S01.E05: Thanksgiving

[chitowngirl]

Mandy struggles to get Georgie's family to join him for his first Thanksgiving without his father.

[ams1001]

I don't usually cry at TV shows, but this one, which isn't even that great, has gotten me twice now.

[Dimity]

30 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I don't usually cry at TV shows, but this one, which isn't even that great, has gotten me twice now.

Same.  I thought the Mary storyline was very well handled and believable.  Definitely choked up a few times.  On the other hand what wasn't believable was Mandy's father turning out to be a Thanksgiving drunk who :gasp: talked back to his wife.  Not funny.

[ams1001]

17 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Same.  I thought the Mary storyline was very well handled and believable.  Definitely choked up a few times.  On the other hand what wasn't believable was Mandy's father turning out to be a Thanksgiving drunk who :gasp: talked back to his wife.  Not funny.

The picnic at George's grave was sweet, and also I see how Missy would find it a little weird, too. I like that it ended on a lighter note with Mary seeing the tattoo. (I also laughed at Mandy's "good" when Missy said it hurt.)

[Spartan Girl]

It was good to see Connie and Dale again. And the picnic by the graveside was a nice Cooper family moment.

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

On the other hand what wasn't believable was Mandy's father turning out to be a Thanksgiving drunk who :gasp: talked back to his wife.  Not funny.

A little late in the game for the writers to garner sympathy for Mandy’s mom.

That being said, I did like the part where Mandy got all emotional about her own father’s mortality.

[shura]

A dolphin or a sunflower?  How is this even a question? The dolphin, of course the dolphin, what sunflower?

This was truly an excellent episode, imo, written and acted really well.  The sequence where Georgie tells Audrey that they will spend Thanksgiving with Mary, then lets it slip that he is surprised she understands, she gets offended and Jim evacuates him out of there was pitch-perfect.  Mary telling Georgie “I have a foot too and do you want to know where I want to put it” was 100 percent BBT’s Mary.  I even loved the brother’s accordion-turkey number even without everyone’s reaction to it, which only made it better.  The whole bit with Missy’s tattoo (“Good call on the socks” - “I am not stupid”, and Mary pulling one down with a “what’s this?” at the picnic) was really nicely done.  And, of course, the switch in tone to show Mary’s feelings - just perfect.

[SoMuchTV]

I feel like Dale has aged much more since last year than any of the other actors/characters. Is he okay?

[Dimity]

1 minute ago, SoMuchTV said:

I feel like Dale has aged much more since last year than any of the other actors/characters. Is he okay?

I commented on that to my husband as well.  Definitely looked much older than I remembered.

[anna0852]

And Mary continues to tick me off on another show. When she was telling Mandy that she was gonna put herself first, I was telling the TV that she has a minor child at home and she doesn’t get to do that yet.

[Artsda]

That made me teary. Mary's reaction was realistic, happy of his they came together in the end having pie. 

 

[hoodooznoodooz]

7 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I feel like Dale has aged much more since last year than any of the other actors/characters. Is he okay?

His lines were off-putting, too. 
 

(paraphrasing:)

“Maybe your husband died because you were so miserable.”

”I won’t be eating any children.”

 

Montana was sooo good in the scene with Mary, in front of the McAllister house.

[Daff]

1 hour ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

won’t be eating any children.”

He only said that jokingly because Meemaw said, “I’m gonna gobble you up,” as she took possession of the baby. Nothing creepy about it.

[Browncoat]

9 hours ago, shura said:

 I even loved the brother’s accordion-turkey number even without everyone’s reaction to it, which only made it better.

I really want to see a blooper/outtakes reel from that scene.

[hoodooznoodooz]

58 minutes ago, Daff said:

He only said that jokingly because Meemaw said, “I’m gonna gobble you up,” as she took possession of the baby. Nothing creepy about it.

My bad. His delivery was creepy, in my opinion. Too serious. 

[Tom Holmberg]

10 minutes ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Too serious. 

I'm waiting for the situation COMEDY to start.  The first visit to George's grave was nice.  The second okay. But it's being over done.  It loses something each time they use it. Next to visit Meemaw.

[nora1992]

10 hours ago, anna0852 said:

And Mary continues to tick me off on another show. When she was telling Mandy that she was gonna put herself first, I was telling the TV that she has a minor child at home and she doesn’t get to do that yet.

But Missy already made plans that would have comforted her.  Mary was putting herself first only because Missy was taken care of. 

