S02.E21: Mom

[DearEvette]

Quote

Janine’s plan for a Memorial Day weekend solo trip is derailed when her mother shows up unannounced asking for help. Elsewhere, Gregory notices his colleagues are great at small talk and realizes he needs to brush up on his people skills.

Airdate: 04/12/2023

[Annber03]

"Long weekends just delay the inevitable. It's still a Monday even if it's masquerading as a Tuesday." 

Truth, Melissa. 

Awwwwwwww, so much great interaction between Barbara and Janine this episode. Melissa was ultimately right about not getting in the middle of the family drama, but I totally get Barbara wanting to do so. I liked how she checked in to make sure Janine's trip was still happening, and her concern at the thought that she might've given up the whole thing to help her mom. 

As for said mom, yeah, she is definitely A LOT (it says a lot that she managed to intimidate Ava - here I was thinking they'd hit it off, but no), but her general personality and demeanor here explains so much about Janine, and her sister, for that matter. Great casting, too, 'cause yeah, you could see how different they were,  but there were those little similarities, too. Surface ones, perhaps, but they were there.

Janine's relationship with her mom also explains a lot about her relationship with Tariq. 

Liked Gregory making a breakthrough with the baseball stuff. I'm with him, I feel awkward with small talk, too. And I LOVED Jacob and the magic tricks at the beginning, that was great ;D. 

[Crashcourse]

It was interesting to finally see Janine's mom, but I don't need to see her again.

I loved Jacob's magic tricks.  Melissa was a sourpuss.  

I loved Gregory's breakthrough baseball talk with Shanae, but the look the nurse gave him cracked me up. 🤣

Oh, and didn't Ava say something about being afraid the mom would/could beat her up?  

[kathyk24]

11 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

"Long weekends just delay the inevitable. It's still a Monday even if it's masquerading as a Tuesday." 

Truth, Melissa. 

Awwwwwwww, so much great interaction between Barbara and Janine this episode. Melissa was ultimately right about not getting in the middle of the family drama, but I totally get Barbara wanting to do so. I liked how she checked in to make sure Janine's trip was still happening, and her concern at the thought that she might've given up the whole thing to help her mom. 

As for said mom, yeah, she is definitely A LOT (it says a lot that she managed to intimidate Ava - here I was thinking they'd hit it off, but no), but her general personality and demeanor here explains so much about Janine, and her sister, for that matter. Great casting, too, 'cause yeah, you could see how different they were,  but there were those little similarities, too. Surface ones, perhaps, but they were there.

Janine's relationship with her mom also explains a lot about her relationship with Tariq. 

Liked Gregory making a breakthrough with the baseball stuff. I'm with him, I feel awkward with small talk, too. And I LOVED Jacob and the magic tricks at the beginning, that was great ;D. 

Janine stayed with Tariq for so long because it was like living with her mom. It also explains why she was friends with  Sahar they both could manipulate her. I had no idea Jacob could do magic it was nice to see Ava enjoying it rather picking on him.

[kwnyc]

20 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Liked Gregory making a breakthrough with the baseball stuff.

You have to suffer a lot to be an Orioles' fan. ;-)

[rollacoaster]

The look on Melissa's face at the end when she saw Jacob's bent spoon! 😆

It was nice to see the gang rally around and be supportive of Janice's solo trip, and great to see her set a firm boundary with her mom. Janine really has grown a lot this season, hasn't she. 

I thought Taraji was short, but, DAMN, if she didn't tower over Janine. I noticed that the colors in her pants echoed the colors in Janice's dress. 

Ava definitely recognized that she was outmatched, lol. 

[irisheyes]

12 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

You have to suffer a lot to be an Orioles' fan. ;-)

Preach. Fell in love in ‘83 and have suffered ever since. 😀 

(And they just lost to the freakin’ A’s. 🤨🤨)

[buttersister]

Quote

Melissa was a sourpuss. 

Oh, but the queen of hearts on her back was priceless, ha, just ask those kids!

Taraji understood the assignment of looking into the camera. And it was all worth it when Janine's work mom took her shopping. Nicely played all the way around.

