I am sad they didn't use that character more in the show. 

I even liked the Alzheimer's story. It was very gently done. 

Good job writers. I didn't roll my eyes at all, except for Eddie's over the top professor. Ugh.

 

[txhorns79]

36 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

 

So Regina spent a whole day calling shelters without even asking if the guy wanted help finding one? (Of course, she did.)

In fairness, being a member of the group requires that you spend much of your time being the answer to a question no one asked.  And Regina, your previous project didn't die because you called the police after being robbed, and his encampment was cleared.  He died because he was very sick.  Go back and watch Groundhog Day.  Bill Murray tries to help the homeless man in multiple different ways, but he still always dies because that was always what was going to happen.  

It's also nice that Gary became open to Maggie's position on the midwife after he found a man to tell him it would be okay.

While I did like how Sophie interacted with Rome's dad, I feel like moving him into Rome and Gina's house didn't actually solve last week's problem.  If the guy can't be left alone, and both Regina and Rome work, then he will still need an aide to come and stay with him during the day.  

47 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

Eddie’s totally gonna bang the professor, right?

It feels like it, but I hope not because a professor really should not have a sexual relationship with a student.  And writers/actors, a female character can be tough without having to have her be openly hostile and unprofessional.  She was right that Eddie should know the material that was a prerequisite for her course before he got there.  However, purposefully skipping him in the getting to know you portion of the class and having him read his text out loud are childish moves.  Though I will agree that Eddie should know better than to be checking his phone during class.          

[KaveDweller]

52 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

Eddie’s totally gonna bang the professor, right?

I had that thought too. Hopefully not until after he finishes the class.

Does Eddie go to college in 1990 or something? I graduated college 20 years ago and everything about registering and dropping classes was done online. And again, that was 20 years ago! Also, we always registered for classes weeks ahead of time. If you couldn't get into a class you needed, you had plenty of time to work it out before the class started.

Also, Eddie took Psych 101 "a decade ago." I am not sure how old he is supposed to be, but I'm thinking it has been a bit longer. Theo is 11 or 12 (at least) and he was born after Eddie dropped out. But regardless, most intro psych classes are not that complex. I'm sure Eddie can refresh his memory if he spends some time with the material. I'm also sure some of those kids wouldn't have been able to answer the professor's question either.  It is day 1. Wait until the second week when everyone has settled in to be hard on people.

I wonder if they are going to have Sophie become Walter's permanent aid and then go to school for it? She was good with him, but it's ridiculous to suggest the 18-year-old with no degree would be betting at helping him than any trained aids.

I thought Regina was going to have Dustin and his daughter stay in Walter's empty house. That would make more sense. And not to be judgmental, but if you can't keep a roof over your kid's head maybe she should be taken away? It can't be safe to have a young girl living in a camp like that. I know the foster system sucks, but so does living on the street.

I thought Greta and Carter had good chemistry. What's with her being better with everyone than Katherine? I also thought something was going to happen and Katherine would start to resent her for being so helpful, but it sounds like she's legit just grateful and there is no conflict?

Edited March 9, 2023 by KaveDweller

[historylover820]

I'm going to show my age--

I got my master's degree nearly 20 years ago. And I was registering for classes in person, like Eddie was, for undergrad and grad school. Of course, I registered the first day I possibly could for the next semester. I would know what I was taking and when I was taking it before I even took the finals of that previous semester.

But, when I was the admin in the Chemistry Department, registration was done online. When classes actually started and students registered late, if they could, I think it was by written permission, if I remember correctly. The professor could add a student, but by like a signed registration slip. That has probably changed in 5 years and everything is probably now done online.

But, no surprise here, but pretty much everything about Eddie's plot in this episode was wrong. Not Eddie himself. But everything else about it. And it's keeping me up when 5:45 comes early to get up and go to work! Because I'm wound up about it! (As evidenced from my huge rant about it before).

And, sure, why not? Since everything else about this class and professor are wrong, sure, I wouldn't be surprised if the professor turns around so much on Eddie that there's a sexual relationship. It might make me tear my hair out less than what I saw in this episode. The professor is unprofessional enough and should be fired, denied tenure, disciplined (whatever level of professor she is) just by offering a major requirement only once a semester and limiting it to 10 students, she probably should go ahead and do something unethical like have sex with a student. I wouldn't be surprised.

