S03.E05: Ah, Love!

[jenrising]

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Date night! New York proves itself both a jewel box and a fish tank of romance as Charles, Mabel & Oliver take their relationships to the next stage. And dating can reveal many hidden secrets, too...

Available 8/29 on Hulu

[TakomaSnark]

Glad they got back to the Joy that Charles fell in love with; Andrea Martin hit it out of the park in that scene between them. 

(But she always does! So underrated in comedy and dramatic roles.)

ETA: So Loretta is Ben's mother, right?

Edited August 29, 2023 by TakomaSnark

[Phebemarie]

26 minutes ago, TakomaSnark said:

ETA: So Loretta is Ben's mother, right?

I think so, too.

[Irlandesa]

That's my spec as well.

35 minutes ago, TakomaSnark said:

Glad they got back to the Joy that Charles fell in love with; Andrea Martin hit it out of the park in that scene between them

She really is.  I hope she sticks around.   She's good for Charles and age appropriate for him.  Mabel can have the revolving door of love interests.

[sjankis630]

Yeah I got the Loretta admiring from afar. I wonder what they were arguing about though? I am getting the idea that Ben may not have known but his brother does which is why she was being repp'd by him? 

I don't know this was an OK episode. For some reason that tooth scene squicked me out too much.....

[Juneau Gal]

22 minutes ago, sjankis630 said:

Yeah I got the Loretta admiring from afar. I wonder what they were arguing about though? I am getting the idea that Ben may not have known but his brother does which is why she was being repp'd by him? 

I don't know this was an OK episode. For some reason that tooth scene squicked me out too much.....

Me too! Didn’t think it was necessary if it was just a sight gag. 
 

If Loretta is Ben’s mother, she seems to have no sorrow or grief over his death. 

[7-Zark-7]

Ben had beef with the Pope?!  Another suspect!

[thuganomics85]

Oliver making sure to always have back-up scarfs is definitely on point!

Great seeing Sazz again: whoever came up with the idea to have Jane Lynch play a stunt double for Steve Martin will always have a gold star in my book!  Her still spending time with Jane is questionable at best, but she proved to be an effective enough of a therapist with Charles and raised good points about a lot of his suspicion for Joy wasn't just because he let Oliver and Mabel get into his head, but he seems to be someone who does push joy and happiness away once he ever gets it.  Not sure if he'll be able to right his wrongs this time.  Joy certainly has made her intention known for now, but we'll see if there is a way forward.

Oliver and Mabel's love lives fared better even if it cost Oliver a tooth in the process.  And he finds out that Loretta has been keeping tabs on Ben this entire time.  Hmm... the idea that she is his mother is intriguing.  Meanwhile, I just have a bad feeling about Tobert now that Mabel showed him the murder board.  For some reason, that just makes me think that will be a regrettable action when it is all said and done.

Jonathan is also under the microscope due to meeting some kind of shady doctor, but come on, I refuse to believe Jonathan would harm a soul!

Got confirmation that the mark on Ben's face came from Charles' socking him after he saw Ben and Loretta fighting.

[ofmd]

Damn, I had the thought of Loretta being Ben's mother a couple of episodes ago, don't exactly remember why. I think because he said to someone (or the cookies ofc) "everybody thinks you're sweet..." (...but I know you're my evil mother who gave me away!) and it would also explain why he didn't want her on set.

I'm guessing we'll learn she chose her career/ dream over the child, which a woman is not supposed to do.

Although... Where would Ben's brother fit in? He could be an adopted or step-brother.

I quite liked Oliver and her together, Short and Streep have nice chemistry. Too bad it can't last because of her big bad secret and, well, also because she's played by Meryl Streep.

He will probably think she was crazily obsessed with Ben...

So Joy's crazy was mostly in Charles' head. Andrea Martin did a great job; unfortunately, I think Charles' insight and Sazzy's intervention came too late.

Lastly, I don't like Tobert. Idc if he's the murderer or an absolute angel; I find him sleazy and annoying. I'm sure Mabel will marry him and have 10 children with him.

