About A Boy - General Discussion

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from About A Boy.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Promo:

http://youtu.be/g3HXPIM1oaA

[swimmyfish]

I hope Toofer becomes a regular - I think the show could use a stronger supporting cast.

 

Overall, I wasn't in love with this episode. Obviously, something needed to be done to keep Will in San Francisco, and now it's taken care of. Done.

 

I did like the breakup scene by the side of the road, but David Walton (who I do like, a lot) was seriously outmatched by Adrian Palicki. I'll miss her; maybe not Dr. Sam so much, but the actress definitely.

[teebax]

I hope Toofer becomes a regular - I think the show could use a stronger supporting cast.

 

Overall, I wasn't in love with this episode. Obviously, something needed to be done to keep Will in San Francisco, and now it's taken care of. Done.

 

I did like the breakup scene by the side of the road, but David Walton (who I do like, a lot) was seriously outmatched by Adrian Palicki. I'll miss her; maybe not Dr. Sam so much, but the actress definitely.

I'm glad they've finally reached the point where Will is back in San Fran. Knowing it was going to happen made the last two episodes drag a bit for me, as I want the show to get back to its origins. I liked the girlfriend, too, although she reminds me in appearance of Jennifer Carpenter from Dexter. 

 

And I'll never complain about a Toofer sigting! I'd like to see him join the cast as well. 

[jester]

I did like the breakup scene by the side of the road, but David Walton (who I do like, a lot) was seriously outmatched by Adrian Palicki. I'll miss her; maybe not Dr. Sam so much, but the actress definitely.

She owned the night, as she was kicking serious ass over on Agents of Shield during the same time slot. Hoping she sticks around more over on that show since she's freed up from this show.

[candall]

I like the men on this show much more than the women--not at all my usual inclination.

 

Even Minnie Driver, whom I love--how about dialing her back a few clicks from the clueless jitterbug with the umbilical cord re-enactments and the fermenting chemistry sets?  It was refreshing when she quit being so frenetic for a moment to sympathize with Will and gently ask how he was feeling.  Surely she could interact with her son like that once in a while without spoiling the show's whole base dynamic between Will and Sock Cap.

 

On the other hand, I keep expecting Will to be a tool and each week, I am surprised.

Edited October 23, 2014 by candall

[Cementhead]

Thank you for the Toofer reference!  I knew I knew that guy from somewhere but was too lazy to get up and google.  I liked this episode much better than the season premiere. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Will throws a Halloween party. Later, Fiona reveals a new side of herself.

 

 

[candall]

Lots of new storyline potential now that Will doesn't have his magic bottomless bank account anymore.  (I'm already concerned about the extravagance of Will-o-ween.  Hee.)

 

Love the chap who can charm Fiona into tasting sugar for the first time in years.  Don't stop there, Sherlock.

[bickra01]

I am not at all a fan of Halloween, but I thought this was a great episode. I'll forgive the fact it was a Halloween episode.

 

I thought the music editing in this episode was amazing. The music shifts in and out of Marcus' Halloween curse stories made me laugh out loud, and how Fiona's singing at the end merged perfectly with the background music. I've always thought the show's background music approach and music editing was great, but this episode was even more standout.
And Fiona's overdone smile after Sherlock read his affirmation rock about unexpected love and kindness killed me.

[joanne3482]

I've always thought the show's background music approach and music editing was great, but this episode was even more standout.

 

Now let's just hope they got the rights to the music the right way so that when the show goes into syndication and/or DVDs people can get the episodes correctly and not with music adjustments. 

[dubbel zout]

Love the chap who can charm Fiona into tasting sugar for the first time in years.  Don't stop there, Sherlock.

 

I was kind of hoping we'd see Fiona do something really crazy after that. Instead...*crickets*

 

Sam's phone call seemed like filler to me. Or does it mean we'll see her again?

[Kenz]

I'm so glad that this show is back for a second season. The actors are all terrific, and the writing is funny, but poignant. I made myself watch a couple of episodes of Marry Me. What a contrast. That show has characters trying to lob zingers back and forth, most of them unfunny. Does anyone ever talk like that in real life? The dialog in About a Boy is not rushed and reflective, and to me it's very humorous and sometimes touching. This is one of the few sitcoms that I really enjoy.

[formerlyfreedom]

Marcus develops a crush on a girl who has a penchant for trouble.

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Now let's just hope they got the rights to the music the right way so that when the show goes into syndication and/or DVDs people can get the episodes correctly and not with music adjustments. 

That tends to be a problem more with older shows because even ten years ago, not every show made it to VHS/DVD. It's funny to think that now it's just expected that every season will be available on DVD or hulu/netflix/amazon, but that was not always the case, which is why even more recent shows like Freaks & Geeks and Joan of Arcadia had problems when the DVDs were produced. The original music releases for these shows were only for the original airing and reruns on the original network (not syndication on other networks), so in order to get the music for the DVDs, they had to get new musical releases for all the songs a second time and of course the musicians wanted to be compensated again (this is why it took over 20 years to finally get The Wonder Years on DVD). Now that the studios know they will most likely produce a DVD for every season, new shows have musical releases that cover the original airing, syndication, and DVD releases. It's very rare for current shows to have to replace music anymore.