[txhorns79]

23 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

Also, Eddie took Psych 101 "a decade ago." I am not sure how old he is supposed to be, but I'm thinking it has been a bit longer. Theo is 11 or 12 (at least) and he was born after Eddie dropped out.

I think it's more like 20+ years ago.  I vaguely recall Eddie mentioning something in an earlier episode about not having been on a college campus since 1998(?) 

[redpencil]

1 hour ago, KaveDweller said:

Does Eddie go to college in 1990 or something? I graduated college 20 years ago and everything about registering and dropping classes was done online. And again, that was 20 years ago! Also, we always registered for classes weeks ahead of time. If you couldn't get into a class you needed, you had plenty of time to work it out before the class started.

I think I'm about the same age as they are supposed to be, and I hadn't even used the Internet until my freshman year in college (fall 1996). I registered for classes on the phone, at least for the first couple years, and any dropping/adding was done via paper slips.

[Frisky Wig]

Romes dad to Sophie: “I know you don’t want to hang out with an old man like me.”

Me: “uhh… all Sophie does is hang out with people significantly older than her. I’m sure she’d love it!”

Eddie definitely didn’t take Psych 101 “a decade ago.” It would’ve been much longer, pre-Theo. And he’d have to retake it. 
 

The “Black person with a bunch of white friends” thing bugs me. Gary, Maggie and their two new friends have replicated this in a show that already has it. 
 

Greta’s nearly always in clothes that fully cover her arms. Is that because the makeup department doesn’t want to put her arm tattoos on? 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Frisky Wig
Changed things as I watched the episode

[Jillybean]

I wonder if Katherine will still have the mullet at her inevitable wedding to Greta?

[ams1001]

9 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I even liked the Alzheimer's story. It was very gently done. 

Maybe it leads Sophie to a potential career option in home health care or something related. She needs something to do besides play guitar for some apparently-disappearing band.

9 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Does Eddie go to college in 1990 or something? I graduated college 20 years ago and everything about registering and dropping classes was done online. And again, that was 20 years ago! Also, we always registered for classes weeks ahead of time. If you couldn't get into a class you needed, you had plenty of time to work it out before the class started.

We weren't online yet when I was in college (graduated in 1997; I didn't even get email until my sophomore year and I only set it up then because one of my professors was going on maternity leave at some point before the semester ended so she required we get our accounts set up so she could contact us when the baby came). We picked our classes before the end of the semester (freshmen got a schedule of basic core classes at summer orientation, and a drop/add form in case you had issues with anything...like the swimming class that I had no intention of ever taking...). At the beginning of the semester we moved back into the dorms on the weekend and Monday would be registration day where we would just confirm things. You could still make changes but for the most part you were settled weeks or months ahead of time.

8 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

Eddie definitely didn’t take Psych 101 “a decade ago.” It would’ve been much longer, pre-Theo. And he’d have to retake it. 

Reminds me of Kate on This Is Us, who was somehow able to just "finish" her degree that she dropped out of like 20 years earlier.

 

[historylover820]

What sort of "crossroads" happened with Katherine and Greta's relationship? They were already living together. They obviously love each other. Was it the realization that Theo loved Greta or that Greta loved Theo? I figured Theo said that he loved everyone and everything, so "love you guys" really doesn't strike me as a big deal. Maybe because Greta realized she loved Theo? Because I can see where that would be an "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! I love Theo! I love Theo? Why?"

Greta and Carter living in the same vicinity when gay marriage was legalized is coincidence, and should be a "crossroads" in Katherine and Greta's relationship. 

So I don't understand the big deal.

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, ams1001 said:

 

I can't decide who's worse with Theo...the actor or the character. Would he be better if he wasn't written so badly? Or does the actor just make the badly written character worse?

 

I was thinking something like that.  It's more than him acting babyish.  He is just not believable as a child.  He is a perfect magical child who never does anything that isn't sensitive and caring.  I think it must be both that he is badly written and badly acted.  He is always cringeworthy.

[ams1001]

15 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

What sort of "crossroads" happened with Katherine and Greta's relationship? They were already living together. They obviously love each other. Was it the realization that Theo loved Greta or that Greta loved Theo? I figured Theo said that he loved everyone and everything, so "love you guys" really doesn't strike me as a big deal. 