I don't love that our trio was separated the whole time.

Oh, and poor Howard. Jonathan is probably not cheating, but might have an addiction he's hiding from him.

Edited August 29, 2023 by ofmd

[phalange]

Charles really messed up with Joy, and I don't blame her one bit for calling off the engagement. Who would want to be engaged to someone who proposed by accident and lied about it? Even if Sazz helped him have a breakthrough about his insecurity issues, it might be too little too late. 

Now we know that the red mark Ben had to cover up was from Charles punching him and the "her" Charles told Ben to stay away from is almost certainly Loretta. 

When Oliver was looking through Loretta's book with the pictures of Ben, my first thought was that she was stalking him, but her being his birth mother makes more sense. 

I don't trust Tobert. If he isn't the murderer, he at least knows more than he's letting on, and he definitely wanted a glimpse of the murder board.

Jonathan meeting with the "doctor" is suspicious but he could have a reason that has nothing to do with Ben's murder.

I hope Mabel, Charles, and Oliver get back to working together next episode. It's not as much fun when they spend the whole episode apart.

Edited August 29, 2023 by phalange

[TakomaSnark]

3 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Meanwhile, I just have a bad feeling about Tobert now that Mabel showed him the murder board.  For some reason, that just makes me think that will be a regrettable action when it is all said and done.

 

54 minutes ago, phalange said:

I don't trust Tobert. If he isn't the murderer, he at least knows more than he's letting on, and he definitely wanted a glimpse of the murder board.

When Mabel showed it to him, I literally groaned out loud. Gurl, what are you doing? Dumb dumb dumb.

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

that tooth scene squicked me out too much.....

6 hours ago, Juneau Gal said:

Didn’t think it was necessary if it was just a sight gag. 

Yes, but on a murder mystery show, isn't everything a clue? 
At least a clue to some plot development?

 

[paigow]

Ben ran away from home because Loretta was a bad cook...

[cardigirl]

I dunno about Loretta being Ben's birth mother.  Of course, we have no idea about Ben's family. He introduced Dickie as his brother, he told Charles that when he got fired from Brazzos, he was supporting his mother and brother, but that leaves his back story wide open. If people are theorizing that Ben may have a twin, I guess Loretta could have given up a child for adoption. Ben, if he didn't know, could have been horrified when he found out. But that's all speculation at this point. This show is really good at giving wisps of information without revealing much of anything. LOL. 

I'm not fully back on the Joy wagon yet.  All that breaking glass for the aquarium, and also not being aware enough that Charles was hesitant about the engagement. She didn't sound reassuring when he asked her straightforward questions, she just got incensed, and then went to test cakes. Jan also left in a huff when the trio didn't fully welcome her. She stabbed herself to throw off suspicion. I understand why Charles is nervous about choosing poorly again. Also, he did accomplish breaking the engagement, albeit somewhat messily. 

Poor Oliver. He's so smitten with Loretta and then she uses the exact words written on Ben's mirror, to describe Ben. He lost a tooth to a rock hard pork chop, and then she encouraged him to throw it away. Weird date. The ferry was lovely, but the tradition was not charming.  He stayed with it though, and then found Loretta's book of Ben. Wonder if that will change his feelings. 

I liked the callback to Zazz and Jan being an item last season. This season has done a lot to tie itself back to previous characters, which I appreciate. 

A strong episode, with fan service of Tobert suspecting Howard's boyfriend, Jonathon, as many fans have. I liked getting to hear Jason Veasey (Jonathon)  sing and still think he's on the suspect list. 

And Tobert was at least less monotoned tonight.   

 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, cardigirl said:

Poor Oliver. He's so smitten with Loretta and then she uses the exact words written on Ben's mirror, to describe Ben. He lost a tooth to a rock hard pork chop, and then she encouraged him to throw it away. Weird date. The ferry was lovely, but the tradition was not charming.  He stayed with it though, and then found Loretta's book of Ben. Wonder if that will change his feelings. 

