S04.E02: Episode 2

[paulvdb]

Quote

When a popular couple is on the rocks, Otis eyes an opportunity. Eric finds community. Surprises in the bedroom leave Jackson questioning his sexuality.

 

[Danny Franks]

More jealousy and miscommunication over the phone. More Jean being useless, and now a random sister has appeared. Let me guess, she'll actually make the situation worse, with her immaturity and wild ways!

Maeve's professor is an insecure dickwad, but I'm sure he'll eventually see how wonderful she is and ask her to stay in the US.

Isaac is still a creep, and now apparently they're throwing Aimee at him. Poor girl.

Adam's storyline feels like it's from a different show. Which is actually a good thing. I'd rather watch Connor Swindells and his very attractive new friend teach kids to ride horses than whatever the rest of this show has become.

I did like Otis and Jackson talking, and wish the show had actually had them do that before. Otis actually having a conversation with another guy who isn't Eric.

[DoctorAtomic]

I starting cracking up when the girl licked her finger with Jackson. Great explosion. 

On 9/21/2023 at 1:59 PM, Danny Franks said:

More jealousy and miscommunication over the phone.

Otis is 17 though. Insecure is his baseline. It's not unheard of for a teenaged boy to lack confidence or lash out. Maeve is always so cool and smart to him. 

I don't know why they have Isaac around. I don't mind that he's just a jerk, but that's all there is to the character. 

I do like that Adam is working with animals. It's a good plot you don't see much on tv. 

On 9/21/2023 at 1:59 PM, Danny Franks said:

I did like Otis and Jackson talking, and wish the show had actually had them do that before. Otis actually having a conversation with another guy who isn't Eric.

I don't know why Jackson said he didn't like Otis. They never really crossed paths. Again, though, Otis is approachable because he shares their problems, and I think that's a better tack to take. His advice was spot on too. 

On 9/21/2023 at 1:59 PM, Danny Franks said:

Maeve's professor is an insecure dickwad, but I'm sure he'll eventually see how wonderful she is and ask her to stay in the US.

You said before the college how a conservative would write to make fun of progressives schools, and I'm thinking something similar here with the professor. You'd think writers would be able to write about writing, unless it's some inside joke about how hack writing teachers are. I teach writing better than this. Saying "I'm here to push you" and "this feels like imitation" isn't terribly constructive, but at least something actionable. Saying "I'm bored" is just abusive. And he didn't have much of an answer for historical novels. Outlander is quite popular.

I feel like they don't know what to Aimes. Everyone from the old school is paired up with friends, and she's just there. The show is wasting one of the best characters. 

I did have a huge laugh with the school going bonkers over Abbi and Roman being back together. Again, O is condescending to expect Otis is going to be an assistant. I don't see anything wrong with teaming up, but come on. I don't think the election was a good idea either. The school is also massively hypocritical. 

[mrsbagnet]

45 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't know why Jackson said he didn't like Otis. They never really crossed paths.

Didn't Jackson figure out that Maeve broke up with him in Season 1 because of her feelings for Otis?

Edited September 24, 2023 by mrsbagnet

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't remember. It didn't seem like he did from what he said in this episode. 

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, mrsbagnet said:

Didn't Jackson figure out that Maeve broke up with him in Season 1 because of her feelings for Otis?

Yes; he noticed at the school dance she was acting jealous of Ola, and when she told him she didn't love him, he said they both know she likes someone else.  At the beginning of the next season, he tells Otis to say hi to Maeve for him (not in a friendly way), and Eric asks, Ooh, why does Jackson hate you now?

[meep.meep]

20 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

 

You said before the college how a conservative would write to make fun of progressives schools, and I'm thinking something similar here with the professor. You'd think writers would be able to write about writing, unless it's some inside joke about how hack writing teachers are. I teach writing better than this. Saying "I'm here to push you" and "this feels like imitation" isn't terribly constructive, but at least something actionable. Saying "I'm bored" is just abusive. And he didn't have much of an answer for historical novels. Outlander is quite popular.

But he's not there to teach them pulp fiction - bringing up Wolf Hall would have stopped him in his tracks.

But really - the Brontes?  Emma Mackay just starred in a film about Emily Bronte.  They couldn't have stretched a little bit?

[Anela]

I wondered why they were pushing this guy with Aimee, but this show also gives people second chances.  I can’t remember everything, but Connor started out bullying a guy he was attracted to (Eric), and ended up dating.  His father is trying to grow, and be better with him, too.  
Aimee is such a love.  she’s just genuine, and kind.  

