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S04.E17: Karaoke

chitowngirl

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Galileo908

Galileo908

I am loving Mr. Johnson and his multiple choice past. Lied about studying in Paris, may or may not lying about Quincy Jones and singing Fleetwood Mac (AND BTS and Three Six Mafia).

We finally got to see a date with Ava and O'Shon, and more of Gregory as a rideshare driver. Of course Gregory practices his spiel before anyone got in the car.

O'Shon has favorite roller coasters? I...think I get it now, guys.

This show finally found the magic formula: get everyone drunk and sing karaoke. Barbara wondering where the worship songs are, and Jacob getting mistaken for a stripper was hilarious. Last Resort by Papa Roach was the last thing I expected Jacob to sing, but I get it (also loved Simon and Mr. Johnson rocking out to it). There was so much cringe in this ep between him and Ava, but I liked that they were able to recover in the end.

"White?!"
"It's actually pronounced Wyatt."

Love me a good callback.

  • Like 13
Annber03

Annber03

Whee, karaoke night, fun!

LMFAO, oh, my god, I literally had the exact same reaction as Barbara and Melissa when Jacob launched into "Last Resort" XD. Good lord, that had me rolling. Janine's face during that scene was priceless, too. 

Also loved Janine bopping along when Mr. Johnson was doing his song. And the end bit with everyone singing along was great as well - loved Gregory striking a pose. I'm glad he was able to make ti to join Janine - I figured he would, but I loved how they did that. Especially given Janine's choice of song, ha. 

But yeah. It was really fun to see everyone hanging out together for karaoke night. 

As for the other stories...aw, yay, Jacob, putting himself out there again. I'm glad he and Zach seem to be on more civil/friendly terms now in general, too. Also glad that Ava was able to work things out with O'Shon and salvage their date. Her story about her dad...aw. 

The guy that Janine's friend was seeing/arguing with throughout the episode...was that the same actor who's currently on "High Potential" and had a few guest spots on "Ghsots" :D? 'Cause it sure looked like him at times...

  • Like 6
Crashcourse

Crashcourse

Karaoke night was fun, although some of the "singing" was awful. 🤣

I was expecting Ava to be nasty to the waiter (always a bad sign), so I was relieved that she wasn't.  The date wasn't going well, so it was nice that she opened up about her father and things ended well.  We'll see how long it lasts though.

At times Gregory looked like he was about to fall asleep while driving.  I hope he finds a different part time job.

  • Like 5
txhorns79

txhorns79

(edited)
3 hours ago, Annber03 said:

The guy that Janine's friend was seeing/arguing with throughout the episode...was that the same actor who's currently on "High Potential" and had a few guest spots on "Ghsots" :D? 'Cause it sure looked like him at times...

No.  The actor on Abbott is Benjamin Norris.  The one on High Potential and Ghosts is Deniz Akdeniz.

I didn't care much about the karaoke, but did like seeing Ava show some growth on her date.  I like when Ava acts like an actual human.    

Edited by txhorns79
  • Like 7
Empress1

Empress1

12 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

also loved Simon and Mr. Johnson rocking out to it

I was howling. This was a really funny episode.

I liked the advice from Barbara and Melissa about not making work your life. Jacob is a creative, dedicated teacher, but what else? Go do some things, see what kind of life, not just job, you want to build, and build it.

I assume we’ll see Jacob’s interest again - that’s Jaboukie Young-White. I used to think he was cute but that mustache isn’t working for me.

How do you not ask follow-up questions when someone starts speaking Japanese and a)you are not in Japan and b) they are not Japanese? Ava is a bad date. It was nice to see her let her guard down a little, and also nice that O’Shon (Sean?) called her on her shit. He’s not intimidated by her. (The Subaru joke is one I would make once I knew someone well.)

  • Like 11
DearEvette

DearEvette

(edited)

Jacob wins Karaoke night for me just based on everyone's reaction.  I especially liked Simon and Mr. Johnson rocking out to it.  Janine's face was great!

Of course Mr. Johnson's Karaoke song is "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp."

Hysterical that Erika and Simon ended up being Barbara's back up after she dragged their singing.  Their volatile relationship was really fun background flavor.

