S05.E19: Text Thread and the Marital Bed

[Pallas]

Louise gets into a feud with Becky after accidentally sending a rude message in the family text thread; Darlene tries to spice up her sex life with Ben.

[Annber03]

Darlene's attempts to seduce Ben were hilarious. I loved when she was going on in the kitchen and trying to talk all sexy and Ben was just like, "...what are you babbling on about?" :p. I liked how they talked out that issue at the end. 

Also glad Louise and Becky came to an understanding. 

[Browncoat]

Darlene's sexy dance was hilarious.

[Starchild]

That animal print top. She has a much nicer body than her typical clothing choices would lead you to believe.

[Bastet]

The Darlene and Ben story was well done.  Sara's perfect delivery on "It's not me" (who doesn't want to have sex) set the stage for what was to follow -- the idea that men want sex anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances, is so pervasive that women are made to feel defective if their male partner is ever uninterested.

"Oh, wait, this is how peacocks mate" was funnier than it had any right to be, and Darlene's sexy dance in a leopard print bodysuit was a true LOL scene (from start to finish, but I think my favorite is Febreeze as perfume).  I cannot imagine how many takes that took to get through.

But the best part was the realism, like Darlene saying "I'm so not this person", trying Jackie's "men feel so manly when they're fixing things" advice anyway, and Ben responding by asking what the hell she was mumbling about while he's trying to fix the garbage disposal.  And Darlene pointing out most of the advice articles are written by men.  I like the talk they finally had. 

I really felt for Darlene, putting pressure on herself based on comparisons to Jackie and Louise.  It's such a bad idea to compare one's sex life to other people's (especially other people's stated versions of their sex life -- Jackie overcompensates and, even if I believe Dan has the stamina Louise claims, that's easier to maintain when she's only [until recently] home part of the time).  Sara did a great job with Darlene's vulnerability and insecurity.

Ouch on Louise's text, and her stupid "This is crazy" about Becky being upset.  Complaining about the plethora of pictures, totally fair game, so if that's what Becky had been upset about, especially a day later, then, yes, that would be crazy.  But expecting Becky to quickly shrug off being called a shitty mom when that's her biggest fear was ridiculous.  As was Becky expecting Louise to go somewhere else for Easter.  So I'm glad they all came to their senses after "In this house, we insult each other to our faces" led to the reveal of how many of them talk smack in text, forever preserved.  That story was nowhere near as interesting, but okay.

"Any cute elves you can stir fry for Christmas?" was hilarious.  As was "You should talk, Fantastic Sam" about Jackie's haircut.

Just seeing Mark's "bedroom" in the background still makes me angry, but this was a good episode.

[UYI]

Ben's reactions to Darlene trying to turn him on were absolutely priceless. 

[greekmom]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

Just seeing Mark's "bedroom" in the background still makes me angry, but this was a good episode.

Yep and no Mark.  

The Darlene seduction scenes were funny but in a cringy way.  

Louise could have called out the over sharing of photos but not calling Becky a shitty mom.

[Rocknrollzombie]

Maybe the crappy mom text  got to her because it is the truth she is a shitty mom. If it wasn’t true and Becky  was secure as a ‘good’ mom it wouldn’t bother her.

[EtheltoTillie]

I don’t think Becky is a shitty mom. Her daughter loves her and she does take care of her.  

I found the seduction scenes merely cringey, not all that funny. Not my favorite episode. 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Starchild]

2 hours ago, greekmom said:

Yep and no Mark.  

I'm starting to think of this as Mark spending as much time away from his house and this family as he can possibly manage. From that perspective, not seeing him can make me happy.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Starchild

[Rocknrollzombie]

I read the script and the one of the reasons she wants to do Easter with BR is to one up Emilio’s wife. Like that is just shallow.  Or are we going to forget she gives her parenting duties to other people like Ben like two/one episodes ago.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Rocknrollzombie

[MaryHedwig]

42 minutes ago, Starchild said:

I'm starting to think of this as Mark spending as much time away from his house and this family as he can possibly manage. From that perspective, not seeing him can make me happy.