At the beginning of the episode, when he and Eddie were leaving, he said "love you mom" and at the end of the episode he said "love you guys". It's a big change!!! And all because of a forgotten permission slip!!!!!!

15 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

 Because I can see where that would be an "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! I love Theo! I love Theo? Why?"

😄

 

[Frisky Wig]

48 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

Maybe because Greta realized she loved Theo? Because I can see where that would be an "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! I love Theo! I love Theo? Why?"

“I know he’s my partners son, and I love her, but this child has been perpetually 6 years old for 5 seasons! He gets excited when we wear matching pajamas for crying out loud! Yes he’s perfect, aside from the fact that he clearly stopped developing emotionally in first grade and his parents are too busy getting shitty haircuts and sidestepping college waitlists to deal with that, but I just don’t understand my feelings for this child.”

[circumvent]

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

What time of year is it, anyway?

You are demanding too much of writers who cannot age an infant, or when they do that they forget and send the toddler back to infanthood.

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

This kid should be in middle school by now, right? And he's never been to the natural history museum?

Not only that, he carries his tablet around to monitor his mother's comings and goings, he could visit the museum virtually instead of playing surveillance, which is creepy

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Would he be better if he wasn't written so badly?

No

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Or does the actor just make the badly written character worse?

Yes

 

11 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I am not sure how old he is supposed to be, but I'm thinking it has been a bit longer.

Longer, for sure. He said in the previous episode that the other students weren't even born when he was in college the first time. So at least 17-18 years

[Jillybean]

1 hour ago, historylover820 said:

What sort of "crossroads" happened with Katherine and Greta's relationship? They were already living together. They obviously love each other. Was it the realization that Theo loved Greta or that Greta loved Theo? I figured Theo said that he loved everyone and everything, so "love you guys" really doesn't strike me as a big deal. Maybe because Greta realized she loved Theo? Because I can see where that would be an "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! I love Theo! I love Theo? Why?"

Greta and Carter living in the same vicinity when gay marriage was legalized is coincidence, and should be a "crossroads" in Katherine and Greta's relationship. 

So I don't understand the big deal.

I thought they were dropping heavy anvils throughout the episode that Katherine is going to re-think her stance on marrying Greta. I could practically see the thought bubbles over her head. 

[Cosmocrush]

11 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Does Eddie go to college in 1990 or something? I graduated college 20 years ago and everything about registering and dropping classes was done online. And again, that was 20 years ago! Also, we always registered for classes weeks ahead of time. If you couldn't get into a class you needed, you had plenty of time to work it out before the class started.

Heh.  Apparently, yes he does.  That's when I was in school and we pretty much spent the first week of the semester standing in the "Drop/Add" lines to get out schedules adjusted.  If there wasn't any room in the class you wanted to add, you could get back in the very long line and hope someone dropped it before you got up to the counter again.  I grew to hate the admin building. 

And yes, Eddie is totally going to sleep with the grouchy prof. 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Cosmocrush

[Cosmocrush]

1 minute ago, Jillybean said:

I thought they were dropping heavy anvils throughout the episode that Katherine is going to re-think her stance on marrying Greta. I could practically see the thought bubbles over her head. 

Katherine seemed to be realizing Greta made an excellent personal assistant so yeah, she will probably end up marrying her.  Marrying  someone who was already married when you started dating doesn't seem like a great idea.  I think the "crossroads" was telling each other they loved each other.   🙄

The fact that Greta seems to have better chemistry with everyone in Katherine's life than she does with Katherine says more about the actress playing Katherine than anything else. 
 

[JayDub1987]

Something else that irks my soul about this show: (Yes, I'm hate watching at this point, but I need to see how this crap ends).

According to Google (do with it what you will), there were 654,776 living in Boston in 2021. Yet somehow, every time these people leave their homes, no matter where they go, they all run into someone that they've met before. Gina goes on her quest to end homelessness, and BOOM! She runs into a guy she had a conversation with in her failed restaurant. Eddie goes to school, and BOOM! There's the woman who hit him with a car that he bought a house for. A season (maybe 2?) ago, Gary leaves his house, and BOOM! There's a guy who owns his first car.

If Gary and Maggie do the homebirth, I hope it goes well. It would be SOOOOO awkward when the midwife who delivers their dead baby shows up at their gym/bank/grocery store/post office/etc. Because you know, you're only gonna see the same 8 people every time you leave your home in Boston. 

