S05.E17: The Contra Hearings and the Midnight Gambler

[Pallas]

Mark fights for a spot in the Lanford High chamber orchestra; Jackie puts a lottery machine in the Lunch Box.

[Irate Panda]

So the contrabassoon finally comes into play, how exciting.   They should keep the lottery as far away from this show as possible.

[Annber03]

Aw, poor Mark. I think his teacher was right in her explanation, but I also agree with her that Mark's smart enough that he can find another means to achieve his dream. Hopefully he will find it soon. In the meantime, let's see how long it is before Darlene finds out the truth.

I liked the conversation between Dan and Becky at the diner towards the end. Leave it to him to instantly be alert to her potentially finding another addiction - and given her history, it makes sense she would risk falling into that trap again, just with money instead of alcohol this time. Thank goodness Dan caught her before it got too serious too fast. 

That end scene between them was cute, too :). 

Also, for some reason, I got a really good laugh out of Jackie's big rant as she stood up for Billy Bass XD. 

[Starchild]

1 minute ago, Annber03 said:

That end scene between them was cute, too :). 

I don't know if you know what simulcasting is, but for me in Canada the scene got cut off right after Dan said "you know what's great about that"

So, please someone tell me what happened after that line?

[Irate Panda]

31 minutes ago, Starchild said:

I don't know if you know what simulcasting is, but for me in Canada the scene got cut off right after Dan said "you know what's great about that"

So, please someone tell me what happened after that line?

Dan says you know what’s great about that?  It be a perfect gift for anyone in this family. The show ends after that.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Irate Panda

[One Tough Cookie]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

liked the conversation between Dan and Becky at the diner towards the end. Leave it to him to instantly be alert to her potentially finding another addiction

Funny how he can't connect  Becky's addictive personalty to his life long love of beer when--especially where there is a problem.

I totally agreed with Mark's teacher with respect to WHY Mark chose the bassoon vs. the boy who actually LOVED doing it.

[Bastet]

I somehow completely forgot Whoopi was going to be in an episode.  "After a day of listening to my students play, I also drink."  Darlene bowing and pouring booze into Whoopi's drink was good physical comedy during that dinner scene.  But this was very much a "meh" episode for me.

I like the teacher calling music a loophole Mark could squeeze through, not a passion (which is what art needs to be) and how, while sympathetic to his economic plight, she was going to concentrate on her students who had the calling, given their own difficulties.  She was overly dismissive in saying he's smart, so he'll figure it out, but I understand where she's coming from.

And, as a fan of the Harris/Mark relationship, I like her being the one to see right through him when he pretends he's on track. 

Better writers would have included a funny meta line about the lottery.  But I liked the Dan and Becky interaction.  Their relationship has consistently been the best part of the revival and this spin-off, and this was another good example.  I love him telling her other people can do this, but she can't. 

(Also, Dan suggesting he and Becky have a milkshake when he's done reminded me of the fabulous "thick thick?" end scene when they make up after the motorcycle-stealing incident in the original series.)

[Mittengirl]

I haven’t paid much attention to Mark’s contrabassoon storyline, so I am confused - is Mark actually interested in majoring in music in college?  I would think that any school that would offer him a scholarship for playing the bassoon would have it conditional on him actually participating in the orchestra.  If he is as smart as we are told he is, academic scholarships are his best bet.  And scholarships can be stacked, so it isn’t like he has to get one large enough to cover everything.  The hours he spends practicing music would be better spent searching for and applying for every scholarship he has any shot at getting.  

[Irate Panda]

This show never makes any sense….according to the show Mark has great grades and they’re supposedly all poorer than dirt but for some reason nobody thinks he will be qualified for any kind of grant or scholarship.  Why don’t they have him go work at Starbucks and qualify for their tuition program?   The whole contrabassoon story line is still really stupid. I wish they would get rid of the Dan denture voice it’s irritating and while I don’t particularly like the character where was Louise or is she still hiding in the bedroom.

