Judging Amy - General Discussion

[Bastet]

I saw the pilot for the first time yesterday, and am currently watching the second episode.  This one I recognize, and remember the precise moment I decided I was going to keep watching: Maxine telling Lauren, "Your opinions are not as fascinating as you think they are."  Maybe if Amy hadn't spent the previous six years telling her the opposite, Lauren might not be one of the most annoying children on the face of the earth.  God, I hate that kid.

[BizBuzz]

My cable sucks ... I want to see!

[Maherjunkie]

We need more Maxines in the world.

[Maherjunkie]

Biz Buzz, you can see some eps on You Tube.

[mansonlamps]

I absolutely loved this show, although it definitely jumped the shark a bit for me in the last season.  Not because of Kyle, so much, but I really hated his boss at the new hospital.  Plus the stupid Gillian storyline.

 

They really had some interesting cases in Amy's court though.  I used to watch this and The Guardian and loved them both.

[Maherjunkie]

Amy was kind of ahead of her time, not always taking a cop's word.  I appreciate that even more now.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Okay, I just found out that this show is airing on UP, and I'd forgotten how much I liked it.

 

Can't STAND Lauren; brattiest kid I can recall ever seeing on a show, past and present. I just wanted to wallop her ass when she had that tantrum in season 1, where the store had run out of the butterfly costumes, and Amy ended up staying up all night sewing it.

 

Couldn't stand Vincent's girlfriend, either.

 

And though it's been said, I want to add my LOVE, LOVELOVELOVE for Maxine. Hell, I just freakin' Love Tyne Daly.  Did Sharon Gless ever appear on this show? I can't recall, but I seem to remember yes? Because they were talking about how Sharon and Tyne were reuniting. Or was that on Burn Notice?

 

Anyhoo, UP aired all of Season One on Sunday. I'm bummed that they're not airing them in order, because the next few are the end of Season 4.

 

And I'm not familiar with this network, but damned if it doesn't peeve me that they silent bleep words like  damn, hell, bitch...heck, all words that I guess are considered "curse words."  Is this some kind of inspirational channel?

 

And I really, and I mean really wanted Wendy Makkena's character FIRED for her screw-up/power play that got the mother of two young children killed by their father. Especially since she had been stealing from the DCF.

[Maherjunkie]

Yes, Yes, and Yes.  If you think that's bad they almost cut out Karate Rob all together, certainly the bath tub scenes.

[Bastet]

Did Sharon Gless ever appear on this show? I can't recall, but I seem to remember yes? Because they were talking about how Sharon and Tyne were reuniting. Or was that on Burn Notice?

 

Both; Sharon Gless guest starred on Judging Amy and Tyne Daly guest starred on Burn Notice (I didn't watch the latter series, but tuned in just for that episode).  It's during the Jared Duff era of this show that SG appears, I believe.

 

Is this some kind of inspirational channel?

 

Judging by the dreck it airs and the advertisers who buy time on it ... oh, yeah.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Both; Sharon Gless guest starred on Judging Amy and Tyne Daly guest starred on Burn Notice (I didn't watch the latter series, but tuned in just for that episode).  It's during the Jared Duff era of this show that SG appears, I believe.

That's what I thought. I remember Tyne's appearance on Burn Notice, but can't quite recall Sharon's on this show. I'll have to keep an eye out for it!

 

 

Judging by the dreck it airs and the advertisers who buy time on it ... oh, yeah.

Oh yuck. I remain confused as to how some of the oh so obvious non-inspirational shows end up being grabbed by inspirational channels and then they proceed to hack edit it to death. UGH.

[Maherjunkie]

If they got a hold of the Golden Girls it would be 15 minutes!

[GHScorpiosRule]

SQUEEE!!! (Why yes, I am 12!) when I saw Laura Holt's Stephanie Zimbalist's name as a guest star in one of the Season 4 episodes! She played an attorney for the DCF, for a teen (16) who wanted to marry a man, who was 26, because her mother was a fucked up junkie and the teen kept being moved from Foster home, to Mom, to foster home, to mom, etc., etc.

 

I could kick myself, because I don't ever recall seeing Stephanie in anything really after Remington Steele went off the air.  She looked amazing.

