S06.E01: The Publisher Cops Show Pilot

[DanaK]

Quote

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7

8:00-8:30 p.m. EST - The Conners: "The Publisher Cops Show Pilot"  (Season Premiere)

Jackie faces problems at the Lunch Box and must take advice from an unexpected guest. Elsewhere, Dan and Darlene take a trip into Chicago.

 

[iMonrey]

Wow, what a shocking continuity problem this episode had! Nick Offerman comes into the restaurant, Dan is there, Nick goes into the kitchen. Cut to Dan and Darlene at a diner somewhere on their way to (or back from) Chicago, I thought OK maybe there's a time jump here. Then cut back to the restaurant, Nick is still in the kitchen and Dan is still there! WTF.

I hope Harris is able to turn the restaurant around (and get stew off the menu). It's been a mess ever since they re-opened.

[Annber03]

I was noticing that about Dan, too. I know that they're supposed to live fairly close to Chicago, but still...

I can understand Jackie wanting to take a step back from the diner. Kind of surprised she picked Harris, but I could see Harris winding up surprising everyone and being good at running the place. I can also understand Darlene feeling insecure, but I did like the talk she had with Dan about that. 

I liked the running jokes about Annie and Simon & Schuster. 

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Wow, what a shocking continuity problem this episode had! Nick Offerman comes into the restaurant, Dan is there, Nick goes into the kitchen. Cut to Dan and Darlene at a diner somewhere on their way to (or back from) Chicago, I thought OK maybe there's a time jump here. Then cut back to the restaurant, Nick is still in the kitchen and Dan is still there! WTF.

Yeah, I thought it was just me but thanks for letting me know I wasn't mixed up or something!  I couldn't get past John Goodman's strained way of talking as if he'd had dental work done that morning and was still numb and uncomfortable.

I also thought the attempt to imitate Gordon Ramsay or Robert Irvine's restaurant makeover shows fell a little flat.

In general, though, with all its warts it's good to have the show back.

[OLynn33]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Wow, what a shocking continuity problem this episode had! Nick Offerman comes into the restaurant, Dan is there, Nick goes into the kitchen. Cut to Dan and Darlene at a diner somewhere on their way to (or back from) Chicago, I thought OK maybe there's a time jump here. Then cut back to the restaurant, Nick is still in the kitchen and Dan is still there! WTF.

Ok good. It really happened. I thought it was my edible kicking in.

[Bastet]

Unfortunately, I stuck with trying to watch this on my TV that only has to access ABC through the network app instead of going to another TV, connected to the satellite receiver that doesn't have all the problems these stupid-ass apps do, so I missed bits and pieces.  So I'll watch later this week on Hulu and hope it's better, because this was mediocre.

Dan's descriptions of buddy cop films and the Simon & Schuster tag with Ben were funny.  And I liked his Kiss, Marry, Kill answer about Dolly Parton.

Darlene's honesty with her former coworker about falling on her ass, rather than faking a successful life or trying to evade her questions, was refreshing.  I missed the opening of the scene after Darlene accuses Dan of talking her up because he's ashamed of her reality, though, so I look forward to seeing how that played.  In what I did see, Dan said in a couple of short years Mark would be out of school.  Um, he just started a four-year college.  That was the WHOLE POINT of last season's stupid lunch lady decision.

But, fundamentally, WTF with Jackie no longer caring about The Lunch Box, which she so desperately wanted back because of how owning and running it had made her feel, because of Neville?  Okay, yeah, it's sadly not totally out of character for her, but I'd like to see some growth.  I could have been perfectly fine with him being a factor in why she didn't want to work that hard anymore, had they created a totality of circumstances scenario instead of this "I never want us to be apart" juvenile bullshit.  I despise those kind of pathetic people, so don't want it for Jackie, but it also makes no sense from a storytelling aspect -- so that's all we're going to see of her from now on, taking picnic lunches to Neville during his breaks from actually doing something?  They better have something better planned.

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Wow, what a shocking continuity problem this episode had! Nick Offerman comes into the restaurant, Dan is there, Nick goes into the kitchen. Cut to Dan and Darlene at a diner somewhere on their way to (or back from) Chicago, I thought OK maybe there's a time jump here. Then cut back to the restaurant, Nick is still in the kitchen and Dan is still there! WTF.

Yeah, I was trying to figure out if they'd changed clothes so that it wasn't the same day it all seemed to be.