[Arcadiasw]

I'm glad Mark didn't get the scholarship through the bassoon. If Mark is as smart as everyone says he is, he should be able to get an academic scholarship somewhere. It might not be Mark's preferred choice of school but he should be able to get in somewhere, get a degree or transfer to a college of his choice. 

Mark really is a Conner going the lazy, quick route instead of properly working and researching scholarships. I understand Darlene not being able to provide money for Mark's college but seeing how things went for Becky when it came to her schooling when she was Mark's age, why didn’t Darlene and Mark start much sooner in looking into scholarships? Oh yeah. The Conner don't think things through gene. 🤦‍♀️

[EtheltoTillie]

I liked Whoopi as a guest star. 

[greekmom]

I am going to say that I don't buy Whoopi's explanation that she gave the chair to the kid that is passionate about the instrument but not as talented as Mark.

If there were two kids both 6 ft, who played basketball, one had a talent for it but his passion was in mechanical engineering and wanted to become an engineer and not a professional ball player, but the other kid was really passionate about basketball but not as a great of a player and wanted to go pro after college. The college scout will obviously choose the better player despite that the kid doesnt want to be a professional player.  Seriously what Whoopi's character did was just give Mark another stumbling block and the other kid false hope (unless he improves).  I dont think Mark is looking for any easy route to get to college as this was all Darlene's idea initially. Mark was making serious cash writing college entry essays (yes illegally) and saving it for college.

Becky getting hooked on the gambling machine - anyone can see that coming from a mile away.

[Starchild]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

I am going to say that I don't buy Whoopi's explanation that she gave the chair to the kid that is passionate about the instrument but not as talented as Mark.

If there were two kids both 6 ft, who played basketball, one had a talent for it but his passion was in mechanical engineering and wanted to become an engineer and not a professional ball player, but the other kid was really passionate about basketball but not as a great of a player and wanted to go pro after college. The college scout will obviously choose the better player despite that the kid doesnt want to be a professional player.  Seriously what Whoopi's character did was just give Mark another stumbling block and the other kid false hope (unless he improves).  I dont think Mark is looking for any easy route to get to college as this was all Darlene's idea initially. Mark was making serious cash writing college entry essays (yes illegally) and saving it for college.

Becky getting hooked on the gambling machine - anyone can see that coming from a mile away.

No, she said they were equal in ability. Passion was the deciding factor.

[UYI]

Whoopi hasn't been quite as active in her acting career since she's been on The View, so it's always nice to see her in this lane again. She looks fantastic, too--given that she had sepsis a few years ago which almost killed her, it's even more impressive. 

And she was right about Mark. The dinner where the family was trying to impress her so he could get on track for that scholarship was incredibly stupid, but the conversation over why she was passing him over was necessary and if that means the contrabassoon stuff is over now, I'll take it!

Finally, I'm so happy that this gambling story with Becky was dealt with now and not as an ongoing arc. Having Dan realizing what she was doing and where it could lead was smart, and I haven't used that word too much to describe this show!

11 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

 Why don’t they have him go work at Starbucks and qualify for their tuition program?   

You're assuming Lanford actually HAS a Starbucks. :P

(I kid--it may be absurd for this town to have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but even many towns without a Target still have a Starbucks these days, so I'll allow it.) 

[Shermie]

12 hours ago, One Tough Cookie said:

Funny how he can't connect  Becky's addictive personalty to his life long love of beer when--especially where there is a problem.

Are you suggesting it’s Dan’s fault that Becky is an addict? Is he supposed to give up beer even though he’s not an addict?

12 hours ago, One Tough Cookie said:

I totally agreed with Mark's teacher with respect to WHY Mark chose the bassoon vs. the boy who actually LOVED doing it.

This. And Whoopi did a great job.

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

as a fan of the Harris/Mark relationship, I like her being the one to see right through him when he pretends he's on track.

Yes, sibling relationships are often the most intuitive.

3 hours ago, greekmom said:

I am going to say that I don't buy Whoopi's explanation that she gave the chair to the kid that is passionate about the instrument but not as talented as Mark.