[Rebky]

Being a huge Big Bang Theory fan, I could only see the midwife as Stuart's girlfriend. It was a stretch to take her seriously.

[circumvent]

45 minutes ago, Cosmocrush said:

The fact that Greta seems to have better chemistry with everyone in Katherine's life than she does with Katherine says more about the actress playing Katherine than anything else. 

Which is weird because in the beginning of the series I thought she was one of the few highlights of the cast. I didn't know anyone else, had no idea about who they were, but had seen her before on the show "The Cleaner" and liked her. Didn't think she was exceptional, but thought she was solid. Maybe she just got tired of the show and gave up on investing in the character. 

[ams1001]

30 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

(Yes, I'm hate watching at this point, but I need to see how this crap ends).

I am right there with you.

30 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

According to Google (do with it what you will), there were 654,776 living in Boston in 2021. Yet somehow, every time these people leave their homes, no matter where they go, they all run into someone that they've met before. 

I live in a town of roughly 35K people, where I lived since I was two years old (I'm 47), minus college in another state (four years), another year living in that state a few years after college, and four years living in another town, and I almost never run into people I know.

Just now, Rebky said:

Being a huge Big Bang Theory fan, I could only see the midwife as Stuart's girlfriend. It was a stretch to take her seriously.

I had the same thought. I've only seen her in comedy stuff.

Just now, circumvent said:

Maybe she just got tired of the show and gave up on investing in the character. 

Can you blame her?

[Clanstarling]

3 hours ago, historylover820 said:

What sort of "crossroads" happened with Katherine and Greta's relationship?

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

At the beginning of the episode, when he and Eddie were leaving, he said "love you mom" and at the end of the episode he said "love you guys". It's a big change!!! And all because of a forgotten permission slip!!!!!!

😄

I also thought this was the "crossroad" they mentioned.

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

I live in a town of roughly 35K people, where I lived since I was two years old (I'm 47), minus college in another state (four years), another year living in that state a few years after college, and four years living in another town, and I almost never run into people I know.

I live in a town of the same size, and I often run into people I know. It's one of the things I loved about this place when we first moved here.

Once, in San Francisco, I ran into old high school classmates from a school about 4 or 5 hours away. That was weird, but not totally unlikely since we were at a tourist spot. We also ran into the family of my kids' friends at Disneyland. That was also strange, but also a godsend! The most stunning of these occurrences was in the SF Bay area,when my mother ran into an old neighbor from her childhood (in a foreign country). It was in a Montgomery Ward or other old store like that. The woman (very old) recognized her and called her by her name - even though she hadn't seen my mom since she was 6 years old (mom was in her 50s).

But all my personal coincidences aside, I do agree that running constantly into people you know in Boston does strain credulity.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Clanstarling

[Notabug]

52 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I also thought this was the "crossroad" they mentioned.

I live in a town of the same size, and I often run into people I know. It's one of the things I loved about this place when we first moved here.

Once, in San Francisco, I ran into old high school classmates from a school about 4 or 5 hours away. That was weird, but not totally unlikely since we were at a tourist spot. We also ran into the family of my kids' friends at Disneyland. That was also strange, but also a godsend! The most stunning of these occurrences was in the SF Bay area,when my mother ran into an old neighbor from her childhood (in a foreign country). It was in a Montgomery Ward or other old store like that. The woman (very old) recognized her and called her by her name - even though she hadn't seen my mom since she was 6 years old (mom was in her 50s).

But all my personal coincidences aside, I do agree that running constantly into people you know in Boston does strain credulity.

I once ran into a neighbor when, unbeknownst to both of us, we were vacationing in Norway at the same time.  However, back here in my town in the US, it doesn't happen very often.

[ams1001]

15 minutes ago, Notabug said:

I once ran into a neighbor when, unbeknownst to both of us, we were vacationing in Norway at the same time.  However, back here in my town in the US, it doesn't happen very often.

My parents met another couple while on vacation in Bermuda. They lived about 3 towns over from us. They've been friends for at least 20 years, now.

[Cosmocrush]

So is helping this former customer, now un-housed, is Gina's new full time project?   Why doesn't she give this guy a job or help him find a job instead of spending all day looking for a shelter bed that HE DOESN'T WANT?  Using airline miles for a hotel room was nice but then what? 