But a high-school student is off taking care of his toxic great-grandmother? Really? Couldn't they have just said he was off to science camp?

[iMonrey]

I actually thought this was a pretty good episode for a change. Darlene trying to seduce Ben was hilarious, and Sara Gilbert took her character in a direction we haven't seen before. She's usually the one standing aside making caustic commentary on everything else, not the goofy one doing silly things out of character. It was a really nice change of pace and showed a side of Darlene we never see anymore.

[Browncoat]

21 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I actually thought this was a pretty good episode for a change. Darlene trying to seduce Ben was hilarious, and Sara Gilbert took her character in a direction we haven't seen before. She's usually the one standing aside making caustic commentary on everything else, not the goofy one doing silly things out of character. It was a really nice change of pace and showed a side of Darlene we never see anymore.

It reminded me a lot of the episode in the original series where Darlene developed a crush on some boy (Barry?), borrowed Becky's clothes and tried to flirt.  There were some great bloopers during the credits for that ep.

[MrsEVH]

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

It reminded me a lot of the episode in the original series where Darlene developed a crush on some boy (Barry?), borrowed Becky's clothes and tried to flirt.  There were some great bloopers during the credits for that ep.

I loved that episode. Also the one where Dan & Roseanne, Jackie & Fred caught Darlene and a boy making out.

[Yogisbooboo64]

Maaan, Darlene was cracking me the feck up this eppy, I almost choked on my pepperoni pizza during her ‘sexy dance’ to Ben!  Sara does have a hot and lithe body when she wants to show it off.

Love you Louise but damn, what you said about Becky was downright mean.

I thought all that Ben does for the family would have been the thing that had him not wanting sex with Darlene…..mmmm, me likey Jay R. Ferguson’s beard and haircut!

[babyhouseman]

They're taking Darlene out of her comfort zone. Remember how she dressed for the job interview.

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Browncoat said:

It reminded me a lot of the episode in the original series where Darlene developed a crush on some boy (Barry?), borrowed Becky's clothes and tried to flirt.  There were some great bloopers during the credits for that ep.

LOL, I kept thinking about that episode, too :D. I love that scene at the end of that episode, none of them can get through that with a straight face. It's great XD. 

[CrystalBlue]

Finally an episode which was funny all the way through, not just some random jokes thrown in in an otherwise shitshow.

I agree with those who found Darlene's sexy dance and cute outfit hilarious and a fun side of Darlene we rarely see.

Ben was good as usual.  I thought the reveal with his lack of interest, partially blamed on lack of time, would be an issue with sexual dysfunction he was embarrassed to talk about.  The show did a good job of not relying on that and I liked Darlene and Ben's conversation.

It was nice having Louise at the Lunch Box and at home.  I would have preferred to have Mark in the episode and not Mary.

A fun episode.

[rmontro]

21 hours ago, Starchild said:

That animal print top. She has a much nicer body than her typical clothing choices would lead you to believe.

That crossed my mind.  It also crossed my mind that there was probably a padded bra under there.

[One Tough Cookie]

10 hours ago, greekmom said:

The Darlene seduction scenes were funny but in a cringy way

yep.

[Brn2bwild]

12 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I don’t think Becky is a shitty mom. Her daughter loves her and she does take care of her.  

I found the seduction scenes merely cringey, not all that funny. Not my favorite episode. 

 

And even if she were, that's a horrible thing for her stepmother to say.  There was already tension between them before this.  

[Yeah No]

I think it's interesting that the show is choosing to portray Louise as capable of sending a text like that.  I feel like we're seeing a side of her the show hasn't let us see until now.  It makes her more human but also more imperfect than previously portrayed. 

Darlene's "sexy dance" to try to win Ben's attention reminded me of Amy trying to get Sheldon's romantic attention on BBT.  A cringe-fest but funny at the same time.  I felt a little tongue in cheek humor there, as if it was intentionally cringey but for humor's sake.  And I think it was successful at that.