[txhorns79]

11 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I feel like Dale has aged much more since last year than any of the other actors/characters. Is he okay?

I don't know if it is the actor or a character choice, but not for nothing, Craig T. Nelson is 80.  I wouldn't be surprised if he was slowing down a bit.   

[MaryMitch]

I'm glad they're showing Mandy's mom warming up to Georgie. I know I'm in the minority, but I understand why she was upset with Mandy getting pregnant (by a minor!), getting married to said minor, and moving in with them. But Georgie is winning her over.

Edited November 15 by MaryMitch

[appositival]

Dale should have gone camping by himself. He should be allowed to celebrate the holiday in his own way.

I'm surprised Meemaw didn't go into the kitchen to ask Audrey if she wanted some help. I did like Audrey's angry potato mashing.

I was hoping Georgie would comment on the cranberry sauce after he actually tasted it.

Was there a turkey on the table?

[Daff]

1 hour ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

My bad. His delivery was creepy, in my opinion. Too serious. 

Oh, that’s just typical CTN delivery-deadpan sarcasm. Not specific to this character. 

[Daff]

23 minutes ago, appositival said:

Dale should have gone camping by himself. He should be allowed to celebrate the holiday in his own way.

I'm surprised Meemaw didn't go into the kitchen to ask Audrey if she wanted some help. I did like Audrey's angry potato mashing.

I was hoping Georgie would comment on the cranberry sauce after he actually tasted it.

Was there a turkey on the table?

Meemaw exercising GGparent privilege. Georgie wouldn’t like the chutney style if he was used to the jelly (it’s a texture thing).

[MarthaEllisanne]

The show is starting to find its footing and was a solid episode. I like that it is continuing in the dramady mode of YS even though it is filmed as a sitcom. It gives the characters more depth and empathy. The skill of the actors was on full display when Audrey went to the kitchen after Jim. The exchanged looks of Mandy and Connor, who knew what was about to happen, were telling. You could almost feel the temperature drop in the room. Anyone who has spent a holiday with someone like Audrey knows that, even though the gathering starts out cheerful and convivial, something will happen that will cause her to turn on a dime. Those in the know enjoy the festivities warily because they know it won’t last. They are on tenterhooks waiting for something to set her off. 

I enjoyed seeing the YS characters. They made me wish that YS had been changed to The Coopers or Meemaw, etc. and continued the storylines of the family minus Sheldon and Dad.  To me, Missy is an interesting character, full of teen angst and grief in a household where the mother is also grieving and wallowing in her religion. Missy is going to have to find her way mostly by herself and it would be interesting to watch. Her younger character had so much sparkle and spunk; she was fearless.  I’d like to know if that spark is fulfilled or falls by the wayside in small town life.  We know from YS & BBT that she had 4 kids, was divorced, and at one point, worked as a restaurant hostess. I’d like to know more. Perhaps she becomes like feisty, law-adjacent Meemaw. Missy can take over Meemaw’s gambling room and wind up owning a franchise of big casinos.

[proserpina65]

12 hours ago, anna0852 said:

And Mary continues to tick me off on another show. When she was telling Mandy that she was gonna put herself first, I was telling the TV that she has a minor child at home and she doesn’t get to do that yet.

Plus, it's not like we've ever seen her put Georgie first.  Probably before Sheldon was born, but since then, it's been Sheldon every single time.  Poor Georgie deserved one moment of his mother's time.  Although I do get Mary not wanting to do the first Thanksgiving after George's death.  My mother was like that.

1 hour ago, MaryMitch said:

I'm glad they're showing Mandy's mom warming up to Georgie. I know I'm in the minority, but I understand why she was upset with Mandy getting pregnant (by a minor!), getting married to said minor, and moving in with them. But Georgie is winning her over.

I understand why she'd be upset, but she didn't have to be an absolute bitch about it, not only to Georgie but also to her own daughter.  She'll have to go a long, long way before she's even started to get better, imo.

1 hour ago, appositival said:

Dale should have gone camping by himself. He should be allowed to celebrate the holiday in his own way.

Maybe he didn't want to go by himself and would rather have spent the day with Connie even if it wasn't where they'd planned?

 

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

We know from YS & BBT that she had 4 kids, was divorced, and at one point, worked as a restaurant hostess. I’d like to know more. Perhaps she becomes like feisty, law-adjacent Meemaw. Missy can take over Meemaw’s gambling room and wind up owning a franchise of big casinos.