 

I cried when I saw the episode where Richard Crenna's character died, because I recall the actor had lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. *sniff*  

 

I'd also forgotten that they had recast Amy's ex-husband, Michael. He'd originally been played by John Slattery, and Richard Burgi was now playing him. 

 

Sigh. Even saying/mentioning body parts is bleeped out.

 

I think I'll check to see if this show is available on Netflix or on Amazon Prime (for free, naturally!)

 

And I also realized, how much Amy's stuttering annoys me. She doesn't do that when she's Judge Amy and talking with the people and witnesses who appear before her; just with family, friends and current love interest.  

 

My hate for all children on this show continues to grow.  And I'm not one who dislikes or hates children on television.  As an aside, it makes me appreciate the child actors who played Kate Jackson's sons on Scarecrow and Mrs. King--because they didn't come off as "acting," but real children, if that makes sense.

[JasminePhyllisia]

My DVR is full of this show and I've been binge-watching. Maxine is the whole show and Amy's best scenes are with her.

Vincent was whiny, but Mad Men guy Cousin Kyle is worse! Why is he stopping by the Gray house for coffee in the morning on his way to work, it makes no sense logistically. He lives in Vincent's old apartment which is in the city and works at a hospital in the city, but he makes a detour through the suburbs just to add some comic relief to the scene by making a sarcastic comment.

I'm also annoyed that once he starts working at that hospital which was the only place that would take him, only because it was the worst and most underfunded hospital in Hartford. Suddenly every Gray family member and anyone connected to them is always going to that crappy hospital so they can have heroic Kyle The Doctor scenes.

I'm up to Maxine's heart attack episode where all her kids are fighting at her bedside, hopefully she'll survive, the show's not worth watching without her.

I liked the scene where Amy tried to call Stu to apologize for jilting him at the altar, not realizing Maxine was in the other room, and Maxine said you can leave a man at the altar or you can be his friend, but you can't have both, or something to that effect.

There is another good scene where Amy's brother testifies on her behalf at her custody hearing and gives a nice speech about the support system Lauren has by being surrounded by her extended family.

Edited October 21, 2015 by JasminePhyllisia

[GHScorpiosRule]

I just finished watching that last two seasons and I have to say, I am not happy with how the show ended. But I came away with this even more:

 

I have never DETESTED or hated a child as much as I do Lauren. Throughout the entire series, it seemed to me Amy was constantly coddling, catering, kowtowing or apologizing to this spoiled brat, who just got worse and worse as the years went on. The pilot aired today, and even at 6, she was like this.

 

I do have to wonder what it was about Graciela's situation that was the tipping point/last straw for Amy. Was it because she had the counselling sessions with her, instead of at a facility, which conveniently, there was nothing available? Did the show know it was its last season? Because my goodness, the show just kept throwing its political agenda throughout the last season.

 

I'm going to watch, hoping that at least they won't skip over "Maxine Interrupted" in Season 4, where Sharon Gless guest starred, since they did skip over the one where Tim Daly guest starred.

 

And either UP didn't record the episode where her brother testified for her in her custody hearing, or it decided to skip over it, because I didn't get it.

[JasminePhyllisia]

I just finished watching that last two seasons and I have to say, I am not happy with how the show ended. But I came away with this even more:

 

I have never DETESTED or hated a child as much as I do Lauren. Throughout the entire series, it seemed to me Amy was constantly coddling, catering, kowtowing or apologizing to this spoiled brat, who just got worse and worse as the years went on. The pilot aired today, and even at 6, she was like this.

 

I do have to wonder what it was about Graciela's situation that was the tipping point/last straw for Amy. Was it because she had the counselling sessions with her, instead of at a facility, which conveniently, there was nothing available? Did the show know it was its last season? Because my goodness, the show just kept throwing its political agenda throughout the last season.

 

I'm going to watch, hoping that at least they won't skip over "Maxine Interrupted" in Season 4, where Sharon Gless guest starred, since they did skip over the one where Tim Daly guest starred.

 

And either UP didn't record the episode where her brother testified for her in her custody hearing, or it decided to skip over it, because I didn't get it.

 

I did see the episode where Amy's brother Peter testifies on UP, it's called "The Best Interests of the Child."