[tennisgurl]

Gary was being such a dick in this one he actually made me sympathize with Maggie. Maggie! I hate agreeing with Maggie! I can get being nervous about doing a home birth, but he didn't have to be such a dick about it, bless that midwife for putting up with his crap with such grace. Not that Maggie was coming off as great either, deciding to change your entire birthing plan so close to delivery seems like a really stupid idea, no matter what your thoughts are on home birth vs hospitals. Who just randomly decides they want to totally change where and how they want to have a baby on a whim just because her new friend is doing it? I guess the same genius who didn't bother to talk to HR about maternity leave until she was about to leave work. Of course their new friends immediately have a health scare with their baby, pretty sure every person guessed that was coming in about five seconds. And Evan still isn't funny. He's really making a living as a comic with home birth and Gilligan's Island jokes?  

Nice to see Carter again, he and Greta had surprisingly good chemistry, its hilarious how Greta is so much better with every single person on the show except for Katherine. I thought that, while Carter and Greta were talking about being part of this big movement in LGBTQ history and part of that community Katherine would feel left out, and that she hadn't had a lot of experience being part of the LGBTQ community, but I guess its really that she's thinking of getting married. Was the crossroads that Theo loved Greta or that they said I Love You to each other, which I assumed they had done ages ago considering they live together. Thea hasn't ever been to the Natural History museum at the age of twelve? Its almost like this show keeps forgetting that Theo is almost a teenager and not a five year old. 

Coincidences certainly do happen, and I know that the same people running into each other is just a narrative convention, but the amount times these people run into people at the exact right time in the exact right place is ridiculous. This plot with Eddie in college is really going to annoy me, I just know it. Who still registers in person? Yeah it had to happen because of plot, but its probably a sign of things to come when it comes to the accuracy of the college experience. Please don't let Eddie hook up with the asshole professor, that's a huge violation of ethics even if the professor and student are about the same age. He should probably be taking an intro to psych class anyone, I can imagine that the field has changed since the 90s. 

I guess Regina is trying so desperately to help this guy because he was the last meal she served? If she spends all of her time and money (even if its miles) on trying to save him and his daughter she's going to serving her last meal from her food truck soon, having run yet another business into the ground because she spends all of her time and resources trying to rescue random people. I thought that it might turn out that the guy fixed his problem on his own before Regina could even find him again but of course not, she gets to save the day. Why didn't Regina put the guy and his daughter in Walters old house until they could find something more stable? This situation with Walter seems like its already a problem, Rome works a lot, Regina is spending all of her time trying to find housing for this guy, so now they're just sticking Sophie with him. Those scenes were at least cute between them, maybe helping Walter will give her something to do, although she really needs to find some friends her own age, its too bad her date was apparently lame. 

[Winston Wolfe]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

I guess Regina is trying so desperately to help this guy because he was the last meal she served? If she spends all of her time and money (even if its miles) on trying to save him and his daughter she's going to serving her last meal from her food truck soon, having run yet another business into the ground because she spends all of her time and resources trying to rescue random people.

That was some UCG last night when Regina told Sophie (paraphrasing here) "Well, when my last Restaurant failed....". Regina, here's an idea. Stop trying to save random people who haven't asked for your help and don't really seem to want it. Instead, how about finding the Boston SCORE Chapter and taking some courses around not running one business after the next into the ground? Either that or go to school and become a Social Worker. But doing both jobs ain't exactly working out.

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

Rome works a lot, Regina is spending all of her time trying to find housing for this guy, so now they're just sticking Sophie with him. Those scenes were at least cute between them, maybe helping Walter will give her something to do, although she really needs to find some friends her own age, its too bad her date was apparently lame. 

At this point, does Sophie even have anything in common with young people her own age? Hanging around with the late-30s and early-40s pack of co-dependent weirdos, can she even hold a conversation with her contemporaries? Maybe that's why the off-screen date was so unfulfilling for her.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Winston Wolfe

[JayDub1987]

42 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Why didn't Regina put the guy and his daughter in Walters old house until they could find something more stable?

My wife says that will happen next week. 

[Cosmocrush]

50 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Why didn't Regina put the guy and his daughter in Walters old house until they could find something more stable?

 

8 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

My wife says that will happen next week. 