If there were two kids both 6 ft, who played basketball, one had a talent for it but his passion was in mechanical engineering and wanted to become an engineer and not a professional ball player, but the other kid was really passionate about basketball but not as a great of a player and wanted to go pro after college. The college scout will obviously choose the better player despite that the kid doesnt want to be a professional player.  Seriously what Whoopi's character did was just give Mark another stumbling block and the other kid false hope (unless he improves). 

I thought she said that their auditions were equal, talent-wise. Mark then asked why he didn’t get the spot because he had been there longer. That’s when Whoopi said that she gave it to the student who actually loved playing and wasn’t using it as a stepping stone to something else.

[Browncoat]

12 hours ago, Bastet said:

(Also, Dan suggesting he and Becky have a milkshake when he's done reminded me of the fabulous "thick thick?" end scene when they make up after the motorcycle-stealing incident in the original series.)

I was really hoping for a scene with them actually having the milkshakes. 

[iMonrey]

Why can't Mark go to a 2-year college and get some required courses out of the way then transfer to a four year college? He seems to think if he doesn't get into Northwestern his life will be over. And yes, there are other scholarships available so it seems like he has a very specific school in mind but he's never said so. Does he even know what he wants to major in? There are also student loans. I know people get in over their heads because of them but if he's smart and only borrows as much as he needs and spends it wisely, he should be able to pay it back. (I don't want to get into the politics of student loan forgiveness here but they aren't a disaster for everyone.)

Darlene's joke about some distant Conner ancestor inventing the wheel then trading it for a beer again points out the writers think it's "funny" the Conners are poor because of their own foolishness and are even self-aware about it. Which makes it even worse.

Quote

(Also, Dan suggesting he and Becky have a milkshake when he's done reminded me of the fabulous "thick thick?" end scene when they make up after the motorcycle-stealing incident in the original series.)

Yes but total coincidence. Becky also griped about how much babysitters cost but in the first season of Roseanne Becky tells her mother that her friend gets $20 from her parents to babysit her siblings. 

[StaceyNotStacie]

57 minutes ago, UYI said:

You're assuming Lanford actually HAS a Starbucks. :P

(I kid--it may be absurd for this town to have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but even many towns without a Target still have a Starbucks these days, so I'll allow it.) 

Even if he wanted to work somewhere else, he’s probably obligated to work at the family restaurant so they don’t have to pay “real” employees. 
 

Why were they hosting the dinner at Dan’s house when they have a nice new house of their own?

[One Tough Cookie]

12 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

was Louise or is she still hiding in the bedroom.

If I were Louise I'd also be hiding in the bedroom--three miles away from that nuthouse. 

[bad things are bad]

Mark would be able to get financial aid,  especially if he's doing well academically.  There should be a decent storyline in that. 

[EtheltoTillie]

24 minutes ago, bad things are bad said:

Mark would be able to get financial aid,  especially if he's doing well academically.  There should be a decent storyline in that. 

Yes, this was raised months ago with the silly contrabassoon plot was started.  Then no one in his school helps him with college counseling?  Whoopi says she has never seen a smart kid like him fail to get in and get a scholarship, but why doesn't she point him to the obvious resources?  He should be able to get a free ride at a state school  Or even a private college, as some (not the Ivies) offer merit scholarships to get top enrollees.  They troll for good SAT scores.  This is well known. 

I still enjoyed seeing Whoopi act again.  I like that she has these side gigs in acting, such as Star Trek. 

Edited March 9, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Arcadiasw]

I forgot but why isn't Harris in college? I thought she did well enough in school to go but couldn't afford it and was working. Did she give all that up for working in a tattoo shop?

It would be nice to see one Conner make it without being forced to leave the show (DJ)

[MrsEVH]

9 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I liked Whoopi as a guest star. 

She was also on The Middle a few years ago playing a Guidance counselour.