How apropos that Janine and Gregory did "Always on Time." And Janine's Ja Rule voice was ... not great.  

I am dying that Zach's one man show is called 'Got Out' which feels like a play on Jordan Peele's 'Get Out.'  Yeah Zach is still pretty salty about the break up. 

13 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

"White?!"
"It's actually pronounced Wyatt."

Love me a good callback.

That was fantastic.

I actually liked the writing for Ava this episode.  Yes she was a terrible date but I think between the writing and the acting it really showed her insecurities and the mask she hides behind.  She is so uncomfortable with anything real that she hides behind flippant jokes and a little bit of mean girlness.  It is interesting because she is the same way with Janine.

O'Shon was fantastic.  Not only is he handsome, smart and nicely nerdy he comes off as very authentic.  I liked the scene of them as the valet brought his car around.  It was a great contrast in the really fun joking insult (his car) as compared to Ava's snottiness earlier.  That type of joking is their thing.  So yeah I thought was was a really good character showcase for Ava and a nice beginning for her and O'shon.

Edited by DearEvette
  • Like 12
jah1986

jah1986

I loved this episode. So proud of O'Shon standing up for himself and calling Ava out. I love the way people on this show communicate and act (mostly) like grown ups. Ava's face when Barbara was going on and on about what a man O'Shon is had me dying.

The karaoke choices were great! I used to wear out that last song they sung "what would you do", loved it!

Poor Jacob, but good on him for getting back out there.

Of course Zach sings Take Me as I am, it was nice to see him again though.

Yay, Gregory showed up, always on time.

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Sarahsmile416

Sarahsmile416

22 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Jacob wins Karaoke night for me just based on everyone's reaction.  I especially liked Simon and Mr. Johnson rocking out to it.  Janine's face was great!

Of course Mr. Johnson's Karaoke song is "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp."

Hysterical that Erika and Simon ended up being Barbara's back up after she dragged their singing.  Their volatile relationship was really fun background flavor.

How apropos that Janine and Gregory did "Always on Time." And Janine's Ja Rule voice was ... not great.  

I am dying that Zach's one man show is called 'Got Out' which feels like a play on Jordan Peele's 'Get Out.'  Yeah Zach is still pretty salty about the break up. 

That was fantastic.

I actually liked the writing for Ava this episode.  Yes she was a terrible date but I think between the writing and the acting it really showed her insecurities and the mask she hides behind.  She is so uncomfortable with anything real that she hides behind flippant jokes and a little bit of mean girlness.  It is interesting because she is the same way with Janine.

O'Shon was fantastic.  Not only is he handsome, smart and nicely nerdy he comes off as very authentic.  I liked the scene of them as the valet brought his car around.  It was a great contrast in the really fun joking insult (his car) as compared to Ava's snottiness earlier.  That type of joking is their thing.  So yeah I thought was was a really good character showcase for Ava and a nice beginning for her and O'shon.

Well to be fair, Ja Rule's Ja Rule voice isn't great 😂

  • LOL 15
ItCouldBeWorse

ItCouldBeWorse

(edited)
16 hours ago, Annber03 said:

The guy that Janine's friend was seeing/arguing with throughout the episode...was that the same actor who's currently on "High Potential" and had a few guest spots on "Ghsots" :D? 'Cause it sure looked like him at times...

That guy was Simon, who works with Manny and Emily at the district. We saw him frequently when Janine worked there. Erica met Simon through Janine.

The actor was also on Never Have I Ever.

Edited by ItCouldBeWorse
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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

(edited)
4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

.

I actually liked the writing for Ava this episode.  Yes she was a terrible date but I think between the writing and the acting it really showed her insecurities and the mask she hides behind.  She is so uncomfortable with anything real that she hides behind flippant jokes and a little bit of mean girlness.  It is interesting because she is the same way with Janine.

O'Shon was fantastic.  Not only is he handsome, smart and nicely nerdy he comes off as very authentic.  I liked the scene of them as the valet brought his car around.  It was a great contrast in the really fun joking insult (his car) as compared to Ava's snottiness earlier.  That type of joking is their thing.  So yeah I thought was was a really good character showcase for Ava and a nice beginning for her and O'shon.