Also, did Jackie call Darlene "Becky" when she shouted "Not now, [Someone/Something]!" at her while getting $50 out of the register to go gamble with Neville near the beginning?

Edited February 8 by Bastet

[Yeah No]

23 minutes ago, Bastet said:

But, fundamentally, WTF with Jackie no longer caring about The Lunch Box, which she so desperately wanted back because of how owning and running it had made her feel, because of Neville?  Okay, yeah, it's sadly not totally out of character for her, but I'd like to see some growth.  I could have been perfectly with him being a factor in why she didn't want to work that hard anymore, had they created a totality of circumstances scenario instead of this "I never want us to be apart" juvenile bullshit.  I despise those kind of pathetic people, so don't want it for Jackie, but it also makes no sense from a storytelling aspect -- so that's all we're going to see of her from now on, taking picnic lunches to Neville during his breaks from actually doing something?  They better have something better planned.

At first I thought WTF too, but coincidentally I just read an article about how women tend to retire when their husbands retire to be with them full time, whether they take a hit on Social Security or not.  So it's not unheard of for older women to think differently about things like this as they age.  And being an avid watcher of restaurant makeover shows, the one thing I've learned about running a successful restaurant is that it pretty much has to be your life 24/7/365.  And as people age they sometimes don't have that kind of energy or dedication anymore.  And that's not a failing.  But yeah, it wouldn't be my preference to see Jackie give up on the place completely.  Often parents who step down from running a restaurant and give it to a child or other younger relative to run stay around in the background and still work there, so there really is no reason to make her totally back out of the place.  And I would think it would be more in character for her to stick around on the sidelines.

[nuraman00]

I accidentally cancelled the scheduled DVR recording for the premiere.  Will it be available on ABC.com?  If so, when?

I don't want to sign up for a free trial of Fubo or Hulu.

[Bastet]

49 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

And I would think it would be more in character for her to stick around on the sidelines.

Yeah, unless she never steps foot in there again, which won't happen, she'll wind up having some involvement.

And it remains a family restaurant.  This could shake out to something that makes sense for both Jackie and Harris.  I don't hate the idea, just the set-up; they didn't do it justice in this initial episode, which is kind of just the nature of the beast but an issue when you have a grown woman - especially one with this woman's history with respect to men, and her career - giving as her sole reason for such a big change that "I never want us to be apart", and running off to spend time during every day with the husband she already spends every frakkin' night with (because it's not a situation where he's already retired/about to retire and she wants to join him so they both have total flexibility; he's still working at what he loves).

[UsernameFatigue]

As others have mentioned, the continuity error was so glaring, it was shocking. First Dan is at the Lunch Box, wearing a dark green plaid shirt and gold puffy vest. Then he is in Chicago with Darlene, wearing a denim shirt and jacket. Then he is back at the lunch box, wearing the same green plaid shirt and gold puffy vest.

I hope Harris takes over the restaurant and makes it a huge success. If the writers don't want to do it for the Connors, they could at least do it for the viewers. We have waited long enough for someone in the family to make a success of something. Anything. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Count me in as befuddled by the continuity error.  And why go to Chicago anyway, just so Darlene could have a moment with her old colleague that would remind her of all the things she was ashamed of?   Also who didn’t see it coming a mile away — remember Lewis?  Yeah he was a weirdo. I’m married to him. Ba dump bump. Ben fangirling for Neal Offerman was also too much. 

[Colorado David]

I liked the Harris taking over storyline, I hope she makes the place a success. 

Nick Offerman's deadpans to the camera I did like, tho I miss the moustache. He looks quite different without it IMO.

Darlene's getting defensive at Dan was out of character I feel. The old Darlene would have taken the accolades and pointed them out to her old friend.

I wonder if DJ will be returning? 

I don't know where they are going to take the Jackie storyline.

[EtheltoTillie]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

Also, did Jackie call Darlene "Becky" when she shouted "Not now, [Someone/Something]!" at her while getting $50 out of the register to go gamble with Neville near the beginning?

Yes, she did!  I just rewound because I was trying to see who guest starred as the old colleague in Chicago.  There was no credit on screen and none on IMDB.  Anyone?  She looked familiar. 

[iMonrey]

5 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

 I was trying to see who guest starred as the old colleague in Chicago.  There was no credit on screen and none on IMDB.  Anyone?  She looked familiar. 