Probably, but she really doesn't know this guy.  I mean, he was a rando customer who had lost his wife during Covid and Gina has met him twice before this.  I'm not sure Walter would be too pleased to have people he doesn't know, that Rome doesn't even know, living in his home with all his memories and all his stuff.  So of course that's exactly what will happen. 

[amarante]

The problem with home births is that there are no problems until there is an emergency problem in which case being seconds away from medical personnel and equipment is life and death or at the very least preventing some form of disability due to birth trauma.

This is the 21st century and most metropolitan areas have hospitals with birthing suites that are not medical and some midwives actually have privileges at those hospitals if for some reason you don't want an actual doctor to do the birth. But again the doctors and advanced equipment are seconds away if needed.

And the whole AZ scenario is equally ridiculous. There is a huge shortage of home health care attendants - no one is lucky enough to have scores of highly qualified reasonably personable people willing to take a crappy job for minimum wage.

And on the top of economics, how are they even affording the theoretical 24/7 home care that an AZ patient needs because someone has to be with that person 24/7 and except for those mythical inhabitants of A Million Different Things most people don't have friends willing to take care of their friend's AZ parents on a regular basis. I don't think either teaching or a food cart provide enough income for pay 24/7 home care although the father might have enough of a pension and presumably has equity in the home once they sell it.

[KaveDweller]

18 hours ago, redpencil said:

I think I'm about the same age as they are supposed to be, and I hadn't even used the Internet until my freshman year in college (fall 1996). I registered for classes on the phone, at least for the first couple years, and any dropping/adding was done via paper slips.

 

10 hours ago, ams1001 said:

We weren't online yet when I was in college (graduated in 1997; I didn't even get email until my sophomore year and I only set it up then because one of my professors was going on maternity leave at some point before the semester ended so she required we get our accounts set up so she could contact us when the baby came).

I guess different schools started at different times. I started in 1999 and pretty much everything was online, but that was at a pretty large school. But it makes sense that different schools were at different points in the late 90s. 

But I am sure all schools are definitely doing everyone online NOW. Except where Eddie is, of course.

[izabella]

What drives me nuts is that Regina is putting all her energy into running around all day trying to save people who didn't ask for her help, but she has a father in law with AZ, which means she has a family in crisis.  Rome's dad is the one suffering from the disease, but the suffering that comes with AZ happens to the whole family. AZ is a heavy freight train that's just starting to speed up.  Her husband has a history of depression and suicidal thoughts.  That train is going to hit, and it will hit Rome especially hard.  

They need to prepare, and arm themselves with knowledge.  The time Regina spent finding a shelter for someone who didn't want one, she could have spent finding out what AZ does to people and their families, how little support there is for any of it, the few things she and Rome could do to make things easier for all of them, and the short and long term planning they need to be doing right now while dad is still cognizant enough to tell them what he wants.  

I get it.  It's AMLT.  They would rather show Regina hunting down shelters and helping random people than dealing with the realities of an AZ diagnosis in the family.  But then they shouldn't having fucking written an AZ story line.

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by izabella

[CrystalBlue]

Did anyone see the end scene with Maggie and Gary in bed and she just felt a contraction?  Didn't Brand New Friend Claire just have her baby and she was one or two months ahead of Maggie?

I don't get previews because I watch on Hulu so I'm thinking Baby Jon is coming early.

At least there was great music in this episode.  Sam Cooke!!

Sophie is not that great of a singer though.  Just saying.

[LavenderSunset]

7 hours ago, amarante said:

This is the 21st century and most metropolitan areas have hospitals with birthing suites that are not medical and some midwives actually have privileges at those hospitals if for some reason you don't want an actual doctor to do the birth. But again the doctors and advanced equipment are seconds away if needed.

100%  This was the case 20+ years ago when my children were born.  I used a certified nurse midwife for three out of four births.  One was in a hospital and the other two were in a birthing center (medical building) that was right next to a hospital and connected by a hallway.  I loved having a midwife because they are with you during the entire labor, not just the end when you push the baby out.  The midwives I had were excellent at their jobs.

I can certainly see the appeal of a non-hospital setting for Maggie, who associates hospitals with her cancer treatment.  My mouth dropped open when Gary "put his foot down".  OMG  Hell no, Gary.  You don't get to decide where Maggie gives birth.  This isn't the 1950s.