Edited March 9, 2023 by MrsEVH

[Mittengirl]

Mark is really smart, poor and gay; those would be good places to start looking for scholarships.  Then, his grandfather was a union member (?), grandmother died of an opioid overdose, stepfather is a small-business owner; those also may be inroads to scholarships.  He, or rather Darlene, should be going after David for child support.  And if he is working for free at Jackie’s restaurant, that should come to an end.  Why should he offer her financial support if she won’t reciprocate?  She should at least be paying him under the table at a rate that benefits them both.

[mythoughtis]

Mark was only working at restaurant that day because Jackie had gone to get the lottery machine. He has a job elsewhere. 

The lottery machine …. Another total unreal possibility. Restaurant video gaming is highly regulated in Illinois. She can’t just go get a machine in an Ohio. 

I thought Mark was at some magnet or private school …not Lanford High -which is the same school his Mom attended.  Lanford is portrayed as a town a hour or so Chicago. Not a huge city.  The local high school isn’t going to have a chamber orchestra.  
 

Mark can go to a perfectly good state college( we have  several).  He can get grants, scholarships and loans just like the rest of the kids do. It’s not like Darlene, David and Ben combined have an extraordinary income.  

Edited March 9, 2023 by mythoughtis

[Irate Panda]

5 hours ago, StaceyNotStacie said:

Even if he wanted to work somewhere else, he’s probably obligated to work at the family restaurant so they don’t have to pay “real” employees. 
 

Why were they hosting the dinner at Dan’s house when they have a nice new house of their own?

 

37 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

Mark is really smart, poor and gay; those would be good places to start looking for scholarships.  Then, his grandfather was a union member (?), grandmother died of an opioid overdose, stepfather is a small-business owner; those also may be inroads to scholarships.  He, or rather Darlene, should be going after David for child support.  And if he is working for free at Jackie’s restaurant, that should come to an end.  Why should he offer her financial support if she won’t reciprocate?  She should at least be paying him under the table at a rate that benefits them both.

I’m pretty sure Mark still works at Whole Foods, he was filling in for a shift because Jackie ran off to get the lottery machine or some nonsense.

[emmyG]

Even though I resent the entire David storyline from the reboot, I've never understood why they didn't make more use of it if they were going to go that direction, and dig into the issues with custody and child support.They wouldn't need him to appear to reference him as a plot device, and it would be convenient for episodes when Mark's not available. It wouldn't even have to be a big impact on their living situation since David probably can't pay much.

But I guess that would risk reminding people that David existed, instead of claiming that Darlene went through her pregnancy entirely on her own.

[ams1001]

That lottery machine looked like a kid's toy...

 

[One Tough Cookie]

56 minutes ago, Irate Panda said:

e, or rather Darlene, should be going after David for child support.  

I imagine that David gave up parental rights in lieu of child support.

Edited March 10, 2023 by One Tough Cookie

[EtheltoTillie]

10 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

That lottery machine looked like a kid's toy...

 

I was going to ask about that as well.  Becky was putting cash money in it.  Wouldn't it fill up quickly?  How does it even work?  Seemed like a McGuffin.  I have never seen anything like that in a retail establishment, i.e., a self-play lottery machine. 

[greekmom]

1 hour ago, mythoughtis said:

I thought Mark was at some magnet or private school …not Lanford High -which is the same school his Mom attended.  Lanford is portrayed as a town a hour or so Chicago. Not a huge city.  The local high school isn’t going to have a chamber orchestra. 

i thought Mark had to drop out of the magnet school because he was buckling under pressure.

But I agree with posters above. Mark should be able to get scholarships. The contrabasson storyline sucks.

[EtheltoTillie]

Yes, I want to chime in again about the college scholarship business:  the way they talk about it is like something out of a 1930s movie or a Dickens novel.  The modern means to send poorer kids to college has been around for decades.  They come across as complete ignoramuses, yet Becky is attending college now.  How is she paying? 

[Irate Panda]

31 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

That lottery machine looked like a kid's toy...

 

That’s what I said, it looked like a little child’s toy cash register or toy computer 🤭.  I wonder if real ones look anything like that?

[emmyG]

17 minutes ago, One Tough Cookie said:

I imagine that David gave up parental rights in lieu of child support.