I'm pretty sure it was Clare McNulty. She played Chantal on Search Party. 

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

But, fundamentally, WTF with Jackie no longer caring about The Lunch Box, which she so desperately wanted back because of how owning and running it had made her feel, because of Neville? 

I could see her slacking off, forgetting to order things, etc., but when she pops in for a $50 out of the cash register to gamble with and ignores the fact that the place is falling apart all around her it just makes her look like a self involved idiot. The show really doesn't care how badly these characters come off if it's in service of an easy laugh.

Also, why wouldn't the vendors accept orders from anyone other than Jackie? That makes zero sense. They wouldn't care who was placing an order as long as they were getting paid.

[HurricaneVal]

Oh my.  I thought last night's episode was just bad all around.  I haven't watched this show for a while, but all the characters are caricatures now, not real people.  I don't know if this episode was particularly weak because everyone is starting off on a back foot after the writers and actors strike, but the dialogue seemed disjointed and the chemistry was awkward. 

Katey Sagal was phoning it in from behind the counter.  I was literally wondering if she was wearing pajama pants or if she bothered to get completely into costume.  It looked to me like she was completely disengaged.  I don't blame her, Louise didn't even need to be there at all.  Ben was so whacked out of character that I was wondering if I'd missed a story line where he had sustained some sort of traumatic brain injury.

I didn't understand why Harris was there at all, until the end when the idea was floated that she take over the restaurant.  Then it made sense why she was hanging around at the table in the corner.  I think that is an interesting plot twist, I'd like to see where that goes.

In the past, this has been a good ensemble cast, working seamlessly together and humming like a well oiled machine.  Last night was like an awkward first read through to me.  I hope as the season goes on, they get their feet under them and tighten up. 

[Starchild]

18 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I couldn't get past John Goodman's strained way of talking as if he'd had dental work done that morning and was still numb and uncomfortable.

Folks had been complaining about John being kind of mush-mouthed the last couple years. I'd noticed it too. Now he's easier to understand, but the teeth seem too big for his mouth. Distracting.

 

16 hours ago, Bastet said:

giving as her sole reason for such a big change that "I never want us to be apart", and running off to spend time during every day with the husband she already spends every frakkin' night with (because it's not a situation where he's already retired/about to retire and she wants to join him so they both have total flexibility; he's still working at what he loves).

It seemed a bit more than that to me. Unless I'm misremembering the dialogue, she restarted the Lunch Box for mommy's approval. But after getting with Neville, she realized his love was enough, and she didn't need it. Which is good because she won't get it now, not with Bev's dementia. I imagine those realizations were enough to rip away any residual enthusiasm she may have had for the business if Bev's approval was the only real driver.

Now, where that might all fit into the larger picture of Jackie's character arc over the entire history of both this show and Roseanne, I don't know. But I'm OK with it.

Edited February 8 by Starchild

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, Starchild said:

if Bev's approval was the only real driver.

I was going to say it wasn't, but it depends on what episode you go by, I guess.  Back when she wanted to get The Lunch Box going again, it was because running it the first time around was the happiest she'd ever been (and a big part of that was running it with Roseanne, so it was tied up in missing her).

[chitowngirl]

35 minutes ago, Starchild said:

Folks had been complaining about John being kind of mush-mouthed the last couple years. I'd noticed it too. Now he's easier to understand, but the teeth seem too big for his mouth. Distracting.

I’m thinking it’s an acting choice by John because he doesn’t sound at all like Dan when he’s Eli Gemstone on The Righteous Gemstones.

[Starchild]

10 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

I’m thinking it’s an acting choice by John because he doesn’t sound at all like Dan when he’s Eli Gemstone on The Righteous Gemstones.

Ah but on that show, how far do his teeth protrude out of his mouth?

[andidante]

Why didn't Becky and/or Louise take over the restaurant? They already work there.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

51 minutes ago, andidante said:

Why didn't Becky and/or Louise take over the restaurant? They already work there.

Becky is still in school and raising a child.

Now Jackie will have to rely on Neville even more for money?

Also, I just rewatched the first few minutes of the show and noticed that in the new opening, Darlene grabbed a random taco from the tray.  So either she is eating meat, they are all eating fake meat (no way Dan would do that), or no one thought about the fact that she is a vegetarian when they were filming the opening, including Sara Gilbert (although Dan did mention Darlene's veggie dog in the Chicago scene).