Edited September 29, 2023 by Anela

[DoctorAtomic]

That's a fair point. It's just that Isaac was all bitter and snapped nearly all the time that it's hard to be invested in caring about his second chance for me. With Adam, at least we got some more context about his home life. 

Aimes made a careless statement, but it wasn't coming from a bad place. It's fair for him to call her out on it, but I felt he really ripped her a little too much. Maybe my derision comes from there. 

Sure, they gave us some backstory that Isaac bounced around a lot, but it wasn't particularly as tangible to me. He seemed to have a good relationship with the brother, so currently, I'm seeing a fairly stable home life. 

I also don't think there's anything wrong with him just being a jerk because he really hasn't figured himself out yet. Not everyone needs to be with anyone all the time. 

[Anela]

8 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

That's a fair point. It's just that Isaac was all bitter and snapped nearly all the time that it's hard to be invested in caring about his second chance for me. With Adam, at least we got some more context about his home life. 

Aimes made a careless statement, but it wasn't coming from a bad place. It's fair for him to call her out on it, but I felt he really ripped her a little too much. Maybe my derision comes from there. 

Sure, they gave us some backstory that Isaac bounced around a lot, but it wasn't particularly as tangible to me. He seemed to have a good relationship with the brother, so currently, I'm seeing a fairly stable home life. 

I also don't think there's anything wrong with him just being a jerk because he really hasn't figured himself out yet. Not everyone needs to be with anyone all the time. 

I had to remind myself, too, because I called him a dick.  :) she was genuinely curious, not being mean. 

[possibilities]

I think if you've actually lived as a disabled person, you would find his experience more accessible. It's exhausting to deal with constant bullshit assumptions, and it's rare that anybody is as willing to abandon their bullshit  and make amends as Aimee is.

Try to put yourself in his shoes and it's not hard to imagine how tired of it he would be, and how pessimistic he would be about it being worth continuing to engage once someone shows their colors.

And how annoyed was he, really? It's not like he did more than just feel slighted, which was appropriate and in proportion, as Aimee herself realized.

This does not at all excuse his asshole behavior last season where he deleted a message off Maeve's phone. But with Aimee this season, It thought he was fine. And deleting a message, which is totally wrong, in my book is not worse than repeatedly assaulting someone, which is what Adam did to Eric.

I have not been in foster care, but it also seems quite credible to me that anyone who was, would have a lot to deal with, even aside from the constant grind of being regarded the way someone with a disability is regarded.

[DoctorAtomic]

I just thought he took all of that out on Aimee, as how I viewed the scene. Which is more of a 'how dare anyone do anything to Aimes' than anything. 

 

 

[Bastet]

In the first episode, I was so put off by Otis's attitude, I thought O was fine, but now she's just as obnoxious, and this storyline is really annoying already.

Isaac was right, but I still see him as such a jerk and love Aimee so much, I do not want that storyline, either.

And I certainly don't want Jean's.  Why am I watching this again?

[Roseanna]

On 9/30/2023 at 1:46 AM, possibilities said:

I think if you've actually lived as a disabled person, you would find his experience more accessible. It's exhausting to deal with constant bullshit assumptions, and it's rare that anybody is as willing to abandon their bullshit  and make amends as Aimee is.

Try to put yourself in his shoes and it's not hard to imagine how tired of it he would be, and how pessimistic he would be about it being worth continuing to engage once someone shows their colors.

And how annoyed was he, really? It's not like he did more than just feel slighted, which was appropriate and in proportion, as Aimee herself realized.

This does not at all excuse his asshole behavior last season where he deleted a message off Maeve's phone. But with Aimee this season, It thought he was fine. And deleting a message, which is totally wrong, in my book is not worse than repeatedly assaulting someone, which is what Adam did to Eric.

I have not been in foster care, but it also seems quite credible to me that anyone who was, would have a lot to deal with, even aside from the constant grind of being regarded the way someone with a disability is regarded.

A good analysis. Maybe Isaac deserves a second chance. 

However, earlier I felt that we were pushed by the screenwriters to understand and forgive him for deleting the message because he was disabled and had been in the foster home whereas there was never such pushing with Adam - we were free not to like him and then slowly, in our own time, begin to understand what was behind his behavior.  

[DoctorAtomic]

Or they didn't need to bother with any redemption and just have him be a jerk and Aimes not really care.