That's not how that works legally, not unless Ben adopted him. Which would also make for a potential plotline.

Informally the parents can agree "you disappear and never interfere with the kids again and I won't file for support" but that's not binding. She would still be able to file for support at any point if she felt she needed it (and a college application would still ask about his contribution). Formally, it's hard to give up parental rights because it's only allowed in certain circumstances, and you generally STILL owe child support until someone else is formally made the child's parent.

[EtheltoTillie]

7 minutes ago, emmyG said:

That's not how that works legally, not unless Ben adopted him. Which would also make for a potential plotline.

Informally the parents can agree "you disappear and never interfere with the kids again and I won't file for support" but that's not binding. She would still be able to file for support at any point if she felt she needed it (and a college application would still ask about his contribution). Formally, it's hard to give up parental rights because it's only allowed in certain circumstances, and you generally STILL owe child support until someone else is formally made the child's parent.

Yes, I wanted to add this same info. The right to child support really belongs to the child, and the parent can't waive it.  But now we have the mystery David.  As I recall having watched maybe one or two episodes of the Roseanne reboot, Johnny Galecki appeared as a guest star and was not portrayed as a deadbeat.  So much retconning, I don't get it.  You can have parental rights terminated if you are an abusive criminal, but you can't give them up usually unless it's to a new adoptive parent.

Edited March 10, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[One Tough Cookie]

6 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Johnny Galecki appeared as a guest star and was not portrayed as a deadbeat.

Didn't he break it off with Darlene to marry "Blue"?  and seemed to go  off the grid then.  And you would think someone in that dysfunctional family would think  {UNLIKELY} TO ENCOURAGE David to kick in for college, at least.

Edited March 10, 2023 by One Tough Cookie

[MrsEVH]

53 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

That lottery machine looked like a kid's toy...

 

Like something from the JCP or Sears Christmas catalog. 

[ams1001]

10 minutes ago, greekmom said:

But I agree with posters above. Mark should be able to get scholarships. The contrabasson storyline sucks.

I googled "how hard is the contrabassoon to play" and it came up with a list of the 15 hardest orchestra instruments. Bassoon was #6 because of the double reed and the size; I assume a larger bassoon would be even harder. And we're supposed to believe he'd get good enough in a year and a half to get a college scholarship?

I had student loans (they added up to about the average of my four years' tuition; tuition is more than double now, though, so I don't know what it would look like if I were going there today). I also had grants and work study (which was really just spending money). My parents aren't rich but they're comfortable enough and I think their contribution was about half. I also got a higher grant amount for the first three years because my brother was also in college (it dropped by almost 75% my senior year because he graduated the year before me). Mark doesn't have parents with money or other siblings in school; I'm guessing he'd qualify for more aid than I did. He'd do better to focus on academics (if he's as book smart as we've been told) and look for less specialized scholarships. And/or do what my brother did and go to community college then transfer to a state school. He ended up going an extra year because of prerequisites he had to take (for classes that they accepted for transfer, which still amuses me) but it still cost him less than my four years at a private, out-of-state school.

Why doesn't Becky offer to pay Harris for babysitting?

[greekmom]

6 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Why doesn't Becky offer to pay Harris for babysitting?

She barely can afford rent let alone babysitting.

I thought Harris was working at the tattoo shop??

[ItCouldBeWorse]

31 minutes ago, greekmom said:

37 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Why doesn't Becky offer to pay Harris for babysitting?

She barely can afford rent let alone babysitting.

I thought Harris was working at the tattoo shop??

I think @greekmom meant that Becky could pay Harris for babysitting when she isn't working; after all, Harris volunteered to pick Beverly Rose up from school. so she is available at least sometimes when Becky needs help.

23 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I think his teacher was right in her explanation,

I agree, but I don't like that Mark went to the concert thinking he would be playing.  Whoopi should have told him before that she was trying out the other contrabassoonist.

Edited March 10, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[ams1001]

22 minutes ago, greekmom said:

She barely can afford rent let alone babysitting.

I thought Harris was working at the tattoo shop??