Edited February 9 by ItCouldBeWorse

[TattleTeeny]

Maybe she fooled Dan with some of the faux meat “crumbles” — some of them are insanely realistic! But based on the “Dan in 2  places at once” issue, I’d guess it was an error. 

Jackie calling Darlene “Becky” made me laugh. Felt very old-school Jackie — like frantic and excitable but not a complete cartoon. 

Edited February 9 by TattleTeeny

[tvfanatic13]

I am so glad I wasn’t losing my mind!!

[nuraman00]

21 hours ago, nuraman00 said:

I accidentally cancelled the scheduled DVR recording for the premiere.  Will it be available on ABC.com?  If so, when?

I don't want to sign up for a free trial of Fubo or Hulu.

It's available now.

 

abc.com/shows/the-conners/episode-guide/season-06/01-the-publisher-cops-show-pilot

[SoMuchTV]

On 2/7/2024 at 9:20 PM, iMonrey said:

Wow, what a shocking continuity problem this episode had! Nick Offerman comes into the restaurant, Dan is there, Nick goes into the kitchen. Cut to Dan and Darlene at a diner somewhere on their way to (or back from) Chicago, I thought OK maybe there's a time jump here. Then cut back to the restaurant, Nick is still in the kitchen and Dan is still there! WTF.

I hope Harris is able to turn the restaurant around (and get stew off the menu). It's been a mess ever since they re-opened.

I wonder if when they wrote and shot the episode, those two stories were supposed to be taking place at different times, but somehow in editing, they got mashed together? I dunno, that’s all I got. 

[iMonrey]

16 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Now Jackie will have to rely on Neville even more for money?

I assume she is still part-owner and entitled to a piece of the profits, she is just handing over day-to-day operations to Harris. But then again, on this show, who knows? I'm actually not clear on who the owner is. We first learned that Beverly still owned the building, which in itself contradicted what we knew about the place from the Roseanne show. Darlene had Bev's power of attorney and both Jackie and Becky fought to reopen the place. Eventually Darlene relented. Did she hand over ownership to Jackie? Or to Jackie and Becky? Or does Bev still own the place?

[JAYJAY1979]

In this episode, Jackie was almost like a real person.. reminded me of Season 1 to 6 Jackie before she went to wacky-land.

Also, it's in character for Jackie to want to spend as much time with Neville as possible.  She always put a man ahead of her own ambition most of the time.... and she also craved unconditional love and after losing Roseanne.. the closest person she has that offers her that is Neville.

Harris handling the day to day operations is a good move because the character has been in limbo for a couple of seasons so seeing her being good at restaurant management would be nice.

The Darlene/Dan relationship was one of my favorite things about the OG Roseanne show.. and I saw both of their perspective in their conflict tonight.  Darlene is correct that Roseanne/Dan pinned their hopes on her to move above their lot in life.. which she did do for many years.  Dan is also correct that Darlene does seem to be the one that is holding the family together... a successor to Roseanne.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I assume she is still part-owner and entitled to a piece of the profits, she is just handing over day-to-day operations to Harris.

Which has me wondering what Louise's role is, because I thought she was brought in as the manager after she decided to retire from touring.  She used to manage the Mexican restaurant Becky worked in as a server, too.  Seems a more logical choice than Harris, but if this is how they're going to go it would be nice to see Harris take to it.  She was a conscientious worker at that retail job (before she got replaced by a robot).

[txhorns79]

On 2/8/2024 at 12:34 PM, HurricaneVal said:

I didn't understand why Harris was there at all, until the end when the idea was floated that she take over the restaurant.  Then it made sense why she was hanging around at the table in the corner.  I think that is an interesting plot twist, I'd like to see where that goes.

I like that they seem to have found a purpose for Harris that can work within the show.  However, does the character actually have any idea how to run a restaurant?  It's a lot more than knowing where to get good produce.  I was honestly thinking Louise would be the better choice to oversee things (wasn't she the manager at Becky's old waitress job?), with Harris maybe learning the ropes as things went along.

[iMonrey]

11 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I like that they seem to have found a purpose for Harris that can work within the show.  However, does the character actually have any idea how to run a restaurant?  It's a lot more than knowing where to get good produce.  I was honestly thinking Louise would be the better choice to oversee things (wasn't she the manager at Becky's old waitress job?), with Harris maybe learning the ropes as things went along.