 

I was really surprised that Fiona didn't make any remarks about how un-PC Andy's Tonto costume was or that Marcus later wore it (although to be fair, I think she was pretty drunk by the time Marcus put it on). I was also surprised that Andy and his wife brought their kids to WIll's party. Yes, there was a cotton candy machine and a photo booth that the kids might enjoy, but there were also scantily clad chicks and drunk people everywhere. Andy I could totally see thinking that's okay but not his wife.

 

Why did Fiona change costumes? When she told WIll that she was a 60s flower child, she was wearing a brown dress with a beaded neckline. After Sherlock guessed that her costume was an Arabian princess, she showed up at the party wearing a yellow crop top with black trim and a red beaded necklace.

[Diana Berry]

Last nite's show really harkened back to season 1. Love this little gem of a show.

[memememe76]

I thought Driver was excellent in the scene where Fiona had to tell Marcus not to see Shea. I'm looking forward to seeing more of that storyline. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Great episode.  Great acting and writing.  Minnie Driver is one of my all-time favorites, but that kid can really hold his own.

[dubbel zout]

I liked the scene where Fiona told Will that she was trying to be a better parent than hers had been, but it was parenting was hard no matter what. I also liked that Will backed Fiona when she forbade Marcus from seeing Shea.

[Bobcatkitten]

Why is this kid allowed to wear a hat every day in school? Would not happen.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kids are allowed to wear baseball caps and other hats to school so why wouldn't Marcus be allowed to wear his hats to school every day? Plus it's less superfluous fashion accessory in San Francisco than it is in, say, LA where people are wearing slouchy wool hats in the middle of summer when it's 90 degrees. I wear a hat every day in the fall and winter because of the temperature.

[DeLurker]

My kids' school never allowed hats of any sort during school unless it was a special hat day. They went to school in So Cal and now Tx.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I went to school in California and we were allowed to wear hats any day of the week. They did briefly consider some restrictions on certain color combinations due to gang affiliations (which was ridiculous since our school was nowhere near, say, South Central) but hats weren't banned. The only specific clothing rule I remember was our middle school decided we weren't allowed to wear Corona shirts because they advertised beer.

[FadingRose]

I went to school in Southern California and we were not allowed to wear hats ever.  

 

Why does Marcus wear hats all the time?  Is it just supposed to be a kooky trait of his or what?

[TOWTooMuchTV]

Haha, I actually just came to this forum to see if I was the only one who wondered why Marcus was allowed to wear a hat in school every day. Definitely not allowed in my kids' schools (elementary or middle).

[Iboatedhere]

This was a different Shea wasn't it?

[tvnerd]

No it was the same Shea, at least imdb has it listed as the same actress.

[Iboatedhere]

Really? She looked so different. Did she always have the blue in her hair?

[dubbel zout]

She wasn't wearing a hat for a decent amount of the show.

[Kenz]

I hope I'm not the only one who loves this show. David Walton and Minnie Driver are perfect in their roles, and I always enjoy their friends - the bickering but loving couple with the stay at home dad and lawyer mom. I am worried that the actor playing Marcus may be growing up too fast, and that might jeopardize the show...About a Teenager?

[possibilities]

I like the show, too.

 

I think if the writers are good, they could make the transition to teenager, but I don't know if the ratings are good enough to give them a chance. Imagine Marcus, still weird (like his mom), but gaining more independence and distinguishing himself from his mother's weirdness-- she'd have to support his non-conformity, even if it didn't take the same exact shape as hers.

 

He's already gaining some insight-- such as not to do the Romeo and Juliet scene with his mother at school last week-- and he's rebelling and showing independence by eating meat with Will, and continuing to talk (and text) with his crush despite being forbidden to pursue it.

 

Meanwhile, Fiona is also expanding her world, with dating the teacher. I like that the show is allowing the characters to grow, without making them the same as each other (i.e. they are not showing one transforming the other, but everyone having an impact and transforming equally). Fiona not looking for the same kind of relationship as Will, and having that be okay with the show and not a sign she's an uptight loser prude, was a good step for them to take. Until now, I thought they pretty much saw her as a flake without any humanity. But they let her own it and gave her some dignity and depth when she talked about her insecurity about being embraced as she is, without having it be that she really ought to change. She's right about Will's immaturity, just like he's right about her weirdness. Letting them each have some mix of wisdom and wackiness and flaws makes the show much more interesting to me than just having the show take a side.

 

Laurie and Andy always seem tacked on, but I like them well enough. They are still writing them too close to the tv sitcom trope of bitchy wife with manchild hubby, but if they steer it away from that and make them both sympathetic equals like they're trying to do more with Fiona and Will, and give them more involvement with the rest of the show's characters and storylines (instead of maintaining that tacked on feeling), I think that would be great. And imagine the potential of Marcus as a teen, babysitting that full house!