Ah-ha!
Oliver figures out that he and Loretta were at least in the same orbits around however many years ago
— which was around the date of Ben’s birth
— right?

Loretta went on and on about her microwave not working
— probably in order to serve Oliver a rock-hard (possibly real 🪨 rock) pork chop to get a tooth
— to test for DNA!
— Right?

[cardigirl]

7 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Ah-ha!
Oliver figures out that he and Loretta were at least in the same orbits around however many years ago
— which was around the date of Ben’s birth
— right?

Loretta went on and on about her microwave not working
— probably in order to serve Oliver a rock-hard (possibly real 🪨 rock) pork chop to get a tooth
— to test for DNA!
— Right?

Oh I do hope not. Poor Oliver, to lose a son he never knew about. As someone else said earlier in this thread, Loretta does not seem too broken up about Ben's death. If she were his mother, even if she gave him up, wouldn't she be somewhat grieving?

[Phebemarie]

Why didn't Oliver go to an emergency dentist to get the tooth fixed that evening?  There are emergency dentists in rural Oregon, certainly he could find one in Manhattan.  

Maybe instead of Ben's mother, Loretta child is Ben's brother who strangely went out of his way to land her a big tv audition.  Maybe keeping clippings of Ben helped Loretta keep up with her son.  

I'm a little worried that Charles will end up a suspect.  Why are they showing his strange black out moments and confirming he had a fight with Ben that caused the red mark?

[ofmd]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Ah-ha!
Oliver figures out that he and Loretta were at least in the same orbits around however many years ago
— which was around the date of Ben’s birth
— right?

Loretta went on and on about her microwave not working
— probably in order to serve Oliver a rock-hard (possibly real 🪨 rock) pork chop to get a tooth
— to test for DNA!
— Right?

Dear Gods, I hope not. Then again, I vaguely remember Oliver had a wild life during the seventies... Sex & drugs & son of sam games...

But wouldn't it be easier to get a strand of hair from him than knocking out a tooth?

Or... well, let's not contemplate other opportunities arising with a certain level of intimacy....

43 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

I'm a little worried that Charles will end up a suspect.  Why are they showing his strange black out moments and confirming he had a fight with Ben that caused the red mark?

Good points. And why would he say "Leave her alone" to Ben if it was about Loretta? Charles and Loretta barely acknowledge each other's existence.

3 hours ago, cardigirl said:

 

I'm not fully back on the Joy wagon yet.  All that breaking glass for the aquarium, and also not being aware enough that Charles was hesitant about the engagement. She didn't sound reassuring when he asked her straightforward questions, she just got incensed, and then went to test cakes. Jan also left in a huff when the trio didn't fully welcome her. She stabbed herself to throw off suspicion. I understand why Charles is nervous about choosing poorly again. Also, he did accomplish breaking the engagement, albeit somewhat messily.

You know, I agree. This show loves its crazy woman trope, so I'm not convinced either.

Edited August 29, 2023 by ofmd

[paigow]

Oliver rejected Loretta multiple times from his previous shows. Her long game must be revenge on him... not killing Ben. 

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, TakomaSnark said:

ETA: So Loretta is Ben's mother, right?

That never occurred to me. I just figured a big fan/stalker. Hmm.

6 hours ago, ofmd said:

Lastly, I don't like Tobert. Idc if he's the murderer or an absolute angel; I find him sleazy and annoying. 

I feel the same. I guess he's supposed to be charming? But for me, no.

 

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Ah-ha!
Oliver figures out that he and Loretta were at least in the same orbits around however many years ago
— which was around the date of Ben’s birth
— right?

I feel pretty dense because this didn't occur to me, either. A definite possibility.

I loved seeing Sazz again. Jane Lynch is so good. Hilarious when she rolled on the floor showing she was able to stunt for Scott Bakula.

I'm still not sold on Joy being innocent in everything. I don't think she necessarily killed Ben, but I think there's something else going on.