If I were inclined to rationalize anything on this show, I'd suggest that neither Louise nor Becky has the time or interest in devoting their lives to running The Lunchbox. Louise probably would like to spend more time with Dan now that she has retired from being on the road, and it seems like Harris will have a full time job getting that place into shape. Harris doesn't have kids or school or a spouse to deal with.

[DanaK]

Regarding the supposed continuity issues with Dan, it’s very possible he popped into the Lunchbox before he left for Chicago with Darlene and then returned to the restaurant when he got back before returning to the house to talk with Darlene some more

[UsernameFatigue]

7 hours ago, DanaK said:

Regarding the supposed continuity issues with Dan, it’s very possible he popped into the Lunchbox before he left for Chicago with Darlene and then returned to the restaurant when he got back before returning to the house to talk with Darlene some more

But would he wear one set of clothes to the restaurant earlier in the day, change clothes to go to Chicago with Darlene, and then change back into the clothes he was wearing at the Lunch Box earlier in the day, to go back to the restaurant after returning from Chicago? That is why there is a glaring continuity issue. 

Along the lines of the clothing changes, Dan wears a dark green plaid shirt and gold puffy vest at the Lunch Box. He wears a blue denim shirt and dark blue jacket to Chicago. He is then seen again at the Lunch Box wearing the green plaid shirt and gold puffy vest. Then when he arrives home where he has his conversation with Darlene he comes in the house wearing the dark green plaid shirt, this time paired with the dark blue jacket he was wearing in Chicago.  Lol. 

 

 

 

[iMonrey]

7 hours ago, DanaK said:

Regarding the supposed continuity issues with Dan, it’s very possible he popped into the Lunchbox before he left for Chicago with Darlene and then returned to the restaurant when he got back before returning to the house to talk with Darlene some more

Except . . . Scene 1, Dan is at the counter when Nick Offerman's character goes into the kitchen to inspect it. Scene 2, Dan and Darlene are at a diner somewhere and Dan is wearing different clothes. Scene 3, back to the diner, Dan is still sitting at the counter wearing the same clothes he was wearing in Scene 1 and Nick Offerman's character is still in the kitchen. Was Nick Offerman in the kitchen for more than a day? (or, you know, what @UsernameFatigue said.)

I wonder if maybe half this episode was shot before the strike shut them down then they came back and wrote a different B-plot and tried to edit it together. Unsuccessfully. 

[Wizardpatch]

Apparently, the only business that's booming in Lanford is Veternary Medicine. Jackie is all ready to abandon the place she spent so long whining about losing. Why doesn't she just work as her husband's secretary/assistant? 

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Except . . . Scene 1, Dan is at the counter when Nick Offerman's character goes into the kitchen to inspect it. Scene 2, Dan and Darlene are at a diner somewhere and Dan is wearing different clothes. Scene 3, back to the diner, Dan is still sitting at the counter wearing the same clothes he was wearing in Scene 1 and Nick Offerman's character is still in the kitchen. Was Nick Offerman in the kitchen for more than a day? (or, you know, what @UsernameFatigue said.)

I wonder if maybe half this episode was shot before the strike shut them down then they came back and wrote a different B-plot and tried to edit it together. Unsuccessfully. 

I like this theory except I would add that they probably used AI to edit it together and that's why it doesn't make any logical sense to real human beings living in a real world.  

Edited February 11 by Yeah No

[tribeca]

Didn’t Jackie slap Darlene over Beverly’s money or owning the building ?

absolutely hated the way she acted this episode.   She didn’t care about her business or her employees.  
hope Harris takes a hospitality business class and Louise takes her under her wing (although she didn’t  Seem to care about the restaurant either )

   Does  DJ still exists or has he been Andyed ?

Nick Offerman is awesome in everything.  

[ButterQueen]

I too noticed the continuity error, but as a longtime fan of The Golden Girls, I don’t let it bother me.  I’m glad the show is back as I just love these characters.  

 

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 2/11/2024 at 1:23 AM, Wizardpatch said:

Apparently, the only business that's booming in Lanford is Veternary Medicine. Jackie is all ready to abandon the place she spent so long whining about losing. Why doesn't she just work as her husband's secretary/assistant? 

Neville works all day, correct?  Other than taking him lunch, what is Jackie so busy doing all day that she can't order napkins or food? She could work 8 to 5 with a lunch break, then hand the dinner shift over to Harris and still be home more than Neville is (due to evening and weekend emergencies that call him out).