[Phebemarie]

35 minutes ago, irisheyes said:

Preach. Fell in love in ‘83 and have suffered ever since. 😀 

(And they just lost to the freakin’ A’s. 🤨🤨)

But you do have the totally awesome Adley Rutschman, future Hall of Famer (if his opening day hitting is an indication of his future potential) as your catcher.   

I haven't seen the show yet (West coast, here), but I did like how Janine's mom shut Ava down in the clip I saw.  Nice that she didn't let Ava call Janine a name.

[Ms Blue Jay]

As an enormous baseball fan I would have hated someone telling me the score (I go home and watch the recording later LOL) but I think it was made clear that Shenae (?) really wanted to know the score, so that's ok then.

I would have never pegged Gregory for liking baseball, but he's always throwing curveballs (pun) with what he likes.

I was such a big fan of Cookie Lyon until I felt like she was kinda ruined in the second season so I had really built up this Taraji spot in my head.  It was kind of a disappointment.  Ava being scared of her was good though.  It was really more about Janine's growth as a person and learning to set a boundary and taking care of herself.

I kept wondering if the phone thing was going to be a lie, but that was sidestepped by Janine saying she would go directly to the source.  Obviously she had no suspicions that it was a lie, but I was surprised that it wasn't.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[Annber03]

29 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

As an enormous baseball fan I would have hated someone telling me the score (I go home and watch the recording later LOL) but I think it was made clear that Shenae (?) really wanted to know the score, so that's ok then.

I'm not even one who follows sports and that was the first thing that came to my mind, too :p!

[Ms Blue Jay]

8 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I'm not even one who follows sports and that was the first thing that came to my mind, too :p!

Probably because we grew up with examples like Martin on "Frasier" or even Frasier not wanting to know what happens at the end of a movie or a play 😄

@Annber03 I remembered the episode -- It was the one Felicity Huffman was on, one of my favourites "A Man, A Plan, and a Gal Julia" she spoils the baseball game for Martin  😄

Edited April 13, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

It was interesting to finally see Janine's mom, but I don't need to see her again.

I agree.  It would have been nice if the character had a storyline that wasn't so obviously telegraphed.  I did like seeing that she wasn't going to tolerate Ava's insults of Janine for even a moment, and that Ava was intimidated into backing down.

I kind of rolled my eyes at Gregory trying to make small talk with the school nurse.  It's one thing to not be great at small talk.  It's another to write the guy like he's barely able to hold a conversation.   

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I kind of rolled my eyes at Gregory trying to make small talk with the school nurse.  It's one thing to not be great at small talk.  It's another to write the guy like he's barely able to hold a conversation.   

He wants to be princiPAL, and he didn't even realize how important it is in that role to be able to speak to everyone in the school.  It's something he needs to learn and I can understand he's not the best at it.  Social anxiety makes people react in weird ways.

[kwnyc]

40 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I would have never pegged Gregory for liking baseball, but he's always throwing curveballs (pun) with what he likes.

I went to college there and that's when I fell in love with the Os (I worked as an usher for them all through school. Os are my AL team and Phillies are my NL team.) 

And remember: Gregory likes BALTIMORE pizza. (Not!)

[possibilities]

At first, I was happy that Janine's mom was saying she was proud of her and not letting anybody cut her down. But then I wondered if it was part of buttering her up for the money. 

 

[BAForever]

Oh Janine, I love you even more for knowing how hard your childhood must have been. You've grown up to be a kind, smart and loving adult. So proud of you. ❤️

[Blakeston]

The initial conversation with Shanae was pretty strange. She didn't just decline to do a favor for him - she acted like she was angry at his presence. (You'd think she'd at least be pleasant to him based on him being Jacob's friend.) I thought they were going to reveal that there was bad blood between her and Gregory.

Gregory being bewildered by small talk is one more entry on the long list of indicators that he may be on the autism spectrum, along with the extreme food sensitivities, his inability to understand his students' drawings, and his rigid scheduling.