 

I'm convinced UP in not showing them all, because I've never seen the one where Vincent gets bombed, only the aftermath episodes where he's recovering. I looked it up in an  episode guide, it's called "Blast from the Past."   And apparently there's one where Amy and Bruce kiss, where is that one?  Again, I've only see the episodes where Amy deals with the consequences in her custody battle.

 

I'm disturbed by the way the Gray family wantonly opens the front door every time the bell rings.  Considering Amy and Maxine's stalking and vandalism experiences you'd think they'd all be a little more careful.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Yeah, they skipped the last six episodes of the first season, which included the one where Vince got blowed up.  And this show is NOWHERE to be found for free viewing online, either. GAH.

 

The only time I recall Amy and Bruce kissing was when she was dreaming/fantasizing about him. If it actually happened, I don't recall.

 

Tyne Daly continues to be the reason I stick with this show on this channel. She make everything better.

[JasminePhyllisia]

Wow, six episodes missing? I wasn't aware of that.  What's UP with that, what are they censoring that's supposedly so offensive?  We miss out on what sounds like some pretty meaty stuff but we're still subject to the episode where Donna has her baby in a pool in the Gray's living room.

 

During Amy's custody battle Amy's ex had a private detective following her, and there were pictures of her kissing Bruce that were passed on from the ex' attorney to Amy's attorney.

 

There was a funny Maxine line in an ep I watched this week, a neighbor that Maxine didn't like but was once friends with stopped by and Maxine wouldn't talk to her.  Amy asked "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" and Maxine replied, "Not for this."
 

[jah1986]

 

The only time I recall Amy and Bruce kissing was when she was dreaming/fantasizing about him. If it actually happened, I don't recall.

 

Tyne Daly continues to be the reason I stick with this show on this channel. She make everything better.

Amy and Bruce did really kiss in an episode when Amy was living on her own in some horrible apartment. I'm not sure if Bruce was on a leave or something but she and Bruce shared a glass of wine while watching corny movies and wound up kissing. I think it was used later in another plot because someone had taken photos.

 

Totally agree about Tyne Daly.

[Maherjunkie]

What was it about Lauren that was so out of character for a kid her age?

[GHScorpiosRule]

Amy and Bruce did really kiss in an episode when Amy was living on her own in some horrible apartment. I'm not sure if Bruce was on a leave or something but she and Bruce shared a glass of wine while watching corny movies and wound up kissing. I think it was used later in another plot because someone had taken photos.

 

Totally agree about Tyne Daly.

 

Oh, right. Those last few episodes that UP didn't air, which led to Bruce being removed as Amy's CSO, and she got that annoying, nosy, gossipy CSO, while Amy was being "investigated."

 

And Boo! As a fan of Tom Welling and his gorgeousness, of course they could cut out that scene of Amy and Rob in the hot tub [episode 18], where she's complaining about his perfect niece, who is also very,very annoying. She's a babysitter, not a nanny, so her showing up when Amy is still in the house, along with Maxine, and she is not needed.

[JasminePhyllisia]

UP has been airing those missing episodes.  Highlights (or lowlights, if you prefer:)

 

• Amy is living in a dingy, dumpy apartment with Lauren
• The vandal who hit the Gray house may have followed them there
• Maxine callously tried to empty out Lauren's room and put everything in the basement, which hurt Lauren's feelings
• Lauren is miserable and her dad is using that as leverage to gain back custody
• Bruce only got probation for the fight he got in (still haven't seen that episode maybe I missed it).  He was sentenced to probation, then he was fired.  As usual he was grumpy with Amy. But then he stopped by her apartment late at night while she was drinking wine, and she sat on his lap so they could watch bad movies together, then they started making out.  Ended there but the implication is they hooked up.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Yay! "Maxine Interrupted" aired yesterday! It's the one where Sharon Gless guest starred, and my inner teen just grinned and smiled throughout those first three minutes! The dialogue was so meta--along the lines of long time no see, you don't call, you don't write, and that hug! Oh my! Unlike Tyne's appearance on Burn Notice, which was less than five minutes, Sharon's appearance was pretty substantive throughout the whole episode.

But I HATE how it ended; with their friendship damaged, and the words that were said that couldn't be unsaid. Was that really necessary?