Although we're never specifically told all that much about Missy the only time we really see her unhappy is at Sheldon and Amy's wedding.  Our first intro to her she is depicted in a very positive light - happy, outgoing and confident.  We do know she and her first husband eventually divorce but in a Young Sheldon voiceover we're told she's happy and has lots of friends (but Sheldon still "wins" because he has a Nobel Prize).  So all that to say I think both Missy and Sheldon have some difficult years ahead of them but eventually life works out for both of them.

[shapeshifter]

Zoe Perry's acting was worth watching.

[Dimity]

13 hours ago, anna0852 said:

And Mary continues to tick me off on another show. When she was telling Mandy that she was gonna put herself first, I was telling the TV that she has a minor child at home and she doesn’t get to do that yet.

I took the opposite from this show - Missy isn't a child, she's 14 she's old enough to see that her mother is grieving and does she try to help her in any way at all?  No.  She also has a grandmother and a brother and sister in law who are there for her and have reached out and had that thrown  back in their faces.  Sure she's a mess - Missy was struggling before George died - but instead of trying to be comfort to her mother she's using her mother's grief to act out and get her way.  Sympathy for Missy is limited from me right now.

[anna0852]

38 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I took the opposite from this show - Missy isn't a child, she's 14 she's old enough to see that her mother is grieving and does she try to help her in any way at all?  No.  She also has a grandmother and a brother and sister in law who are there for her and have reached out and had that thrown  back in their faces.  Sure she's a mess - Missy was struggling before George died - but instead of trying to be comfort to her mother she's using her mother's grief to act out and get her way.  Sympathy for Missy is limited from me right now.

I completely disagree. Missy is a child. An older child, but nowhere close to full grown adult. She and Mary can comfort each other, but ultimately Mary is the mother and the adult and it’s her responsibility to see to her children. It is not Missy‘s responsibility to support Mary. Not at this age.

if Mary is struggling, then she can turn to her own mother and she can turn to her adult son. She can turn to the pastor at her church. But in the end, Mary has kids who have not left the nest and therefore she needs to pull herself together and be present for her daughter. From the little glimpses we’ve seen that isn’t happening.
 

[Dimity]

17 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

It is not Missy‘s responsibility to support Mary.

Perhaps not support but it most definitely is her responsibility not to make life even more difficult for her mother than it is right now.  We saw glimmers on Young Sheldon of Missy stepping up and being more help than hindrance.  I hope that if they continue to feature the rest of the Coopers on this show that this side of Missy is allowed to develop.  I'm not confident of this because Lorre has a track record of making adolescents on his shows pretty awful.  We shall see.

[MollyMelrose]

Come on, CBS. Do it!

Christmas Karaoke, live from Medford.

Dale and MB (Mandy's Brother).

Guitar. Accordion.

And Turkey.

A holiday classic in the making.

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 10:18 PM by MollyMelrose
Oops!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

18 hours ago, ams1001 said:

The picnic at George's grave was sweet, and also I see how Missy would find it a little weird, too. I like that it ended on a lighter note with Mary seeing the tattoo. (I also laughed at Mandy's "good" when Missy said it hurt.)

She also thought it was weird to talk to her father's grave after Georgie suggested it, but was glad she did it. She was pretty naive to think Mary would never discover her tattoo, but she could have done a better job hiding it so soon after getting it.

Georgie is savvy enough to figure out that that's how Mandy got Missy to come to dinner. I wonder if he will be mad at her about it, or even mention it.

16 hours ago, anna0852 said:

And Mary continues to tick me off on another show. When she was telling Mandy that she was gonna put herself first, I was telling the TV that she has a minor child at home and she doesn’t get to do that yet.

100%.

6 hours ago, nora1992 said:

But Missy already made plans that would have comforted her.  Mary was putting herself first only because Missy was taken care of. 

True, but according to Meemaw, Georgie and Missy, she's been ignoring Missy since George died.

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Plus, it's not like we've ever seen her put Georgie first.  Probably before Sheldon was born, but since then, it's been Sheldon every single time.  Poor Georgie deserved one moment of his mother's time.  Although I do get Mary not wanting to do the first Thanksgiving after George's death.  My mother was like that.

Even though Georgie is married and over 18, he's still young and doesn't ask her for much. (Not saying she needed to make Thanksgiving herself.)