 

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I live in a town of roughly 35K people, where I lived since I was two years old (I'm 47), minus college in another state (four years), another year living in that state a few years after college, and four years living in another town, and I almost never run into people I know.

I live in a large city and I also almost never see people I know, UNLESS it's 2 a.m. and I'm at the pharmacy in my pajamas, buying cold medicine.  (true story)   As for the show, I've just assumed they all live in the same neighborhood.

[circumvent]

12 hours ago, amarante said:

The problem with home births is that there are no problems until there is an emergency problem in which case being seconds away from medical personnel and equipment is life and death or at the very least preventing some form of disability due to birth trauma.

This is the 21st century and most metropolitan areas have hospitals with birthing suites that are not medical and some midwives actually have privileges at those hospitals if for some reason you don't want an actual doctor to do the birth. But again the doctors and advanced equipment are seconds away if needed.

This statement is true in an ideal world. Not so much in the US. There are way too many factors that make things more nuanced than just an emergency and doctors available. The problem with Maggie's ideas was that she just jumped at it as if she was choosing an ice cream flavor. The whole thing requires planning, the midwives know the history, the risks, there are follow ups. Emergencies can happen but being in a hospital is no guarantee that the emergency will be addressed promptly or efficiently. This country has the highest rate of maternal mortality among comparable countries. Guess who dies in the hospitals when there is a real emergency? Women of color. All the personnel and equipment are not a guarantee of anything in the US because healthcare here is a joke. It is unhealthy and it is not caring. And yes, I know great doctors and great nurses but in my experience - and I can say that I have more hospital experience than many, although not more than most, good care is an exception. 

In Maggie's case I think it is better if she goes to the hospital but only because having a home birth would mean that the whole gang would be there, present and yelling throughout the process.

I liked Gary's jabs at our system but it is ridiculous that he would be in the room waiting for the doctor just to talk. It does not happen, it just doesn't.

I hope the writers decide to give Eddie an unconventional, in TV show terms, ending. Meaning, don't pair him with anyone. Some people can be alone, making their way in life, for a period, without romance. It would be even better because Eddie is the conventional "hot and pretty" man TV viewers love. The actor has been doing a good job in this mess of a show, he doesn't need a last minute cranky professor just to have a romance and a promise of happiness, as TV also likes. 

Speaking of cranky professor, while it was ridiculous that she was lashing out at him, would this even happen? Can someone in administration who is not even high ranking, add a slot in a class without consulting the professor who is leading the class? Isn't this a decision that would involve the Dean as well?

Walter's story was well done this week. Sophie being the prefect person to care for him is a stretch. 

Regina has a martyr complex

[ams1001]

4 hours ago, circumvent said:

Speaking of cranky professor, while it was ridiculous that she was lashing out at him, would this even happen? Can someone in administration who is not even high ranking, add a slot in a class without consulting the professor who is leading the class? Isn't this a decision that would involve the Dean as well?

I was thinking the same thing. Especially with a class that small. If it was a big lecture in an auditorium where no one will notice an extra body and even someone sneaking in late would barely be noticed, I could maybe buy it better, but a small seminar class like this appears to be? There's usually a reason the class is that small (especially if it's a requirement for the major...which, if I'm not mistaken, Eddie hasn't even declared, has he? He said he was "thinking about" psych/social work, but that's not a declared major, so why would he get any kind of priority for a class like that, when other students who actually are current majors are on a waitlist? I wonder if the woman who did it will get any kind of discipline for doing it (rhetorical, of course; we all know the answer to that)). I assume this is a decent-sized college and psych is a fairly popular major in my experience; if there wasn't a reason the professor keeps the class small, you'd think it would accommodate more students each semester. 

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

 

Sophie is not that great of a singer though.  Just saying.

OMG!  Sophie was just awful. That was another cringe moment in this episode.  I don't know how they can present her as deeply talented.

[izabella]

Sophie needs to go back to school since she is not doing anything with her teen band anyway, which was supposedly the reason she didn't go to her dream music school.  An uneducated teen with no marketable skills except singing (?) and doing a shitty job assisting at a food truck is going to become a broke adult scrounging for dollars her whole life.

[jalady]

Um, Carter?  Why the hell would you get a tattoo of the name of your husband of six days on your body???  And it’s not like he was a child; he said he was in his 30s, right?  Or are they just making him look like an idiot so he’ll fit in with the rest of “the gang”? 🙄