That scene at the valet made me tear up.  absolutely fantastic. I was really losing interest in this show but this was a great episode. 
Did I hear correctly?  Ava said Gregory E the Uber driver was about to show up?  
ETA:  no a different name. That would have been funny though. 

Edited by EtheltoTillie
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chitowngirl

chitowngirl

  • Author
2 hours ago, Red Bridey said:

Oh, I am so Old and so White I didn't know any of the songs...not one...not even Melissa's song (had to be Springsteen, right?). 😳 So I loved the multiple storylines and I loved how storylines progressed. I love Janine and Gregory together. They treat each other so nicely!

Melissa sang “Wherever You Will Go” by The Calling

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Night Cheese

Night Cheese

I watch this show on Thursday mornings while I'm getting ready for work, and let me tell you, I was JAMMING this morning! I was loving all the song choices, although I didn't recognize Barbara's song. Can anyone clue me in? Jacob's Papa Roach choice was a funny surprise, but I would have never, ever guessed Melissa would pick a 20+ year old pop/alt-rock song from a one-hit wonder. Barbara crying over the lyrics of What Would You Do? was a mood. We tend to brush aside or even normalize stuff like that, but when you really think about those lyrics and remember that this is the reality for some women/families, it's really sad. 

Anyway, I was having such a good time with the songs that I forgot to pay attention to the stroylines. I'll have to go back and watch the non-karaoke parts. Sounds like Ava and O'Shon had a little two steps back, one step forward happening, but will hopefully keep working on it. 

  • Like 4
peeayebee

peeayebee

4 hours ago, Red Bridey said:

Oh, I am so Old and so White I didn't know any of the songs...not one...not even Melissa's song (had to be Springsteen, right?). 😳 

I'm old and white, too. I knew one and only one song -- It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp.

33 minutes ago, atomic said:

"Never Would Have Made It" by Marvin Sapp :)

Oh! I actually heard an interview with him on the radio the other day. He finally decided to go into R&B.

8 hours ago, Empress1 said:

How do you not ask follow-up questions when someone starts speaking Japanese and a)you are not in Japan and b) they are not Japanese? Ava is a bad date. It was nice to see her let her guard down a little, and also nice that O’Shon (Sean?) called her on her shit. He’s not intimidated by her. 

Yeah, she was a terrible date. The constant sarcasm and put-downs were annoying and rather hurtful. I'm sure it comes from insecurity. I was glad to see O'Shon be honest about what was happening, and I was glad that Ava saw the error of her ways and opened up a bit.

Loved how Jacob flirted with Elijah. That was cute.

 

  • Like 8
Annber03

Annber03

6 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That guy was Simon, who works with Manny and Emily at the district. We saw him frequently when Janine worked there. Erica met Simon through Janine.

The actor was also on Never Have I Ever.

Ah, right, okay, thanks. Totally blanked on that, wow. 

10 hours ago, marceline said:

I'm an old theater nerd so I literally only knew one song in this episode and it was Zack singing "Take Me of Leave Me" from Rent.

I knew a bunch of the songs the group sang because they were huge radio hits back when I was in high school. I was getting flashbacks all over the place this episode :p.  Barbara's was the only one I wasn't familiar with, but I'm also not up on my gospel music, so...

  • Like 2
Empress1

Empress1

9 hours ago, buckboard said:

I was disappointed that we didn't get to hear Sheryl Lee Ralph sing more than a few bars during the karaoke.  She's starred in Broadway musicals, has a great voice, but other cast members had considerably more singing time.

And Barbara lost her voice for the holiday show. Let Sheryl sing!

When she said Jacob was pitchy and didn’t use his diaphragm, I fell out. Her line delivery is unparalleled.

  • Like 8
MicheleinPhilly

MicheleinPhilly

9 hours ago, buckboard said:

I was disappointed that we didn't get to hear Sheryl Lee Ralph sing more than a few bars during the karaoke.  She's starred in Broadway musicals, has a great voice, but other cast members had considerably more singing time.

CO-SIGN. I was so excited to learn that they were going to karaoke just because of her. I HATE KARAOKE but Ms. Ralph could sing the phone book to me. 