[Empress1]

11 hours ago, rollacoaster said:

The look on Melissa's face at the end when she saw Jacob's bent spoon! 😆

That was better than some of Gregory’s looks. Hilarious!

So Mom doesn’t really have a job, right?

It would bug me if Barbara overstepped in my life but I was moved by what it meant to Janine. And her making sure Janine had everything she needed for her trip (“girl, let me get my bag”) had me saying “awwww.”

Ava (whose dress I loved, though I’d prefer it in a color) is right: the key to not getting your ass kicked us recognizing who can kick your ass! 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Empress1

[Aileen]

3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

The initial conversation with Shanae was pretty strange. She didn't just decline to do a favor for him - she acted like she was angry at his presence. (You'd think she'd at least be pleasant to him based on him being Jacob's friend.) I thought they were going to reveal that there was bad blood between her and Gregory.

Gregory being bewildered by small talk is one more entry on the long list of indicators that he may be on the autism spectrum, along with the extreme food sensitivities, his inability to understand his students' drawings, and his rigid scheduling.

I assumed he was generally cold/stand offish to her in the past, so she took that for rudeness.

[tennisgurl]

We finally get to meet Janine's much talked about but never seen mother, and she is a LOT to take in. You really can see how Janine is the way she is, especially in her relationship with Tariq. She probably felt like being with him felt familiar because she's used to playing parent to an immature attention sponge who constantly needs her to bail them out. Janine's mom actually feels a lot like Ava, but possibly even more so. Ava certainly recognizes game when she sees it! So nice to see Janine set some boundaries with her mom, she helped her but made it clear that she's not going to keep enabling her, she really has grown a lot. 

I kept waiting to find out that Janine's mom's job was made up or something ridiculous, like an obvious pyramid scheme or being a cam girl. 

Barbara was probably wrong to get involved in Janine's family drama, but it was still so sweet to see how much she cares about Janine, even willing to give her mom money if it meant that Janine could afford to go on her trip. You know how much that meant to Janine, she looked so shocked and happy with Barbara announced that they were going shopping. 

Gregory really does need to work on some basic small talk skills if he wants to be principle, its a good skill for a leader to have. I can totally see Gregory being a baseball fan, its a sport that can involve a lot of calculations and strategy with has a sort of old world charm to it that Gregory would find comforting.

Who knew Jacob was actually really good at magic? It was really fun seeing how impressed Ava and the kids were by his tricks, that last one really was impressive. Melissa's face at the end!

[luckyroll3]

11 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I would have never pegged Gregory for liking baseball, but he's always throwing curveballs (pun) with what he likes.

I wasn't surprised at all. I actually yelled to the TV, "He likes baseball cause it's boring just like him!" [Runs and hides from all the baseball fans in the thread! 😜] 

[callie lee 29]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

 

Ava (whose dress I loved, though I’d prefer it in a color) is right: the key to not getting your ass kicked us recognizing who can kick your ass! 

It reminded me of a bit in a Bill White sketch when he was getting kicked out of a bar "I don't know how many (bouncers) it was going to take to kick my ass, but I knew how many they were going to use". 

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

 

It would bug me if Barbara overstepped in my life but I was moved by what it meant to Janine. And her making sure Janine had everything she needed for her trip (“girl, let me get my bag”) had me saying “awwww.”

I liked that Barbara was so much in Janine's corner, but I wish the episode hadn't turned into good mommy versus bad mommy.  

[DearEvette]

This one had me in my feels, ngl.  But it did a good job of paying off what they have set up for a long time with Janine and with her sister.  I felt so bad for Janine during that entire cell phone interaction.  The manipulation is so real. The cold fact is that there are parents who are like Vanetta -- who are warm and loving and will throw down at the mere hint of anyone coming for their kid but at the same time are vain, selfish and feel that a parent-child relationship is transactional.  They paid for you while you were a kid but now that you are an adult you owe them for being your parent.

It was a little on the nose, but it gave Taraji the opportunity to chew some scenery and it was great casting.