 

[ams1001]

On 2/8/2024 at 10:03 AM, Colorado David said:

Nick Offerman's deadpans to the camera I did like, tho I miss the moustache. He looks quite different without it IMO.

I didn't even realize it was him until he started talking.

[b4pjoe]

On 2/8/2024 at 7:13 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Becky is still in school and raising a child.

Now Jackie will have to rely on Neville even more for money?

Also, I just rewatched the first few minutes of the show and noticed that in the new opening, Darlene grabbed a random taco from the tray.  So either she is eating meat, they are all eating fake meat (no way Dan would do that), or no one thought about the fact that she is a vegetarian when they were filming the opening, including Sara Gilbert (although Dan did mention Darlene's veggie dog in the Chicago scene).

In the opening when Dan sat down he put hot sauce on Mark’s taco. Then when he turned around Darlene switched Mark’s taco with the hot sauce on it with Dan’s taco. Dan then turned around and took a bite of the taco and tasted the hot sauce and made the face showing how hot it was. Laughter ensued.

[ams1001]

30 minutes ago, b4pjoe said:

In the opening when Dan sat down he put hot sauce on Mark’s taco. Then when he turned around Darlene switched Mark’s taco with the hot sauce on it with Dan’s taco. Dan then turned around and took a bite of the taco and tasted the hot sauce and made the face showing how hot it was. Laughter ensued.

I did laugh at that. Much better than the sausage opening.

[b4pjoe]

10 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I did laugh at that. Much better than the sausage opening.

Yes…much, much better than the sausage! 😁

[ItCouldBeWorse]

2 hours ago, b4pjoe said:

In the opening when Dan sat down he put hot sauce on Mark’s taco. Then when he turned around Darlene switched Mark’s taco with the hot sauce on it with Dan’s taco. Dan then turned around and took a bite of the taco and tasted the hot sauce and made the face showing how hot it was. Laughter ensued.

Agreed, but my point was that if the tacos contain real meat, Darlene is no longer a vegetarian.  She should have taken hers from a separate tray or something. (At the beginning of the opening, the tacos were all on a serving tray.)

Edited February 13 by ItCouldBeWorse

[One Tough Cookie]

On 2/8/2024 at 11:39 AM, iMonrey said:

when she pops in for a $50 out of the cash register to gamble with and ignores the fact that the place is falling apar

I seem to sense a theme here: Becky and Dan with alcohol {and Becky's gambling} and Jackie running in and grabbing money from the cash register without seeing how much is in the til and Mark's period with pills makes me think the addictive behavior {drinking, gambling and Mark's drug use} is an ongoing theme that the producers don't want to explore.

or maybe I'm just an old fuddy duddy.

Edited February 13 by One Tough Cookie

[One Tough Cookie]

On 2/8/2024 at 7:32 PM, andidante said:

Why didn't Becky and/or Louise take over the restaurant?

Because Becky is going to be a PSYCOLOGIST and is too good for manual labor.

Edited February 14 by One Tough Cookie

[iMonrey]

38 minutes ago, One Tough Cookie said:

I seem to sense a theme here: Becky and Dan with alcohol {and Becky's gambling} and Jackie running in and grabbing money from the cash register without seeing how much is in the til and Mark's period with pills makes me think the addictive behavior {drinking, gambling and Mark's drug use} is an ongoing theme that the producers don't want to explore.

Hmm. Well there was an episode on the old Roseanne show where Jackie got addicted to the internet. So you may be onto something. But I'm not necessarily inclined to give these writers that much credit.

[juliet73]

This episode was horrible.  Hopefully, this is the last season.

[Mr. Sparkle]

7 hours ago, juliet73 said:

This episode was horrible. 

It really was. 70s Brady Bunch style jokes with canned laughter. I'm strongly asking myself why I watch this, and I'm not coming up with a good answer. 

[andidante]

1 hour ago, Mr. Sparkle said:

It really was. 70s Brady Bunch style jokes with canned laughter. I'm strongly asking myself why I watch this, and I'm not coming up with a good answer. 

I hate watch it at this point! LOL

[Brn2bwild]

One would think Neville, who invested a considerable amount of money in the Lunchbox (remember when it was supposed to be rebranded as a sports bar?) would be pissed to see how little Jackie cared about maintain and growing the business.  And what would he think about his investment being transferred to Harris for zero consideration?