S01.E22: Big Decisions

[Dimity]

2 hours ago, Perkie said:

Sorry if this has been brought up already, but why was Mandy referring to herself as Mandy McCallister?  Isn't this show set in the early 90s?   Most women at that time would still have been taking their husband's name (I did and got married in the late 90s).  So she should have been calling herself Mandy Cooper, to keep with the times.  

I think this was meant to be a nod to the fact that Mandy had already been working as a weather girl - I think her only TV role? - prior to meeting Georgie so her career had already been established.  Seems a stretch but I think that's the rationale.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Perkie said:

Why doesn't Connor have a job and why would the girlfriend be interested in him if he didnt'?  

Isn't she homeless and living in his bedroom?
Plus, they do make music together.
And he loves her.
And he has dimples when he smiles.

Edited May 21 by shapeshifter

[bad things are bad]

I got married in 1988, never changed my name (still married).  My consciousness got raised in my Women's Studies class in the 70s,  where it was pointed out that it was a matter of identifying whose property a woman was. Promised myself I'd never do it 

Maybe Mandy had a moment in college too.

[iarwain]

3 hours ago, Dimity said:

I think this was meant to be a nod to the fact that Mandy had already been working as a weather girl - I think her only TV role? - prior to meeting Georgie so her career had already been established.  Seems a stretch but I think that's the rationale.

Yeah, what was the context in which she called herself that?  It could simply be her stage name.  On the other hand, some women don't/didn't change their last names, even before the '90s.

[appositival]

17 hours ago, Perkie said:

Why doesn't Connor have a job and why would the girlfriend be interested in him if he didnt'?  

Conner doesn't have a job beyond occasional off screen musical gigs because no one has asked him to get a job.

She just likes him and she needed a place to stay.

They aren't great reasons, but that fits the rest of the writing on this show.

[Dimity]

12 hours ago, iarwain said:

On the other hand, some women don't/didn't change their last names, even before the '90s.

I didn't, but I married in Quebec where by law women must use their maiden name legally.  Which came as a big shock to my mother-in-law when she was hospitalized and was back to being Mary Smith when she had spent most of her life being Mary Jones!

Anyway I suspect Mandy is a Cooper in every other aspect of her life if only because I can't see this not being a plot point in any sitcom set in the 90s, I think it would probably be a plot point in any sitcom set currently, for that matter.

[Yeah No]

18 hours ago, Perkie said:

Sorry if this has been brought up already, but why was Mandy referring to herself as Mandy McCallister?  Isn't this show set in the early 90s?   Most women at that time would still have been taking their husband's name (I did and got married in the late 90s).  So she should have been calling herself Mandy Cooper, to keep with the times.  

Why doesn't Connor have a job and why would the girlfriend be interested in him if he didnt'?  

Eh, maybe in some areas of the country where women had more traditional values, but here in the Northeast a lot of women, especially working women, went by hyphenated names or kept their maiden names 30 years ago. And I know because I worked as an admin. and knew everyone's names in the big companies where I worked.

Also, as has been mentioned, if Mandy started her on-screen career using her maiden name she'd likely keep it that way.

I took my husband's last name, but only because my maiden name could be taken as Jewish as my Dad's father was Jewish, and I was afraid of anti-Semitism, unfortunately. And that was way back in 1980! Later in life I found out that most non-Jewish people don't even realize it's often a Jewish name. I've had my married last name much longer than I ever had my maiden name now so it is what it is.

Edited May 22 by Yeah No
Needed to edit before hitting "send" but didn't!

[Dimity]

I feel like they painted themselves into a corner when they decided part of Conner's quirkiness was to be chronically unemployed. I don't think most viewers find this endearing. But it does open up the question of what happens now that Jim has retired. 

Will we see Conner grow up next season?

 

[proserpina65]

On 5/20/2025 at 11:20 PM, shura said:

So he is sticking it to Jim by paying him enough money to not have to work anymore?  Good plan.

On the other hand, maybe Fred was being chivalrous and trying to make sure that Audrey is provided for, even as he was getting Jim's business out of the picture?

Idk, it was just an idea, not something I thought about all that much.

20 hours ago, Perkie said:

Sorry if this has been brought up already, but why was Mandy referring to herself as Mandy McCallister?  Isn't this show set in the early 90s?   Most women at that time would still have been taking their husband's name (I did and got married in the late 90s).  So she should have been calling herself Mandy Cooper, to keep with the times.  

The  mid-90s, when the show is set, was a time when a lot of women started using their maiden names for their professional lives, so I don't have a problem with it.

[Tom Holmberg]

22 hours ago, Perkie said:

Sorry if this has been brought up already, but why was Mandy referring to herself as Mandy McCallister?

Stage name?

[chitowngirl]

If she belongs to SAG-AFTRA, It’s most likely easier to keep using the name she registered under than changing it.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Dimity said:

I feel like they painted themselves into a corner when they decided part of Conner's quirkiness was to be chronically unemployed.

It saves time and money having to come up with another set and extras to populate Connor's place of work.

[bybrandy]

My aunt didn’t change her name when she married in 77. My sister didn’t change her name when she married in 85. Aunt is still married. Sis and bro-in-law divorced for a few years but remarried each other which has always been why I wondered if Georgie and Mandy marry each other several times. 
 

I don’t think Conner was sucking up to Georgie, I think he genuinely likes Georgie and tries to be supportive. 

[shapeshifter]

12 hours ago, bybrandy said:

I don’t think Conner was sucking up to Georgie, I think he genuinely likes Georgie and tries to be supportive. 

IIRC, when Connor and Georgie first met, Georgie was his usual friendly self towards Connor. I think that would make someone like Connor feel comfortable around Georgie.