I wish there was an 80s cop show channel, and that they would air Cagney and Lacey. I so miss that show!

Edited December 17, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[Maherjunkie]

Don't forget Cop Rock!

[WendyCR72]

Don't forget Cop Rock!

 

That was technically the '90s ('90 or '91), and I'd LOVE to continue forgetting about that.  :-P

[Bastet]

I wish there was an 80s cop show channel, and that they would air Cagney and Lacey. I so miss that show!

 

There's a great boxed set of Cagney & Lacey with everything -- the Loretta Swit TV movie pilot, the Meg Foster episodes, the "real" run of the show, and the "Menopause Years" reunion TV movies.  Maybe you can treat yourself to it next year.

 

But I HATE how it ended; with their friendship damaged, and the words that were said that couldn't be unsaid. Was that really necessary?

 

 

That unsettled dynamic between them worked perfectly for me, because it was something we saw so much through the course of C&L, and the actors love playing it.  I feel like the episode gave us everything that was great about them as C&L -- a long-standing friendship, drinking and laughter, protectiveness (when Gless' character asks Amy if Maxine's boyfriend is deserving of her), and conflict.

 

I wish I'd known it was going to be on; I'd have recorded it.

[GHScorpiosRule]

There's a great boxed set of Cagney & Lacey with everything -- the Loretta Swit TV movie pilot, the Meg Foster episodes, the "real" run of the show, and the "Menopause Years" reunion TV movies.  Maybe you can treat yourself to it next year.

I'll be keeping my eye out for it!

 

 

 

That unsettled dynamic between them worked perfectly for me, because it was something we saw so much through the course of C&L, and the actors love playing it.  I feel like the episode gave us everything that was great about them as C&L -- a long-standing friendship, drinking and laughter, protectiveness (when Gless' character asks Amy if Maxine's boyfriend is deserving of her), and conflict.

 

I wish I'd known it was going to be on; I'd have recorded it.

Fair point, but this episode made it seem like the friendship was over. Amy had asked Maxine why didn't she just call her, and Maxine didn't want to hear it. It just all seemed so final.

 

I wish I had thought to remind y'all that it was coming up. But since the show is now in the end of the fourth season, it will probably be a couple of months before this episode comes up again.

[Maherjunkie]

Our show is back on the UP channel, Sat nights at 11pm.

[Cherrio]

Thanks for the heads up.   I will always watch "Ye Old Freedom Inn'' if its on.    Love that episode.

[Maherjunkie]

That's a good one.

[Fiero425]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2015 at 5:56 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

 

That's what I thought. I remember Tyne's appearance on Burn Notice, but can't quite recall Sharon's on this show. I'll have to keep an eye out for it!

 

 

 

Oh yuck. I remain confused as to how some of the oh so obvious non-inspirational shows end up being grabbed by inspirational channels and then they proceed to hack edit it to death. UGH.

OMG, I don't think I've seen Gless since the days of her Deb role in "Queer As Folks!" Been years since it ended/cancelled! ;-)

[Maherjunkie]

Yes, all Karate Rob bathtub scenes were quickly gone.

[Anela]

I've just found this on youtube. I loved this show, when it aired. I haven't seen it since. 

[Bastet]

On 8/8/2023 at 4:20 AM, Anela said:

I've just found this on youtube.

Thanks for the reminder.  I watched the first two episodes last night, and somehow each time in between viewings (which is always a span of many years), I manage to forget just how unbearably annoying Lauren is.  I will forever love Maxine telling her, "Your opinions are not as fascinating as you think they are." 

Team Mrs. Schleewee!

[Bastet]

I love the episode in which Richard Gilliland (RIP) plays a father who thinks it's hunky dory to not just spank his child, but hit him with a belt.  Several times a week.  Because, after all, he only uses the soft end and not on bare skin.  He makes this big speech about the government interfering with his parenting decisions, and Amy tells him what he did to his son would be battery if he did it to another adult instead.

"In our society, we're not allowed to go around willy-nilly hitting people -- unless they're our children, and then we call it discipline.  Under the Eighth Amendment, we can't take a strap to prison inmates, yet there's no law against you hitting your son with a belt several times a week.  He's ten years old.  And less than half your size.  What are you teaching him about love?  You can't teach your child respect without respecting him.  Our children are not our property, and I believe we as a society pay a heavy price for treating them as such.  We have to do better."