Yeah, but she said she was going to hire a babysitter so she didn't impose on the family when Harris offered to pick BR up from school and watch her for a while. If Harris has time and is willing, why not just pay her?

[One Tough Cookie]

45 minutes ago, greekmom said:

She barely can afford rent let alone babysitting.

Yet she airily told Harris she was paying  $10.. for someone to watch the kid!

[izabella]

9 hours ago, StaceyNotStacie said:

Why were they hosting the dinner at Dan’s house when they have a nice new house of their own?

Good question.  Maybe they thought the old house would show Whoopi how much Mark needed a scholarship?  Or was Mark living there still?

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

She barely can afford rent let alone babysitting.

And now she has no money at all until her next paycheck.

2 minutes ago, izabella said:

Good question.  Maybe they thought the old house would show Whoopi how much Mark needed a scholarship?  Or was Mark living there still?

Mark is living in a window seat at his mother's house.

[One Tough Cookie]

12 hours ago, Shermie said:

Are you suggesting it’s Dan’s fault that Becky is an addict? Is he supposed to give up beer even though he’s not an addict?

We have seen, thru original Roseann and this iteration, Dan retreats time and time again to the garage for a beer when things got to real.  And then sit around and would drink frequently around the house for recreation.  It is his fuzzy bear.This  addictive trait can be carried over and I am not be surprised that Becky inherited the same characteristic.

[Irate Panda]

4 hours ago, One Tough Cookie said:

Yet she airily told Harris she was paying  $10.. for someone to watch the kid!

That’s another example of what I don’t understand Becky paying $10/hr for babysitting when she’s offered free babysitting like when Harris turned down free baby clothes.  These people are broke and not paying their bills, but then when people offer them free stuff they don’t want it.

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Yes, this was raised months ago with the silly contrabassoon plot was started.  Then no one in his school helps him with college counseling?  Whoopi says she has never seen a smart kid like him fail to get in and get a scholarship, but why doesn't she point him to the obvious resources?  He should be able to get a free ride at a state school  Or even a private college, as some (not the Ivies) offer merit scholarships to get top enrollees.  They troll for good SAT scores.  This is well known. 

I still enjoyed seeing Whoopi act again.  I like that she has these side gigs in acting, such as Star Trek. 

I was going to ask all the same questions.  It doesn't make sense and is even more unrealistic that the writers have to make Whoopi Goldberg tell him that he's a smart kid and he will figure out how to finance college when he's supposedly smart enough to have figured it out for himself by consulting guidance counselors and the internet for other sources instead of blindly latching onto the dumb typical (and in this case far-fetched) "Conner advice".  At the very least Whoopi's character should have given him some direction.

Plus, I don't really believe that his heart wasn't in playing that instrument.  An instrument that difficult to play, and to play that well, requires a lot of practice and dedication.   I don't think he would have stuck with it and gotten that good at it if his heart wasn't really in it.  In light of that the entire premise of him doing it just for scholarship money is not that believable.  

Edited March 10, 2023 by Yeah No

[Shermie]

13 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Lanford is portrayed as a town a hour or so Chicago. Not a huge city.  The local high school isn’t going to have a chamber orchestra.  

My high school had only 400 students and we had a jr band, sr band, marching band, concert band and stage band. Chamber orchestra wasn’t a thing then around here, but I’m sure my school could have put one of those together too.

I never understood Mark’s choice of instrument. Yes, I know the theory was that the contrabassoon was so obscure that there would only be one, so he’d be a shoe-in (how’d that work out?), but that also limits the number of scholarships out there for that particular instrument. Why not choose something broader like the violin so that there are more opportunities? Yeah, I know, Connor-itus.

And how does that school afford two contrabassoons? It looks expensive, and most music programs can’t just randomly add instruments because a kid shows up who wants it (unless the kid brought his own?). Especially since it seems American schools are horribly underfunded, given that teachers apparently make terrible wages.

Surely Mark’s school has a guidance counsellor whose purpose is to guide students to their future endeavours. Or use the internet. Yeah, I know, Connor-itus.