Now with the two houses I never know who's going to turn up in which house.  

Not the best episode, but definitely not the worst.  It had its moments.

[MrsEVH]

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I think it's interesting that the show is choosing to portray Louise as capable of sending a text like that.  I feel like we're seeing a side of her the show hasn't let us see until now.  It makes her more human but also more imperfect than previously portrayed. 

I think we all have a friend/relative like Becky who constantly posts kid pictures or other things on social media. You want to just say something because it drives you nuts but you have to be careful on how you do it.

Edited April 7, 2023 by MrsEVH

[Irate Panda]

I think this was one of the better episodes and for once I liked Darlene.  Her ”seduction” scene was cringeworthy and funny.  Good to see her and Ben on the same page.  Also, Ben’s taking care of basically everyone in the entire Connor family to some extent except maybe Jackie no wonder he’s stressed out.

I get Louise’s frustration about the pics, but I think it was ridiculous to think Becky should get over being called a shitty mom in 5 minutes.  I thought Dan pointing out everyone’s texts made it easier to see they all say trifling things, but these are people that normally do say crap to each other’s faces.  Has Louise ever really insulted Becky/ the Connors to their faces before? This is a legit question I usually fast forwarded a lot of this show. She maybe did with Jackie about Neville but I really can’t remember.  
 

Anyway if you’re the “respectable” one sometimes the insult can be more jarring because the person is not use to you saying derogatory things, so they might take your statement more seriously, which is why Becky flew off the handle so quick.  Plus, I don’t think it’s odd for Becky to feel insecure even if she’s a good mom.  She does rely a lot on her family and probably feels guilty about it although I don’t find it odd she has to ask for help since she has a lot on her plate.  The only time I shook my head on that end was when she was expecting Ben to take care of things for not only BR but her friend and with no notice.

Overall, this was one of the better episodes,  I wish we saw more of this Darlene.  On a side note, I wish they’d address Dan’s slurring or whatever is going on.  I heard John Goodman in an interview recently and he didn’t have it so it must be a character choice but is he suppose to have bad dentures or is it his drinking or another health problem?

[mythoughtis]

Why would  people who either live in the same house or spend all their waking moments there need a group text that involves every member of the family?  
 

Darlene, Harris, Louise, Ben and Dan are not people who go in for group texts in this way.  Plus all of the above would have nipped the zillion pictures of Beverley Rose in the bud a long time ago.  In addition, Becky would be posting on Facebook or instagram in the first place 

[juliet73]

I guess I'm in the minority here because I thought the Darlene / Ben storyline was awful!  They've had sex once since they moved into that house - they've lived there for months! As a newlywed couple, I would think this would have been brought up way before now. Darlene trying to talk / be sexy with Ben was total cringe!  They literally have no chemistry together and Darlene acting so over the top trying to get his attention was frustrating to watch - like she wouldn't know what would turn him on.  I just can't buy them as a couple...at all.  I thought when he was lying to her about having to stay at work,  he was having an affair. 

[emmyG]

It's funny but sad. Because yeah, this storyline only seems to contribute to the idea that Darlene and Ben are a terrible couple who absolutely should not be together. (I keep thinking back to Jackie and Fred's short marriage.) All season we keep seeing how out-of-sync they are.

[b4pjoe]

During the scene where Ben was under the cabinet working on the garbage disposal all I could think of is why is the garbage disposal not working in a brand new house. I was expecting Mike Holmes to burst in and 'Make it Right'.

[kassa]

I keep wondering why Darlene's house is nicer than mine but she's still waving the "we're just trash!" flag every chance she gets. I assume Ben is a college graduate? I know she got pregnant with Harris but did she ever graduate later? She aimed higher when she was in grade school rolling her eyes at her parents' economies. Maybe she's disappointed that she's not further ahead of the family she intended to leave in the dust, but I guess the bitterness just swallowed her up in the end. Unlike Becky, who is clawing her way back to the upward mobility she aspired to pre-Mark (original recipe Mark). 