Did Joy give a reason for why she named a fish President McKinley? He was an assassinated president. I wonder if that's relevant.

Loved the little bit when Oliver sprays breath spray and runs open-mouthed into it like one would do with perfume. And then later, after he lost his tooth, when Loretta blew smoke into his mouth: "That was thooper thexy."

Dr. C. Seems like he's supplying Jonathan with some kind of drug, but I'm thinking it doesn't have anything to do with Ben's death. Or I guess he could just be giving Jonathan some info about Ben. :shrug:

Like others, I want the trio to be together again.

[shapeshifter]

27 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Did Joy give a reason for why she named a fish President McKinley? He was an assassinated president. I wonder if that's relevant.

Ooh! Right! I forgot that POTUS McKinley was assassinated. 
That explains Charles' cringe when he heard the new fish's name.

[sjankis630]

2 hours ago, ofmd said:

Dear Gods, I hope not. Then again, I vaguely remember Oliver had a wild life during the seventies... Sex & drugs & son of sam games...

Are we expecting another 70s flashback with Loretta showing up at another party? 

[tennisgurl]

I'm really glad that Joy is more back to the person we knew last season, Andrea Martin did a great job here. I don't blame her for being pissed at Charles about the accidental engagement, but I can also understand why Charles is nervous about committing to a woman again. We know he had that hard break up with Lucy's mom and his most recent girlfriend was a serial killer, so I can understand him being nervous. 

Loretta being Ben's birth mom is an interesting idea, but I wonder if she is actually his brothers bio mom and she killed Ben because he treated him so badly or that he could inherit his money, and she has the pictures of Ben so that she can keep track of her son in the background. It has to be more than her just being a stalker. 

I loved seeing Sazz again and she did give Charles some great advice, even if her continuing to date a known serial killer is a pretty terrible idea. 

I don't think that Tobert is the killer but he is up to something, like Alice from last season. Mabel really should have made things work with Oscar. 

I am really liking the season, but I am sad that the trio has been so separate. They need to be together more, I need to see more of Mabel's disgusted expressions as Oliver tries to ask her for current sex tips!

[sistermagpie]

13 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I dunno about Loretta being Ben's birth mother.  Of course, we have no idea about Ben's family. He introduced Dickie as his brother, he told Charles that when he got fired from Brazzos, he was supporting his mother and brother, but that leaves his back story wide open. If people are theorizing that Ben may have a twin, I guess Loretta could have given up a child for adoption. Ben, if he didn't know, could have been horrified when he found out. But that's all speculation at this point. This show is really good at giving wisps of information without revealing much of anything. LOL. 

Yes, her being his mother would explain the scrapbook, but her attitude towards him doesn't seem like that of a mother and son. She may have had a grudge against him. She openly admitted Ben accusing her of being obsessed with him, which he'd obviously have some reason for saying. Interesting to think of her being able to worm her way into a play when up until now she's never been able to get a part. 

I think there's just got to be a twist about her scrapbook. Maybe it's not hers--maybe he hurt one of her many roommates (though that apartment doesn't seem shareable so I assume the roommates were from somewhere else).

Also, she openly admitted calling him what was written on the mirror, which she probably wouldn't have done if she'd written it. We already had one person who was obsessed with Ben in a fan-type way, so I'm thinking she's got something else going on. And she's probably been just as focused on Oliver for years, given her history.

10 hours ago, ofmd said:

Good points. And why would he say "Leave her alone" to Ben if it was about Loretta? Charles and Loretta barely acknowledge each other's existence.

Cause he just saw him attacking her?

13 hours ago, cardigirl said:

The ferry was lovely, but the tradition was not charming. 

I thought it was sweet--is it any less charming than putting a tooth under your pillow for money?

Edited August 30, 2023 by sistermagpie

[peeayebee]

9 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Yes, her being his mother would explain the scrapbook, but her attitude towards him doesn't seem like that of a mother and son.

Well, she IS a good actress, played by a great actress.