I notice Darlene’s nice house is starting to look more cluttered and junky. Of course, having a kid live in a window bay in the living room doesn’t help. 

[EtheltoTillie]

I am forced to weigh in again on the dopey toy "lotto" machine.  Maybe it's a fool's errand to apply logic to the Connerverse, but facts are facts, and I'm not even a Lotto player. 

It is common for retailers to sell Lotto tickets, which people buy and hold for the upcoming public drawings.  Everyone buys statewide (or nationwide for the big national games) either picking their favorite number combo or having the machine generate a combo.  The retailers make some money from this.  Supposedly they make extra money if a big hit was purchased at their store.  Anyway, there is no such thing as an instant lottery, unless it's a scratch off, and I saw no evidence that the machine was dispensing scratch off tickets.

The only instant game I know is a slot machine.  And playing one is very addictive.  There are slot machines in retail establishments in Nevada.  They may be common now in other states.  Maybe this should have been a slot machine, not a lotto machine.  Rant over.

My overall point is that the writers insult the audience with both the scholarship misinformation and the lottery misinformation.  I don't like it.

[ljenkins782]

23 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Why can't Mark go to a 2-year college and get some required courses out of the way then transfer to a four year college? He seems to think if he doesn't get into Northwestern his life will be over. And yes, there are other scholarships available so it seems like he has a very specific school in mind but he's never said so. Does he even know what he wants to major in? There are also student loans. I know people get in over their heads because of them but if he's smart and only borrows as much as he needs and spends it wisely, he should be able to pay it back. (I don't want to get into the politics of student loan forgiveness here but they aren't a disaster for everyone.)

Darlene's joke about some distant Conner ancestor inventing the wheel then trading it for a beer again points out the writers think it's "funny" the Conners are poor because of their own foolishness and are even self-aware about it. Which makes it even worse.

Well, if we're counting Conner genes as a factor, this totally tracks. Becky trashed her entire life after one setback (the news that a college fund was gone...how much could that have even been given Roseanne and Dan's terrible money management?) 

And children of parents who don't have the experience of college or hunting for scholarships can struggle to understand how the process works. But a kid like Mark, who's obviously not averse to learning something new as a way to get ahead, should be able to turn to counselors or even the internet for information. 

But I give details like this a pass on sitcoms, watching a kid research stuff on the internet isn't compelling content on a 22 minute comedy. 

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I am forced to weigh in again on the dopey toy "lotto" machine.  Maybe it's a fool's errand to apply logic to the Connerverse, but facts are facts, and I'm not even a Lotto player. 

It is common for retailers to sell Lotto tickets, which people buy and hold for the upcoming public drawings.  Everyone buys statewide (or nationwide for the big national games) either picking their favorite number combo or having the machine generate a combo.  The retailers make some money from this.  Supposedly they make extra money if a big hit was purchased at their store.  Anyway, there is no such thing as an instant lottery, unless it's a scratch off, and I saw no evidence that the machine was dispensing scratch off tickets.

The only instant game I know is a slot machine.  And playing one is very addictive.  There are slot machines in retail establishments in Nevada.  They may be common now in other states.  Maybe this should have been a slot machine, not a lotto machine.  Rant over.

 

They have these in lots of stores in my state. They have scratch offs, but they also have something called "fast play" which is basically a scratch off for people who are too lazy to actually scratch. They print out a paper slip that looks like a scratch off and you just use the ticket checker on the machine to see if it won or lost. They have these machines in convenience stores, smoke shops, liquor stores, even CVS and Rite Aid. They are serviced by the state lottery, not the store employees, but I assume the store gets some kind of profit from them.

However, I don't know if I ever saw one in a restaurant. I don't know if there's any particular restrictions or if restaurants just don't care to have them.

ETA: Ben continues to be my favorite thing on this show. "Eh, if that's not a menu, I'll pass." He has the best lines and the best delivery. I also like the actress who plays Harris, even though the character isn't my favorite. I wish they were on a show that I enjoyed more overall.

Edited March 10, 2023 by ljenkins782