Jacob was an MVP this episode. The cold  open was fun.  Ava being so impressed by Jacob instead of clowning him and then the end tag with Melissa's 'Am I seeing this?' face.  Also his relationship with Shanae was a surprise but a nice one.

Of course Gregory is bad at small talk.  Most introverts are.  And he is more introverted than most.  I have always seen him as a rules driven, chain of command person as raised by a man in the military would be.  But yeah, being a Principal is as much a political science as it is professional training.  A head of any organization is going to have to be the chief schmoozer as well.

1 hour ago, luckyroll3 said:

I wasn't surprised at all. I actually yelled to the TV, "He likes baseball cause it's boring just like him!" [Runs and hides from all the baseball fans in the thread! 😜] 

Ha!  I had a roommate in college who was a die hard Mets fan.  She had them on tv all the time.  I just could not ... I thought baseball was barely above golf in which, imo, is slightly above watching paint dry in interest level.  But she did convince me to go to a Mets game with her and I have to say, while I still think baseball is not for me and can barely sit five minutes looking at a game on tv, being at the game was so fun.  The atmosphere at a baseball game in the stadium can't be beat.  So I will go to a game in person in a heartbeat.

Some other funny bits:

Janine clutching those poor kids’ head and squishing them while she was listening to the footsteps of her mother.  

Vanetta’s inflection when she said ‘Boy…’ after that student called her grandma Teagues

Ava knowing Vanetta could and would kick her ass, especially of she tried to bully Janine.  LOL.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, luckyroll3 said:

I wasn't surprised at all. I actually yelled to the TV, "He likes baseball cause it's boring just like him!" [Runs and hides from all the baseball fans in the thread! 😜] 

No, baseball is boring.  We are completely aware of that even as fans.

14 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Some other funny bits:

Janine clutching those poor kids’ head and squishing them while she was listening to the footsteps of her mother.  

LOL I agree, that was so funny.

[possibilities]

I thought it was a very noticeable that Janine did not ask her mother what the new work at home job was. She knew it was either  non-existent or otherwise unsavory.

[HelloooKitty]

I am just so proud of our girl for setting some boundaries and standing up for herself and following through!

Just now, possibilities said:

I thought it was a very noticeable that Janine did not ask her mother what the new work at home job was. She knew it was either  non-existent or otherwise unsavory.

I figured it was an MLM. Maybe with essential oils or perfumes after Melissa mentioned how good she smelled. 

[possibilities]

An MLM is shady, and your reasoning makes sense. I had been thinking hooker or "influencer".

[Bookish Jen]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

An MLM is shady, and your reasoning makes sense. I had been thinking hooker or "influencer".

Only Fans?

[TigerLily20]

I was super happy to hear Ocean City Maryland get a shout out lol, and that it seemed the better option than Jersey (as a MD girl OCMD was my vacation spot and have only been to NJ once).  I enjoyed the episode even if it was hard to watch the interaction.  I was glad to see Barbra step up for her, especially since she had a bit of a meaner streak in earlier episodes. 

[MicheleinPhilly]

I have never loved Ms. Barbara more than I did in this episode. ❤️

[JenLily]

Mr. Lily and I howled - howled - when Ava clocked the very real threat that Vanetta was sending her way and then turned tail and ran. "The key to never getting your ass beat? Knowing when someone can beat your ass." Indeed, Ava.

Did anyone else notice that Taraji and Quinta made the exact same face when Ava was talking? I loved that little acting detail - people who live together really do adopt each others' mannerisms.

My heart absolutely broke when the camera swung around to show that Janine heard the conversation between her mother and Barbara. All I kept thinking was, she must be so embarrassed. It's one thing to have to deal with the messiness that comes with your mom and to tell yourself (and others) whatever you need to just to get by. But to have someone you love and respect bear witness to that dynamic? There's nowhere to hide anymore. I don't believe for a second Janine would've been able to set those boundaries if she hadn't witnessed their exchange and been forced to confront her relationship with the clarity that came with Barbara's eyes.

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

An MLM is shady, and your reasoning makes sense. I had been thinking hooker or "influencer".