Quote

Also, she openly admitted calling him what was written on the mirror, which she probably wouldn't have done if she'd written it.

My thought is that he wrote it on the mirror (being disgusted with his cookie-eating self) because her phrase was stuck in his head, kind of like, "She's right. I AM a fucking pig."

Loved Loretta doing her talking-pig voice to Oliver. Man, Streep really CAN do any accent!

[shapeshifter]

3 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Loved Loretta doing her talking-pig voice to Oliver. Man, Streep really CAN do any accent!

Was that talking pig voice pure Streep? It seemed genuinely porcine.

[Lugal]

15 hours ago, 7-Zark-7 said:

Ben had beef with the Pope?!  Another suspect!

And Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah.  Put 'em on the murder board!

[Snazzy Daisy]

Loretta is Dickie’s bio mom, isn’t she?

The newspaper clippings in her scrapbook mostly have images of Dickie too, in the background. She has been keeping tabs on Dickie. Ben was too vain to realize this. When Loretta was singing “Look for the Light”, she looked lovingly at Dickie at one point.

What if Loretta has been stalking Oliver all this while? She simply walked-in to the DR audition, claiming her agent has assured her that she’s on the list.

Quote

Oliver: “I guess we’ve been running in the same circles for a long time. It’s a shame our orbits never crossed.”

Loretta: “Well, I may not have been on your radar, but you were CERTAINLY on mine. I would’ve killed to be in one of your productions but something always happened to screw it up.”

 

Jonathan could be getting his allergy meds from Dr. C. Remember Sevelyn?

Tobert is sus, definitely. But isn’t it too early for the show to be pointing at him as the killer? He’s getting close to Mabel to insert himself into their investigation. Later, he could be helping the trio with some useful footages that he has recorded. Or, after that moment in the armoire with Mabel, he is now interested in making a documentary about our beloved podcasters solving murder mysteries.

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[ofmd]

Ugh, I had all but forgotten/ repressed the scene with Oliver babbling about dipping his quill...

Loretta being Dickie's mom rather than Ben's does make more sense (and a good motive).

Edited August 29, 2023 by ofmd

[SoWindsor]

28 minutes ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

Jonathan could be getting his allergy meds from Dr. C. Remember Sevelyn?

 

That's exactly what I think it will be. I thought it was so silly for him to be deathly allergic and then just keep dating Howard. 

I miss being able to binge watch this show. I only started the series a few weeks ago and binged it so quickly. It's not nearly as enjoyable having to wait each week. 

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

My thought is that he wrote it on the mirror (being disgusted with his cookie-eating self) because her phrase was stuck in his head, kind of like, "She's right. I AM a fucking pig.

That's exactly what I thought, that the reason the phrase is the same is because it stuck in his head. She meant he was terrible, he meant he was fat.

 

35 minutes ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

The newspaper clippings in her scrapbook mostly have images of Dickie too, in the background. She has been keeping tabs on Dickie. Ben was too vain to realize this. When Loretta was singing “Look for the Light”, she looked lovingly at Dickie at one point.

 

Perfect!

[paigow]

44 minutes ago, Lugal said:

And Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah.  Put 'em on the murder board!

One of them killed Ben to acquire the penthouse...

[cardigirl]

47 minutes ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

Loretta is Dickie’s bio mom, isn’t she?

The newspaper clippings in her scrapbook mostly have images of Dickie too, in the background. She has been keeping tabs on Dickie. Ben was too vain to realize this. When Loretta was singing “Look for the Light”, she looked lovingly at Dickie at one point.

What if Loretta has been stalking Oliver all this while? She simply walked-in to the DR audition, claiming her agent has assured her that she’s on the list.

