S01.E07: Party Time

[formerlyfreedom]

Michelle throws a fundraising party for the charter school while Brett enters a new state of mind at Linda’s house. Still at odds with Alex, Tina struggles with her bouncy-castle business; later, a conversation with Larry makes her rethink the future. Brett has a chat with David and an honest conversation with Michelle.

 

 

[Primetimer]

A setback with one of her bouncy castles pushes a reluctant Tina to a big decision.

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[Tuftsmo]

I find myself so much more invested in Tina and Alex's stories and a large part of that is due to Peet. I've always liked her (even in Studio 60!), but she's really doing such a great job with this role.

[cpcathy]

I'm loving whenever Mark Duplass is on the screen, I had only first heard of him last year. He brings such an honesty to Brett, you can feel his pain in his conversation with Michelle at the end.

[BooBear]

I find myself so much more invested in Tina and Alex's stories and a large part of that is due to Peet. I've always liked her (even in Studio 60!), but she's really doing such a great job with this role.

Yes. They only had a few minutes together last night but they were the most moving.  I thought it was a true moment of honesty for Tina, telling Alex why she can't be with him even if she wants to be. Though, kind of think she was a little hard on herself. It was ONE bouncy house.

 

Brett and Michelle.. woof.. where do they go from here?  They are like two strangers who dislike each other and have nothing in common.  Nice to see that Brett is aware of David's threat and isn't happy about it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm not sure how I feel about what Brett said. On the one hand, I think it takes a lot of bravery to throw a bomb like that into the middle of your relationship, and I totally understand that feeling of just not wanting to fight (similar to Tina saying she was tired of not being good at anything).

 

But on the other hand, it also has an air of just giving up. If you want to fix your relationship, the answer isn't to just walk away. I am fine with them taking a breather so that they can have some room to be alone and think, but it seemed crappy to first ditch the beginning of the party and then to waltz in and say, "I'll be upstairs reading Dune."

 

Part of being a good partner is being supportive of the other person which means doing stuff you don't necessarily want to do when you'd rather be doing something else. Anyone who has been to a spouse's boring company party can vouch for that. I do think it's important for people in relationships to have their own time, but it would have been nicer if he had told Michelle that he would mingle with the guests but that he wanted two hours to himself to read after the party. Everyone deserves some down time but not at the expense of abandoning their spouse.

 

I'm all for doing what makes you happy, but strolling into a fundraiser/party wearing another woman's bathrobe isn't necessarily the way to go about achieving happiness. There's a fine line between following your bliss and being selfish.

[blixie]

 

I'm not sure how I feel about what Brett said

 

My only real problem with Brett's behavior is that it impacted his kid, dude don't show up to your kids party late and shroomin in another woman's robe. But Michelle? She has got some gall to be projecting on to Brett about cheating (emotionally at the least) and disrespecting the marriage, sweetie you been there all season, and at least Brett is still trying to be open and honest about his feelings as he can be. 

 

I do think Brett should have heeded Alex's advice, taking a nap would have been the best for all involved, though I enjoyed seeing him tell David to back the fuck up. 

 

Michelle is aggravating me even though Melanie Lynskie makes her understandable/sympathetic despite my annoyance at her not using her words. JESUS woman.

 

 

I thought it was a true moment of honesty for Tina, telling Alex why she can't be with him even if she wants to be.

 

I agree and disagree. I think this seems like the pattern we dropped in on at the beginning, Tina isn't big on commitment and so she picks guys who won't stick either because they don't feel enough for her or she doesn't feel enough for  them. I think it was so telling that she had this major emotional sharing moment with Alex and not Larry, so in that sense sure it was about how she can't be with Alex because, she cares way too much, but also because yeah it will be work emotionally and financially, and she's tired. Yet there she is doing the work with Alex, and it IS easy. Easier than admitting failure to Larry and that was just a bouncy house. But I still think she was mostly overwhelmed with her life in general than anything specific about Alex, or if she was evaluating/rejecting him as romantic option in that moment.

[peeayebee]

I thoroughly enjoyed this ep. Brett freaking out on shrooms was hilarious, particularly that phone call to Alex. I hate seeing people vomit on tv shows/movies, but that was pretty funny. I loved when he and Linda stood in that shower screaming. (And I love that house and view.)

 

I liked how straightforward Brett was with David. 

 

It was hard seeing Tina trying to deal with the bouncy house. (She really should never wear white on this kind of job.) 

[BooBear]

Tina isn't big on commitment and so she picks guys who won't stick either because they don't feel enough for her or she doesn't feel enough for  them.

 

I don't remember this at all. She took a nutty when that guy in the first episode wasn't as committed as she was.   I think she was evaluating her life at the end there but she has treated Alex as a non option from the start even though she likes him. Prior to last nights episode it seemed the only reason for that was that she thought she was better than Alex. But tonight she explained a little to Alex, the audience and herself that she needs someone to take care of her. Prior to last nights episode I did think her business was doing well but now, not sure.

[EdnasEdibles]

I really love this show. I think almost everyone this week made me want to cry.  Tina's breakdown about how she's not good at anything was fantastic. The way Amanda Peet was just standing there by the dumpster with that look on her face - she captured depressed world-weary very well. It makes you wonder how much of Tina's peppy stuff is an act. I think her advice to Brett in the "kick the can" ep about being dead inside was more truth than joke.

 

And I still side way more with Michelle than Brett in their relationship problems. Brett is probably the most frustrating character for me. 

[blixie]

 

I don't remember this at all.

 

We  have different interpretations, I wouldn't expect you to remember the way I interpreted what I saw. And yeah I really don't think what I saw with Tina was healthy mature commitment with Vinnie Van Lowe, I saw a desperate woman clinging to a man who fairly obviously did not give a damn about her and was making efforts to escape her company. Investing one self in a dude who doesn't give a crap about you is not "commitment" in my opinion. The way they presented Ken Marino's boat guy he really wasn't even leading her on, she was deluding herself about the degree and nature of their relationship, which every single other person in her life could see (and she most certainly knew it subconsiously, she is 40something years old FFS). She then bagged out on her life and work in Houston to start again, and yet a few months on with that and she's cashing her chips for that too. Michelle also mentions how little effort she puts into maintaining their relationship. I think her being unable to commit long term to things/people is as established as it can be given the small slice of her life that we've seen.