S06.E02: Full Grown Boy

[Tara Ariano]

Bobby mulls a job offer in another state; Travis can't stand Laurie's choices for baby names, so he puts Ellie on the case; Jules disapproves of her dad's desire to take part in a Civil War reenactment.

[giovannif7]

Decent write-off for Bobby - I had a feeling the final push would need to come from Andy so he wouldn't be in mourning for the rest of the final season.

 

The lengths they went to to keep Courtney and Brian from sharing a final scene (or even being in the same room at the same time) were glaringly obvious.

[Delphi]

I noticed that as well.

Did Court and Brian have a falling out? I know they separated but I thought it was under alright terms.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Delphi

[gesundheit]

Yeah, what was that? It was like Bobby's hospital room scenes were filmed separately from the others.

 

I was so grateful Laurie didn't give birth at the Civil War re-enactment and that, in fact, her labor scenes were mercifully brief. I was dreading the usual sitcom birthing tropes. 

 

I miss Bobby already.

[godonlyknows]

I got very excited when I heard Chick was moving in with Jules. Just a shame they had to ruin it with her being over-protective.

 

The writers are really getting lazy - second episode in a row they've stuck people in costumes and decided that's the joke. And really? Laurie would name her kid Macho? That's the best they've got?

 

It was really sweet deciding to go with baby Bobby - unfortunately I ruined it for myself by reading next week's episode synopsis which gave the name away. Really surprised Bobby never had a goodbye scene with Jules or Travis. I think there might have been tears if there had been. The episode from the first season where Jules tells Bobby their happy ending is going to be them as just friends and then in the second season after Jules sinks his boat you can really see how much those two characters care about each other. Now I'm getting annoyed this season isn't going to get anywhere need close to being as good as those scenes.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I was so grateful Laurie didn't give birth at the Civil War re-enactment and that, in fact, her labor scenes were mercifully brief. I was dreading the usual sitcom birthing tropes. 

 

I miss Bobby already.

Are there people outside of TV land that still don't want to know the sex of their baby beforehand? I feel like the writer's threw that in because they wanted to have it both ways. Girl names are easier to joke about, but they wanted the emotional beat at the end with a boy named after Bobby (though a girl named Bobbi would have been an interesting way to go).

 

In the (literal) run up to the Andy/Bobby reunion, Brian managed such a look of transparent joy, it encapsulated in a moment how great he is at making a character who should be annoying into one that's lovable. I'll miss Bobby (and Brian) too.

 

ETA: And in the overthinking it department, what name was on Laurie's birth certificate?

Edited January 14, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[whiporee]

I thought the timing was off the whole episode, like none of it really rang true to the series. There's no way there's not a goodbye party with Bobby, so the only thing I can think is either everyone was really pissed at Brian or they meant for it to a much longer episode than it was. CT has never skimped on the party scenes, and I can't believe they would deny us goodbye scenes with Bobby without a real reason.  And there's nothing BL likes more than sentimental moments, so I can't imagine why there weren't any. 

 

I thought overall it was just bad, but completely redeemed by Ellie's sabotaging of the names. Fancy as totally skanky and Macho the clown who deflowered Ellie? With his nose on? Just too perfect. 

 

Also nice to see Ellie smiling at the baby. But there was something flat out wrong with the episode, and I think it would be interesting to find out what that was. 

[Aliconehead]

 

Are there people outside of TV land that still don't want to know the sex of their baby beforehand? I feel like the writer's threw that in because they wanted to have it both ways.

 Of my 5 friends that were pregnant this year, only 1 knew the sex.  The rest wanted to wait

[Kel Varnsen]

It was really sweet deciding to go with baby Bobby - unfortunately I ruined it for myself by reading next week's episode synopsis which gave the name away. Really surprised Bobby never had a goodbye scene with Jules or Travis. I think there might have been tears if there had been. The episode from the first season where Jules tells Bobby their happy ending is going to be them as just friends and then in the second season after Jules sinks his boat you can really see how much those two characters care about each other. Now I'm getting annoyed this season isn't going to get anywhere need close to being as good as those scenes.

It would have been cool if there had been a specific call back to Bobby saying he names everything he loves Travis (speaking of which where is Dog Travis?).

 

The fact that there was no proper goodbye scene kind of bugged. I mean at least there should have been a goodbye with Jules. I am not sure if it was a personal thing or if it was a timing thing or a cost thing (less actors on the set at the same time) or what, but come on Courtney Cox, you're a damn producer of the show, that should have happened. 

 

Also Grayson in the rapper tracksuit with the gold teeth was really funny. And I really liked Bobby complaining about how he can't understand the people where he was staying (Alabama)

[SmithW6079]

And really? Laurie would name her kid Macho? That's the best they've got?