Although no one has asked, I'm going to cautiously  conclude that George had an insurance policy of some sort. Georgie got George's truck (instead of it being sold) and Mary and Missy are still in the house, which has a mortgage. Sure, they're spending less on beer and food without George, Sheldon, Georgie and Mandy around, but George's salary was surely far greater than their grocery bill and George's gas (and possibly insurance) for his truck. But it's still early. Perhaps we'll have an episode where Mary's finances are addressed. 

[Dimity]

3 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

But it's still early. Perhaps we'll have an episode where Mary's finances are addressed. 

Mary is also working, back at the church, so while her paycheque may not be big there is a steady income from that as well.  I will not be impressed if they show Mary struggling financially when one solution would be for Georgie and Mandy to move in with her and start paying some rent!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

2 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Mary is also working, back at the church, so while her paycheque may not be big there is a steady income from that as well.  I will not be impressed if they show Mary struggling financially when one solution would be for Georgie and Mandy to move in with her and start paying some rent!

She was also working at the church before she was fired because the family needed the extra income. It wouldn't be enough to make up for George's paycheck.

If Georgie and Mandy move in, water and food bills will go up. They're probably not paying Mandy's parents anything for living with them, so they can save up. Plus, they have their own bathroom. It would work out better if Georgie and Mandy just gave Mary money if she needed it, and stayed with her parents.

[Dimity]

1 minute ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

She was also working at the church before she was fired because the family needed the extra income.

I'm sure the extra income was welcome but that's not why she went to work at the church.  It was because she had the chance to work at the church.

[Browncoat]

In my state, if you work for the state, which includes K-12 schools, you automatically have life insurance that's at least equivalent to a year's salary.  

[Driad]

2 hours ago, MollyMelrose said:

Christmas Karaoke, live from Medford.

Dale and MB (Missy's Brother).

Guitar. Accordion.

Presumably you mean Mandy's brother.  I'd be annoyed at the writers for giving Mandy a name so similar to Missy and Mary, if I had enough annoyance left over from other situations.

[Silver-hyren]

4 hours ago, Dimity said:

Missy isn't a child, she's 14 she's old enough to see that her mother is grieving and does she try to help her in any way at all?  No.  

As someone else said, Missy is still a child.  Fourteen is still very young.  And just as Mary is grieving, Missy is grieving too.  The end of YS showed the're grieving in very different ways that puts them at odds (and they didn't always have the best relationship to begin with).  Is Missy a brat at times?  Yes.  But it's not fair to put the responsibility of catering to Mary on her shoulders.

[MollyMelrose]

9 minutes ago, Driad said:

Presumably you mean Mandy's brother.  I'd be annoyed at the writers for giving Mandy a name so similar to Missy and Mary, if I had enough annoyance left over from other situations.

Thank you. Brain fart. Fixed it. 

Edited Friday at 10:20 PM by MollyMelrose

[Dimity]

12 minutes ago, Silver-hyren said:

But it's not fair to put the responsibility of catering to Mary on her shoulders.

I'm certainly not suggesting she cater to Mary - but perhaps it wouldn't hurt her to show a few signs of sympathy for other people.  When I was 14 I had to take on a lot of responsibility  because my sister had cancer and my mother needed my help.  I shudder to think what a teenager like Missy would behave like in those circumstances.

[nora1992]

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

In my state, if you work for the state, which includes K-12 schools, you automatically have life insurance that's at least equivalent to a year's salary.  

And wouldn’t Missy and Sheldon get Social Security benefits for a deceased parent?

[tkc]

Georgie is being portrayed right now as fulfilling what he told Sheldon in TBBT:

Georgie: You went away to college after Dad died. Who do you think took care of everything?
Sheldon: Mom did. Mom always took care of everything.
Georgie: Mom was a mess, Missy was a dumb teenager. I had to look after both of 'em.

[chitowngirl]

5 hours ago, tkc said:

Georgie is being portrayed right now as fulfilling what he told Sheldon in TBBT:

Georgie: You went away to college after Dad died. Who do you think took care of everything?
Sheldon: Mom did. Mom always took care of everything.
Georgie: Mom was a mess, Missy was a dumb teenager. I had to look after both of 'em.

And at that time, we knew Georgie was just an adult teenager. Now we know he was also married with a baby taking care of things.

[Dimity]

30 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

And at that time, we knew Georgie was just an adult teenager. Now we know he was also married with a baby taking care of things.