Well, they have set Loretta up to be someone who never got her big break. That's not to say she wasn't in plays throughout the years, Oliver's casting assistant said she knew her and thought she was a bit vanilla, but solid, meaning capable. So she must have been known in the acting community. Just not on Oliver's radar. I can see Dickie being her long lost son, more than Ben. Do you think all the animosity between Ben and Loretta came from her rather than from Ben?  What Ben said to her at the read-through, "don't upstage me" indicates to me Ben's insecurity with his ability to do Broadway, and since Oliver told him she was fabulous, he wanted her out, because he didn't want anyone drawing focus away from him. And she responded with lots of venom (maybe, but that pig comment was so angry, coming from her).   

Quote

@sistermagpie

Quote

 

8 hours ago, cardigirl said:

The ferry was lovely, but the tradition was not charming. 

 

I thought it was sweet--is it any less charming than putting a tooth under your pillow for money?

 

I think I was mostly wondering why Oliver wasn't freaking out and finding someone to try and put it back in. If it was one of his own, adult teeth, he's gonna need it. Baby teeth are different. Now he'll have to get an implant or at least a bridge to fill that gap.  It's not a small thing to lose an adult tooth. That's why I was kind of weirded out by that whole thing. Why weren't they doing more to take care of his tooth? (I know, it was supposed to be a funny bit and I'm being far too literal.)

I did like Loretta's apartment, and Oliver's delight is seeing "art!"

[Snazzy Daisy]

58 minutes ago, cardigirl said:

Do you think all the animosity between Ben and Loretta came from her rather than from Ben?  

Loretta's resentment could be rooted from the way Ben treated Dickie.

I wanna know why Ben called her 'snake' though because this name doesn't scream stalking or shadowing etc.

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, cardigirl said:

I think I was mostly wondering why Oliver wasn't freaking out and finding someone to try and put it back in. If it was one of his own, adult teeth, he's gonna need it. Baby teeth are different. Now he'll have to get an implant or at least a bridge to fill that gap.  It's not a small thing to lose an adult tooth. That's why I was kind of weirded out by that whole thing. Why weren't they doing more to take care of his tooth? (I know, it was supposed to be a funny bit and I'm being far too literal.)

Ah, yes, that makes sense. I thought we were talking about her childhood tradition, which seemed nice. If I lost an adult tooth I'd be running with it to the dentist too. No idea if they can put the real tooth back in, but I'd take it just in case!

[Frost]

I'm going to have to turn on subtitles for this show.  I can't catch a lot of the dialogue.  When we heard glass breaking, what did Charles say Joy was doing?  Later when we saw the apartment, there didn't look to be broken glass anywhere.  And I missed most of the conversation between Mabel and Tobert, but it seemed like it was basically flirting so maybe it doesn't matter!

[Snazzy Daisy]

Meryl Streep smoking joint with both SM and MS. 😵‍💫

[peeayebee]

25 minutes ago, Frost said:

I'm going to have to turn on subtitles for this show.  I can't catch a lot of the dialogue.  When we heard glass breaking, what did Charles say Joy was doing?  Later when we saw the apartment, there didn't look to be broken glass anywhere. 

Charles said she was putting sea glass in the aquarium. At first I thought he was lying (i.e., that she was breaking glass out of anger), but it appears that she really was breaking glass for the tank. (Not really "sea glass," but whatever.)

[shapeshifter]

20 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Charles said she was putting sea glass in the aquarium. At first I thought he was lying (i.e., that she was breaking glass out of anger), but it appears that she really was breaking glass for the tank. (Not really "sea glass," but whatever.)

I wish there’d been mention of a rock tumbler to smooth the sharp edges of the broken glass
— but probably they left it out on purpose to continue the possibility that Joy is a killer
— including of pet 🐟 🐠 fish. 🙁

[chaifan]

Tooth Ferry.  Hee. 😁

[Commando Cody]

It seemed odd that Oliver didn't want to fix his tooth. 

[LadyintheLoop]

Loretta played a pig on a cruise ship? Maybe she's met Charles before.

Last week's closing credits showed a bottle marked "venom." Could Dr. C have injected Botox into the wrong spot?