 

White trash Laurie would absolutely give her child a name like "Macho" or "Fancy." Heck, the actress's name is "Busy."

 

What does Travis do for a job now that he's out of school? Is he still working at the coffee shop? 

 

I thought they overdid the Andy/Bobby "guy love" in this episode, but I'm sorry to see Brian Van Holt go. He seemed a little distant the whole episode, maybe because it was his last one, and I thought he played Bobby as having grown up and matured. I haven't found anything online as to why he left the show, other than to "pursue other projects." Not sure I'll stick around. I dislike Tom and absolutely detest the cul-de-sac crew's treatment of him. And with Bobby gone, how is Andy going to get any love and encouragement? Certainly not from Bitch Ellie.

[halgia]

And I really liked Bobby complaining about how he can't understand the people where he was staying (Alabama)

Nitpicking, it was Georgia, the state that's "right next to this one."

 

But, yeah, the glaringly obvious avoiding of having Bobby in the same scene as anyone but Andy and Travis was ridiculous. Maybe it was just a scheduling thing, who knows. And overall, other than pretty much the "Fancy" scene this episode just completely fell flat for me.

[Lone Wolf]

Now I'm getting annoyed this season isn't going to get anywhere need close to being as good as those scenes.

Between the ham-fisted crowbarring in of the Best Buy and Coors plugs, I'm afraid that we're already there.  I assume that because it's the final season TPTB decided to open the flood gates and cash in on as much product placement as could be procured.  Once an ep is bad enough, but as Casey Kasem famously said, "two...TWO??....fuckin' ponderous, man...ponderous..."

 

It would have been cool if there had been a specific call back to Bobby saying he names everything he loves Travis (speaking of which where is Dog Travis?).

 

 

And what about Stan?  He seems to appear and disappear even more randomly than Dog Trav.

 

As happy as I am to see this show back, I'm thinking it shouldn't have come back.  Hopefully, I'll be proven wrong by the end of the season.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Lone Wolf

[random chance]

It didn't dawn on me until the end of the episode that Brian might actually be leaving the show.  For Ascendance?  Or just in general? 

 

I thought they were kind of ribbing Busy about her real-life kids' names in this one, Birdie and Cricket. 

 

I'll be sorry to see this show end.

[Kel Varnsen]

Between the ham-fisted crowbarring in of the Best Buy and Coors plugs, I'm afraid that we're already there.  I assume that because it's the final season TPTB decided to open the flood gates and cash in on as much product placement as could be procured.  Once an ep is bad enough, but as Casey Kasem famously said, "two...TWO??....fuckin' ponderous, man...ponderous..."

 

And what about Stan?  He seems to appear and disappear even more randomly than Dog Trav.

I was ok with the coors product placement, since I would rather have them use real products like beer rather than some fake beer like Heisler or a can of beer that just says "BEER" on it. That kind of thing always bugs me. The best buy thing was ridiculous, if only because the outside of the bestbuy store looked like it was pasted in the cheapest way possible.

As far as Stan goes, I am totally ok with him not being shown. He doesn't really add anything to the show, plus most of the scenes are just the adults hanging out (having adult time as it were). Plus we know that Ellie has a nanny so it is not like they are leaving him home alone to go drink.  Dog Trav is a different story mostly because I was just curious what was going to happen to him when Bobby moved? 

 

Nitpicking, it was Georgia, the state that's "right next to this one."

 

I knew it was one of those two. Looked it up on a map and took a guess since both states border Florida.

[cleo]

I'm just watching these eps now, and not sure I will continue. It's really sad seeing a show I liked alot decline so much it's unwatchable. Like many, I think the writers made a mistake with Laurie and Travis, and although I never found Travis skeevy as some did, in this ep I started to see it. It's also hard to watch them having a baby and the whole time all I can think is - is this guy employed or what? A college graduate yes but with no work experience or work ethic that I can see.

 

I like Chick but I found it hard to see the scene where Chick, Travis and Laurie are all demanding Courtney Cox's attention, yelling whatever. I don't find it funny that this woman is stuck mothering a grown couple and their infant plus her father....maybe I know too much about the difficulties of real adults stuck in the 'sandwich' generation as they call it.

 

Bobby leaving is another big loss, he was one of my favourite characters.

 

In addition to all this though, I just feel like there is something missing, like they are going through the motions of the bits they had in the earlier seasons, but the heart and genuine feeling is gone. So the storylines are depressing and the camaraderie and shared humour seems empty, like a farce. I find it hard to concentrate on a whole episode, my attention wanders, and I think it's because I don't want to see those moments that were so great before, now just on an exaggerated, hollow repeat. I'm afraid it will taint my enjoyment of the earlier eps.

 

Anyway quite the negative review- on a brighter note- I came into this series late and didn't see all of Season 1 or 2 so I'm looking forward to watching those when I have time.