 

Again, I doubt the show will go on long enough, but I think there are possibilities, in theory, if it did.

[memememe76]

The show has done a very good job this season with Fiona. I also think bringing back Leslie Bibb as a confidante for Fiona helps. I'm quite enjoying Fiona's journey. I like her career path, her romantic life, and even her travails as a single mom. 

 

As for Marcus, in the book, Marcus became more of a "typical" male teen. I don't think the writers will make him that "typical" for the show.

[marieYOTZ]

I thought the final moments of the christmas episode were quite sweet! I'm assuming the mom-mention wasn't a one-off and she'll show with the lyrics eventually since apparently we're going to trial - we'll see!

Edited December 10, 2014 by marieYOTZ

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love that Lisa Loeb is willing to do cameos like this!

 

I don't know why Fiona insisted on keeping those boots on if they were too small and hurt her feet. The whole point was for them to make her feel sexy. Limping around is not my idea of sexy at all. I would also never wear boots like that with that negligee, but that's just me.

 

The Frankenstein present that Marcus made for Will was both sweet and horrifying. Old ribs? No thanks! Put those in the garbage. Sorry, the compost in San Francisco.

[scenicbyway]

The Christmas episode a takeoff on "A Christmas Carol" was on of the best I've seen on tv in a long time.  I'm really enjoying all of the characters this season.  I hope the show sticks around.

[methodwriter85]

   Will and Andy pretending to be boyfriends was the funniest thing I've ever seen on the show.

 

    It was a really smart decision to yank out Will's security blanket this season. Now Will is desperate for another hit, and I like seeing the lengths he's willing to go.

 

    I'm glad Mr. Chris finally hit his limit of what he's willing to take from Fiona. I do hope they work it out- I like him. (As well as his body.)

[Mischievious]

I was pleased they referred to Dax Shepard's character as Crosby by name. He's been in at least one other episode but I was never certain if it was supposed to be Crosby (his character on Parenthood) or not. Thanks writers for clearing that up.

[candall]

About A Boy lost me once the mysterious "Audience" channel ran a season of Uncle from, I guess, the BBC.  Identical storyline, much more adult, with emphasis on the deadbeat uncle's redemption via his relationship with the odd kid, catchy music.  Check it out.  Ta.

[BoogieBurns]

I was pleased they referred to Dax Shepard's character as Crosby by name. He's been in at least one other episode but I was never certain if it was supposed to be Crosby (his character on Parenthood) or not.

 

Will was also on an episode of Parenthood, and their careers overlap. They always shared a universe. 

[Lynnweinberg]

I enjoy this show a lot. I've noticed Andy's wife and kids have been absent from the last two episodes. I like Will and Andy hanging out together, but they wrote Andy's character as a family man, now suddenly his family is missing. (I didn't much care for his wife anyway, she seems like a nag). I think the episodes with Andy and Will are some of the funniest scenes so far.

[Silly Angel]

I like this Liz, from the Valentine's Day episode. I hope she sticks around. Nothing but love for Friday Night Lights but I never bought Dr.Sam.

[atir]

I was surprised when Fiona mispronounced Calliope. Doesn't seem like her (or the writers) to make that mistake.

[Iboatedhere]

I adore this show. I love all the characters but I think my favorite dynamic is Will and Marcus. When the moms at the yogurt shop asked Will which one was his he owned up to Marcus right away- no preface that he's his neighbor or anything. They're family. So sweet.

[chitowngirl]

Did they ever wrap up his songwriting lawsuit? Last I remember he was looking for his notes that one of his parents had to prove he wrote it alone.

[Mecca]

This show just warms my heart.  It's so light and fluffy.  I love how the show is allowing Marcus to grow up in a natural way.  They aren't trying to ignore the fact that his voice is changing and that the actor is getting older.  So far they have been able to show Marcus' growing interest in girls without having him lose his naivety.  There's been a nice balance.  

[arrowhead]

Has this show been canceled??

[SosaLola]

Was episode 14 the final episode of the season? Please, don't tell me the show has been cancelled! It's so adorable and I love all the characters in it. This show's Fiona is way, way, way better than Book Fiona, and I've always preferred the book versions of the characters. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Sorry, it has been cancelled, as discussed in the Media topic. Here's a link.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Was episode 14 the final episode of the season? Please, don't tell me the show has been cancelled! It's so adorable and I love all the characters in it. This show's Fiona is way, way, way better than Book Fiona, and I've always preferred the book versions of the characters. 

There were actually 20 episodes in season 2 but NBC only aired the first 14 on tv. They released the remaining 6 episodes online a few weeks ago. You can watch them on the NBC website.

 

I wasn't crazy about the twist in the last few minutes of episode 20. I wasn't surprised that they went there but I wish they hadn't.

I like Will and Fiona as platonic friends who drive each other crazy the way siblings do. I hate that tv and movies usually require the male/female leads to end up romantically involved. It is entirely possible for men and women to be JUST FRIENDS.

[EtheltoTillie]

Thanks for posting this. I'm looking forward to watching these. So sad this was cancelled.