  • Like 4
tennisgurl

tennisgurl

(edited)

Wow, What Would You Do is taking me way back, I started singing along right with the rest of the gang when that came on. My friends and I were all singing that song constantly when we were in junior high, clearly not thinking much about the actual lyrics. I love that Barbara was just sad about the songs content while everyone else was jamming. 

Jacob screaming along to Last Resort during karaoke was certainly not on my Abbot bingo card, he kind of crushed it actually. I really liked his whole plot in this one, its great that he's dedicated to his job but he really needs other things outside of work to. His line to the guy at the bar was surprisingly smooth, hopefully we see him again. 

O'Shon seems like a great guy, he could be really good for Ava. I am glad that he called her out on being a bad date, there is a real different between funny banter and being an asshole, glad that she managed to actually be vulnerable and get them back on track. We also got some more information about Ava's dad and why she has issues with him. 

Simon and Erika having this whole break up/make up/break up in the background of the episode was hilarious.

Edited by tennisgurl
  • Like 8
Racj82

Racj82

I dont really care that we didn't here much from Barbara singing wise.

The fun of karaoke is everyone trying to sing. Barbara would just be singing. We've heard it before and she great at it. No need to play into it again.

If you agree to a date with Ava, I would assume you would expect the attitude or jokes she gave. I'm glad she began to let her walls down though.

I still can't relate with people having issues with the show now. Its always entertaining to me.

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Lois Sandborne

Lois Sandborne

On 3/13/2025 at 6:24 AM, marceline said:

I'm an old theater nerd so I literally only knew one song in this episode and it was Zack singing "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent.

This is my dream duet (well, this and "What You Own"), but sadly none of my friends like Rent or karaoke. I was living through Zack.

This episode was hilarious. I was cackling when the camera cut to Jacob screaming. His face was incredible. Can't wait to see what zany Jacob thing he gets interested in. Also I hope we do see more of Bill-Elijah, because Jaboukie is really funny.

Nice to see Erica again. The story with her and Simon was half-baked, but this was a hangout episode, so no problem.

I never really understood what O'Shon was seeing in Ava (and I still don't oop), but I liked seeing her have an honest moment with him.

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Crashcourse

Crashcourse

5 hours ago, Lois Sandborne said:

I never really understood what O'Shon was seeing in Ava (and I still don't oop), but I liked seeing her have an honest moment with him.

Same here.  I never understood what he saw in her since he was aware of her personality and how awful she was around others.  It was nice seeing her having an honest moment with him, but I wonder how long this will last before she reverts to being old Ava again. 

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Blakeston

Blakeston

17 hours ago, Harvey said:

WTF agrees to a second date with someone who acts the way Ava did here? And no, that 2 seconds of sincerity does not make up for a whole evening of being awful. 

I'm gonna chalk that up to TV magic. Or the guy is masochistic. 

If this was real life, I would put a lot of money on O'Shon's mother being extraordinarily narcissistic (like Ava).

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DearEvette

DearEvette

11 hours ago, Lois Sandborne said:

I never really understood what O'Shon was seeing in Ava (and I still don't oop), but I liked seeing her have an honest moment with him.

I imagine what a lot of people see in someone they are initially attracted to, their looks, something about a vibe that calls to you.

The first date is the opportunity to get to know the person a bit and whether you want to spend more time with them.  And theirs went dismally at first and he was right to call a halt to it when he did and to say why.

But we've been given tons of context clues about Ava's personality over the last 4 seasons. She isn't just a horrible person. She is fantastic with the kids which says a lot about a person.  She is prickly and snarky, but that is  mostly with people who try to be nice to her or who try to show her they care.

Her relationship with Janine, imo, mirrors her relationship with O'Shon in some ways. We've seen her be mean to Janine, but she has come through for Janine and even spoke nicely about Janine when Janine wasn't around to hear it.  In the last Christmas episode she went to hang with Janine and Gregory for no reason that we could discern but it was heavily implied she wanted to be with people that she might consider family, but the minute they started to act that way toward her and kinda suss onto her motives, her walls came up and she got mean again.

I think Janelle James is a highly underrated actress. She does a lot of face acting that contradicts what comes out of her mouth.  You can see that in a lot of the scenes where Ava needs to shift into another gear.  And you can see it throughout the date.

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