[Yeah No]

12 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I can see Dickie being her long lost son, more than Ben. Do you think all the animosity between Ben and Loretta came from her rather than from Ben?  What Ben said to her at the read-through, "don't upstage me" indicates to me Ben's insecurity with his ability to do Broadway, and since Oliver told him she was fabulous, he wanted her out, because he didn't want anyone drawing focus away from him. And she responded with lots of venom (maybe, but that pig comment was so angry, coming from her).   

I think Ben may have been Loretta's son that she gave up for adoption and recently found.  That could explain some of the animosity Ben has for her and why she may also be a candidate for the term "stalker".  From watching shows like "Long Lost Family" I've realized that not all parent/child reunions after adoption are positive and sometimes the child bears resentment over being "abandoned" by their birth mother and doesn't want to be in contact with them.  That would explain the scrapbook - She longs to be closer to Ben but he can't get over her giving him up for adoption so he tries to shut her out, but she keeps finding ways back.

12 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I think I was mostly wondering why Oliver wasn't freaking out and finding someone to try and put it back in. If it was one of his own, adult teeth, he's gonna need it. Baby teeth are different. Now he'll have to get an implant or at least a bridge to fill that gap.  It's not a small thing to lose an adult tooth. That's why I was kind of weirded out by that whole thing. Why weren't they doing more to take care of his tooth? (I know, it was supposed to be a funny bit and I'm being far too literal.)

I'm wondering if the tooth thing was a way to illustrate how gaga Oliver is over Loretta that he would even break a tooth and throw it overboard because she wanted him to.

Edited August 30, 2023 by Yeah No
Nitpick punctuation.

[Quilt Fairy]

6 hours ago, cardigirl said:

It's not a small thing to lose an adult tooth. That's why I was kind of weirded out by that whole thing. Why weren't they doing more to take care of his tooth? (I know, it was supposed to be a funny bit and I'm being far too literal.)

You and me both.  Plus, Oliver is far too vain to dismiss losing a tooth out of hand just because he's looking forward to "dessert". 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Quilt Fairy

[HelloooKitty]

I don’t know if Loretta is Ben’s mom, but I think she is definitely related to him somehow. Aunt? Half brothers mother?

 

my guess is that Dr. C was either passing allergy meds or something throat related to Jonathan. Is Jonathan part of a union? Does he have enough credits to qualify? Does he have health insurance? If he doesn’t, it’s possible Dr. C is selling meds at cost or selling/giving samples in order to help him out. Maybe it’s a thing he does, helps artists who need it. 

[redpencil]

I thought maybe Loretta was his nanny as a baby, as a parallel of sorts to the play. But that wouldn't mesh with him saying he was supporting his mother and brother when he was a child actor. Unless he was exaggerating or they had a turn of fortune at some point.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, redpencil said:

I thought maybe Loretta was his nanny as a baby, as a parallel of sorts to the play. But that wouldn't mesh with him saying he was supporting his mother and brother when he was a child actor. Unless he was exaggerating or they had a turn of fortune at some point.

Good point if Ben's words were that he was "supporting his mother and brother when he was a child actor." 
If Loretta was his mother (or guardian/nanny?) Ben could resent Loretta for depending upon him to support the family (Loretta and Dickie) when Ben was a child, and then Loretta could in turn resent Ben for cutting her off financially when he started earning serious money. 

[Ohiopirate02]

8 hours ago, LadyintheLoop said:

Last week's closing credits showed a bottle marked "venom." Could Dr. C have injected Botox into the wrong spot?

Kimber's facial serum that she is hawking on Tik-Tok and she gave to Ben is called Venom.  

[peeayebee]

It did look like the slip of paper that Dr C gave to Jonathan was a prescription, or at least the same size as one. 

Will Loretta's playing the nanny in the musical connect to her having been Ben's nanny?

[meep.meep]

Who cooks pork chops in the microwave?  Or under a broiler when you have a perfectly good stove top burner and pans?  Who gets an invitation to "Dinner?" and assumes they have to cook it?

Jane Lynch was great as usual.

Mabel was a little overdressed for that venue!