One of Amy's best moments, and I love how proud Maxine is of her.  My favorite episode is the one where Socrates dies, for that great scene with Maxine at the therapist's office in the end, but this has always been another memorable one for me.

[Bastet]

Good grief, I remember Amy's love life was annoying the first time around, but by this age I am completely out of patience with it.  And I'm only on season three!  I wind up fast-forwarding their scenes with ever single man she dates.  I'm going to wear out the button when Stuart comes back and she ditches him at the altar.

It's not just her, though; everyone has annoying love interests on this show.  Except for Jared, but he was pushy and that never once got called out (at least thus far).

This time around I am more convinced than ever this show never would have worked for me without Maxine, and not without Tyne Daly as Maxine.  (A huge Cagney & Lacey fan, I only watched this show in the first place - having very much not liked Brenneman on NYPD Blue, a show I hated in general yet got stuck watching because of others - because of Daly.) I generally like Amy on the bench, but everything else I like about this show involves Maxine -- Maxine at the office (especially with Sean) and in the field, Maxine with each of her grown kids (and putting up with Gillian), Maxine trying to keep Lauren from becoming even more obnoxious as Amy would allow her to be on her own, etc.

[Jaded]

On 8/17/2023 at 3:52 PM, Bastet said:

Good grief, I remember Amy's love life was annoying the first time around, but by this age I am completely out of patience with it.  And I'm only on season three!  I wind up fast-forwarding their scenes with ever single man she dates.  I'm going to wear out the button when Stuart comes back and she ditches him at the altar.

I remember feeling that way about Sydney's love life on Providence.  Tyne Daly is why I decided to start watching back when it first began on CBS. I wish they had done better when it came to writing for the young girl who played Amy's daughter on the show too. 

[Bastet]

I know I'm watching free unauthorized uploads, but the key episodes that are missing or uploaded without sound on YouTube are driving me nuts.  At least the one with Sharon Gless is available.  It is so fun seeing them together again.  I watched the episode of Burn Notice Daly guest starred in when I read about it, but it was the only episode of the show I'd ever seen, so while it was a treat, this was much better.  Definitely shades of Cagney and Lacey in their dynamic, where they adore and respect each other, but have fundamentally different approaches to work and clash over those.

[Bastet]

Thanks to so much season five not being available (which made it really confusing as to why she kept bouncing between courts), I am already on the final season.  Kevin Rahm is a friend of a friend, so I want to like Kyle more than I do, but I don't, so I'm glad to have Vincent back.  I love the way he announces his return, by walking in and asking if he and Peter (who has also moved back home, since he and Gillian are separated) are too old for bunk beds.

Plus, dispatching with Kyle means also getting rid of Heather, who I absolutely cannot stand.  Like I said before, other than Maxine, these characters all have terrible love interests.  This brooding lawyer with the murdered wife Amy is with?  I apparently repressed the memory of him, and I'm not forming many this time around, either, since I always wind up fast-forwarding.  I love when Bruce refuses to engage in conversation, saying he lived through her divorce, both times with Stuart, Karate Rob, Judge Krumble, etc. and he's just not doing it this time.

Junior High Lauren is even more annoying than Little Kid Lauren.  Points for realism, I guess, but they still have Amy either enabling her or overreacting - whining all the while - rather than a relatable exploration of trying to deal with her.

[Bastet]

LOL at Maxine saying when Amy was 13, she hoped she would someday have a teenager just as challenging to deal with, but didn't realize she would at that point also be living with said teenager.

I finished the series (well, what was available, which did not include what wound up being the last episode), and it caused many frustrations, but I enjoy it as a love letter to a proper juvenile justice system (something we do not have in most states), and as something that acknowledges the many flaws in the foster care system but celebrates the social workers doing their best.

I wonder what their plan was for Amy's campaign.  I assume the bill would be defeated, and the juvenile court system saved, as it would be too depressing otherwise, but I wonder if they intended her to win and they'd shift to covering her as a senator or if she'd lose and return to the bench.  Either storyline poses challenges, so maybe it's best it ended when it did and we can choose our own adventure.