Thinking about this, or overthinking! I think I've put my finger on what is bothering me about the Missy/Mary storyline.  Lorre's misogynism is showing through here.  Mary and Missy are "a mess" they can't handle things and good old Georgie has to step up and be the man of the family.  This 19 yr old has the responsibility of a wife (with thousands in credit card debt - because, hey, she's a girl, so of course she does) and a baby and at the same time now is holding things together for Mary and Missy.  Nope, not buying it. 

[MarthaEllisanne]

20 hours ago, Browncoat said:

In my state, if you work for the state, which includes K-12 schools, you automatically have life insurance that's at least equivalent to a year's salary.  

In Texas there is the TRS, Teacher's Retirement System, one of the largest pension systems in the US. Even during the time-frame of YS, Mary would have qualified for George's pension for life, depending on years of service TRS would also provide healthcare for her and dependent children, and a one-time life insurance payout which is basically enough for funeral expenses. Mary may also qualify for SS widow benefits and dependent child benefits until Missy and possibly Sheldon turn 18. There also may be some military benefits from George's service, but don't know much about that. With her church job and frugal lifestyle, Mary will probably be okay. 

[shapeshifter]

48 minutes ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

In Texas…largest pension systems in the US.…also provide healthcare for her and dependent children… SS widow benefits …With her church job and frugal lifestyle, Mary will probably be okay.

But there's a good chance that any or all of Mary's kids and her Mom will wind up needing some sort of support from her at some point. So if this family saga continues on for another decade in one form or another, there could be some lean times ahead.
Otherwise, I agree that for now, Mary should be financially okay.

[Dimity]

3 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Otherwise, I agree that for now, Mary should be financially okay.

Unless Lorre decides to make finances an issue for the benefit of an episode or two.  But if he does it would still be temporary.  10 or 12 years from now as Big Bang is starting Mary seems financially very secure.  Whether that is because Georgie, Missy and Sheldon (or at least one of them) is helping, is, of course, never mentioned.  But Mary can travel easily between Texas and California, take vacations etc. 

[possibilities]

The anti-woman characterizations extend to Mandy's mother, also. She's harsh and her husband is a nice guy who is submissive. Dale is also submissive and a bit put upon by Meemaw.

It's depressing, actually, how thoroughly the gender throughlines are..

[Marley]

The show still sucks but this episode was a bit better. Prob cause the actual good characters were in it.

They are going a bit hard with Dale’s lines in my opinion. The dead husband dying because she was miserable wasn’t funny & too much.

The brother on the show is annoying & not funny at all.

Mandys dad being a drunk on Thanksgiving seems out of character. Weird way to go.

[Yeah No]

This is the first episode where I didn't feel like the show suffered for being filmed in front of a studio audience. At least some scenes didn't feel like they were. And the laughing didn't feel as intrusive as in other episodes either.

I hate to say it but I think the episodes with the old YS cast in them are the better ones. The characters are more interesting and we already have a relationship with them and like seeing them again. Yes to how they should have just called this "The Coopers" and made it a continuation of YS without Sheldon as the focus.

I feel like Georgie's acting is better when his OG family is around. I just don't feel like the new cast interacts as smoothly yet. And the brother just sucks all the comedy out of a room. AWK-ward. Although I did get a chuckle out of the accordion bit with the fake turkey call, LOL. 

I didn't notice Dale looking that much older and I usually notice those things. And I didn't feel that his lines were more off-putting than usual. He's always been a crusty curmudgeon, sometimes more so than others.

And yes to giving visiting George's gravesite a rest. I did like the picnic though.

[iarwain]

On 11/14/2024 at 10:11 PM, shura said:

A dolphin or a sunflower?  How is this even a question? The dolphin, of course the dolphin, what sunflower?

I don't know.  I don't like tattoos, but if she had to get one, a sunflower growing out of her sock might look kind of cool.  But she chose the dolphin.

I was a little surprised to see Dale, I'm not sure why but I wasn't expecting to see him.  Now if Dr. Sturgis shows up, I will be surprised.  Not sure how much longer they can go on with these part time guest stars from Young Sheldon, although I enjoy it.

[Dimity]

17 hours ago, Marley said:

Mandys dad being a drunk on Thanksgiving seems out of character. Weird way to go.

In vino veritas I guess.  It was like they can only have him stand up for himself when he's drunk and given the way Mandy and her brother behaved this seems to be a pattern for them.  I don't know what they plan to do going forward but I really hope they calm Audrey down and give Jim a spine without him having to be bombed out of his mind.