I dunno, I don't read Vanetta as harshly as that.  My full on headcanon for her is that she was that girl in high school -- young, cute, popular, always had the freshest clothes, was a little 'fast' (as someone like Barbara would call it).  She got pregnant young and became a single mother (I don't recall there was mention of a father at home).  But she maintained that vision of herself as the young, cute, always had the freshest clothes, etc.  even a reality did not match up.  And that is where some of her resentment and selfishness comes from.

I see her as an An Ava without the steady, lucrative pay of the principal job or a Tariq but will real beefs, not imaginary ones.   She is always someone with a side hustle because she doesn't want to actually work a full time job.  She's probably done things like Amway or LuLaRoe but even those require too much effort.  She definitely mooches and, as we saw, she is a petty thief.  I can't see her being an actual hooker because A) I don't think the show would go that dark and b) it seems like it would be hard work.

[853fisher]

I used to obsessively follow casting news for "my" shows, but I'm trying to spend less time online now.  I am so glad I got to b e surprised by Taraji!  It was interesting to read that she was a substitute teacher before her career took off.

I could be way off, but Jacob's magic tricks felt like something Chris enjoys in real life.  Maybe he did a few on set and someone decided to work that into the script.  Either way, it was fun to see, and see Jacob get celebrated.

[Sarahsmile416]

Not the main part of this episode, but I am enjoying the little ways Janine and Gregory are starting to interact with each other in a different way.  Gregory saying he was staying but would walk with her was touching and really genuine.  I don’t like the will they-won’t they crap, but for the most part, I think they have handled the burgeoning relationship deftly.  

I love Ava I really do, but I am getting tired of her cutting down Janine episode after episode.  When is the episode going to come when she actually treats her with some respect? 

[shoregirl]

4 hours ago, TigerLily20 said:

I was super happy to hear Ocean City Maryland get a shout out lol, and that it seemed the better option than Jersey (as a MD girl OCMD was my vacation spot and have only been to NJ once).  I enjoyed the episode even if it was hard to watch the interaction.  I was glad to see Barbra step up for her, especially since she had a bit of a meaner streak in earlier episodes. 

Even as a Jersey girl OCNJ is not where I would go on a girl trip. I love it but it's marketed as a family resort and is a dry town. Not to say you have to drink to have fun but it's also nice to be able to go to dinner and have a glass of wine or something. 

[Phebemarie]

On 4/12/2023 at 7:49 PM, Phebemarie said:

But you do have the totally awesome Adley Rutschman, future Hall of Famer (if his opening day hitting is an indication of his future potential) as your catcher.   

Quoting myself because Abbott Elementary is getting credit for predicting Adley Rutschman’s walk off home run.  

https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/adley-rutschman-gets-shoutout-on-abbott-elementary.html

Edited April 14, 2023 by Phebemarie

[Blakeston]

Did I imagine it, or was there a line about how great Xfinity is?

I really would prefer not to hear blatant advertisements for Comcast in my shows. Especially because I found it to be a nightmare dealing with that company, and I'm thrilled that I now live in place where I can choose a different option.

[callie lee 29]

Well I find someone I like less than the sister, although I did kinda like her coat. Totally unrealistic on Florida though.

Ava being delighted by Jacobs magic made my night. At first I thought she was just screwing  with him but she had that childlike enjoyment, it was actually kinda sweet. 

I'm glad Janine took her vacation. I was worried she'd give all the money tho her mom. And now I need to look up Ocean City, MD. A friend of mine is moving to MD three end of the month so maybe a good beach for for her 

Go Rays (who apparently are doing good right now).

[roseslg]

1 hour ago, callie lee 29 said:

Well I find someone I like less than the sister, although I did kinda like her coat. Totally unrealistic on Florida though.

Ava being delighted by Jacobs magic made my night. At first I thought she was just screwing  with him but she had that childlike enjoyment, it was actually kinda sweet. 

I'm glad Janine took her vacation. I was worried she'd give all the money tho her mom. And now I need to look up Ocean City, MD. A friend of mine is moving to MD three end of the month so maybe a good beach for for her 

Go Rays (who apparently are doing good right now).