I did find the dance funny because... the things you do for love.

I missed that Mark was caring for Bev, but I am trying to remember if there was ever antagonism between Becky and Darlene and Bev. Sometimes bad moms make good grandmas (and Becky DID name her child after her). I seem to recall her slipping the kids money to stick it to Roseanne, but of course Grandpa Harris was an awesome grandad too before the great revision. 

I think Darlene and Becky admired Nana Mary but nobody named a kid after HER. And she was awful to Bev.

 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, kassa said:

I think Darlene and Becky admired Nana Mary but nobody named a kid after HER.

D.J. did.

[kassa]

You're right!  

[JAYJAY1979]

Becky is one of those mothers that never shut up about their kids and I would be like Louise and say something about it.

Darlene's attempts at being seductive remind me of OG Roseanne in season 3 when she was trying to impress a guy by wearing Becky's dress and trying to wink and be girly with hilarious results as Roseanne/Jackie/Becky are looking on in shock over the train wreck in front of them.

[mostlylurking]

On 4/6/2023 at 10:07 PM, Brn2bwild said:

And even if she were, that's a horrible thing for her stepmother to say. 

I agree.  I don’t think Becky is a shitty mom at all.  She’s trying her best, she loves her kid.  Sure she overcompensates at times, but who doesn’t.  I think what Louise said was awful, and it was even shittier when she couldn’t understand why Becky wouldn’t just let it go.

On 4/12/2023 at 8:44 PM, JAYJAY1979 said:

Becky is one of those mothers that never shut up about their kids and I would be like Louise and say something about it.

I get that and it would be ok for Louise to call her out on that but to say she’s a bad mom is extremely fucked up, even if it were true.  

Darlene’s sexy talk and dance had me both hiding my eyes in second hand embarrassment and also just laughing super hard.  Seeing Mark’s window seat bedroom also made me laugh  (even though it’s super messed up). 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 4/7/2023 at 3:48 PM, mythoughtis said:

Darlene, Harris, Louise, Ben and Dan are not people who go in for group texts in this way.  Plus all of the above would have nipped the zillion pictures of Beverley Rose in the bud a long time ago.  In addition, Becky would be posting on Facebook or instagram in the first place 

Louise needed to:

1) mute the family chat so she wouldn't get constant notifications and could instead check in a few times a day. Tell people that if there's an emergency, someone would need to contact her directly.

2) change the settings on her phone so that photos that are texted to her are not automatically saved to her phone. I don't have an iPhone, but I assume that's something that can be done very easily.

On 4/7/2023 at 11:48 AM, Irate Panda said:

Anyway if you’re the “respectable” one sometimes the insult can be more jarring because the person is not use to you saying derogatory things, so they might take your statement more seriously, which is why Becky flew off the handle so quick.

Agreed. If it's out of character, she must mean it. Plus, Louise sent the message to a family outsider. It felt like a betrayal.

On 4/7/2023 at 11:48 AM, Irate Panda said:

Also, Ben’s taking care of basically everyone in the entire Connor family to some extent except maybe Jackie no wonder he’s stressed out.

I agree. However, unless he's disputing the electric bill, it should take about 2 minutes to pay online. Bill-paying no longer involves checks, envelopes and stamps. However, he's probably paying vendor invoices at work all the time and needs a break when he's at home. Darlene has a 9-5 job, and Ben doesn't. She should offer to pay the bills. 

 

 

 

[ESS]

I didn't like this episode at all...Louise saying Becky was a bad mother it just seemed so out of character of her because in s2 or s3 when she and Dan were talking she said to him she wanted her relationship with Dan's kids to be a good one if she was gonna be in their lives(at that time) and now you've got her saying Becky's a bad mother? makes no sense to me at all and I didn't like that. I got the impression maybe why Louise said that was that she did resent Becky for having a kid and just regretted not having any, but anyway I'm glad they made up in the end, but this episode just didn't do it for me. 

Edited March 3 by ESS