Florida?

[pvandal]

On 4/12/2023 at 7:10 PM, irisheyes said:

Preach. Fell in love in ‘83 and have suffered ever since. 😀 

(And they just lost to the freakin’ A’s. 🤨🤨)

Try being a Mariners fan. The only team that has never been to the World Series. 🤨😀

 

Ava enjoying the magic even more than the kids was great.

[SilverLake0315]

3 hours ago, roseslg said:

Florida?

I'm confused, too.

[SnarkyMcSnarkerson]

1 hour ago, SilverLake0315 said:

I'm confused, too.

I think it means that poster loves the coat but it's unrealistic for them to wear in FL because it was such a heavy looking fur thing, way too hot. I think?

[DanaMB]

Florida is in reference to the “Go Rays” comment in @callie lee 29’s post. The Tampa Bay Rays have won 13 games in a row. 

Edited April 14, 2023 by DanaMB

[SilverLake0315]

1 hour ago, SnarkyMcSnarkerson said:

I think it means that poster loves the coat but it's unrealistic for them to wear in FL because it was such a heavy looking fur thing, way too hot. I think?

Ah! I can read it the way it was meant now  lol  Thanks! 

[callie lee 29]

10 hours ago, roseslg said:

Florida?

Yep. I'm a couple hours away from Tampa. I'm not a big baseball fan but I support home teams. 😁😁

[incandescent]

On 4/13/2023 at 9:05 AM, Empress1 said:

It would bug me if Barbara overstepped in my life but I was moved by what it meant to Janine. And her making sure Janine had everything she needed for her trip (“girl, let me get my bag”) had me saying “awwww.”

 

Barbara was, of course, also excited to be going on a trip to "the" Ross.

[Badsamaritan]

Janine and Gregory's little 'How was your day' check-in? Too sweet. I half expected Janine to slip and say 'How was your day, honey'  lol. My shipper heart would have really been filled. Still, super cute. 🥰

Vanetta was exactly as I expected her to be. Janine recognizing the sound of her mom's heels was both funny and sad. Taraji was great, it was really good casting. Quinta does kinda favor Taraji. It's the eyes and cheeks. I loved the little boy in Jacob's class doing the meme face at the camera, that was pretty smooth, Jacob. And I loved Ava's genuine glee. 

Janine set her boundaries, is still going on her trip, and got to go shopping with Ms. Barbara at the Ross. I love that for our girl! 🥹

[msani19]

14 hours ago, callie lee 29 said:

Ava being delighted by Jacobs magic made my night. At first I thought she was just screwing  with him but she had that childlike enjoyment, it was actually kinda sweet. 

I agree. I thought at first she was making fun of him as she usually does, but when she was SO thrilled at his magic, I was also thrilled!

Taraji was great casting. I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I could feel Janine trying to hold back her excitement about seeing her mom. She'd been disappointed and hurt by her so many times before, she was trying to keep her expectations in check but still remaining somewhat hopeful. I'm glad she set that boundary with her mom and will still go on her trip that she had saved so hard for. Taraji played that scene so well (they both did), a narcissist hates to have a boundary or any kind drawn because they know they have lost their power. There was a moment where she was furious before she went with the joking and laughing. Good work. 

I liked that Barbara was protective of Janine, even if it may have been overstepping. She was so proud of Janine for taking the vacation AND getting a massage, she just wanted her to do something for herself. She knew just doing something on her own was a huge sign of growth. Then here comes the one person who had the potential to send her back to square 1. I get it. 

Plus, I loved that Ava and Vanetta did not become friends. That wouldn't even have been believable. Two self-involved people like that could never really be friends, transactional, but not friends. It was funnier that Ava recognized she was about to get her ass beat!

Melissa and Jacob interacting over his magic cracked me up the whole time. Her face at the end was gold!

Shout out to the Ross on City Line Ave 😀 I totally love it when they reference real places with their real locations. I always laugh, I say I know where that is lol.