Life In Pieces - General Discussion

[AnnaRose]

I think Samantha was also in the episode the week before last, when Sophia was upset about no longer being the baby of the family and Sam let her know that she went through the same thing when Sophia was born.

[OtterMommy]

5 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Oof. Shows how much attention I'm paying!

Well they're certainly shooting around her in a way to suggest she is. Maybe it's just that they shot these shortly after she went back to work and she hasn't lost the pregnancy weight. It's awkward because her character is unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant.

My guess is that this was filmed in February-ish, so I really doubt she's pregnant again.  Even if she were, I doubt she'd be to the point that she'd be showing.  I think they are just trying to hid the fact that she has a postpartum body (which actually has been looking smaller in recent episode so, again, I don't think pregnancy is the issue, at least not in that way....).  She is a lovely woman and it's kind of sad that they feel that they have to hide her until she fits back into some sort of ideal.

[ae2]

On 4/20/2018 at 4:44 PM, OtterMommy said:

  She is a lovely woman and it's kind of sad that they feel that they have to hide her until she fits back into some sort of ideal.

I really don't think they are trying to hide her body right now. We've had plenty of scenes where we have seen her full figure, including about two scenes after Matt had his arm in front of her stomach. I honestly think that shot was either some very awkward staging (I noticed it too, before reading the thread) or maybe Thomas Sadoski hurt his back and needed to support himself. 

[Sandman]

Jen and Greg's interview with the nanny was hilarious.

Nanny: I could teach Lark to play the ukulele!

Jen: I HATE the ukulele.

Greg: It's ʻukulele.

Jen: ... aaand that's why!

I swear I laughed for two minutes straight. Joanie and Jen are my favourite characters on the show. Zoe Lister-Jones does snark like nobody else, and I never knew how funny Dianne Wiest could be. Joan has this purity of oddness that she just keeps building on. Love Thomas Sadoski as Matt, too.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Sandman

[Mystery]

On 4/25/2018 at 3:39 AM, ae2 said:

I really don't think they are trying to hide her body right now. We've had plenty of scenes where we have seen her full figure, including about two scenes after Matt had his arm in front of her stomach. I honestly think that shot was either some very awkward staging (I noticed it too, before reading the thread) or maybe Thomas Sadoski hurt his back and needed to support himself. 

Tonight it was really obvious, when they had her sitting in the bar with all kinds of accessories between her body and the camera. I really liked her scene with Matt. 

[J-Man]

So John was flying for TWA in 2006? Interesting, since the last TWA flight was in 2001. And no airport lets non-passengers into the boarding area anymore after 9/11. 

[OtterMommy]

11 hours ago, J-Man said:

So John was flying for TWA in 2006? Interesting, since the last TWA flight was in 2001. And no airport lets non-passengers into the boarding area anymore after 9/11. 

I didn't catch the TWA part, but I did find it strange that the whole family was in the boarding area.  I do know people who buy refundable tickets so that they can accompany someone (in this case, a disabled spouse) to the gate and then refund it after their companion has boarded.  Also, aren't parents of unaccompanied minors given some sort of "pass" to get their child to the gate?  Anyway, maybe there is some sort of pass for airline employee relatives?  Who knows?  I can't see this family buying thousands of dollars in refundable tickets just to greet John coming off the plane.

[Blakeston]

I guess this episode showed us that dementia isn't to blame for John's behavior. He was just as clueless, impulsive, and selfish a dozen years ago.

Also, I find it hard to believe that Tim was in college in 1997. That would put his current age in the 38-43 range, unless he was supposed to be a non-traditional student (and it really didn't sound like that was the case).

Edited May 1, 2018 by Blakeston

[Perfect Xero]

4 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I guess this episode showed us that dementia isn't to blame for John's behavior. He was just as clueless, impulsive, and selfish a dozen years ago.

Also, I find it hard to believe that Tim was in college in 1997. That would put his current age in the 38-43 range, unless he was supposed to be a non-traditional student (and it really didn't sound like that was the case).

Tim was probably a first year med student since he talked about working with cadavers, which would put his age at 23-24 or so in '97 if he went straight from High School to College and then straight from College to Med School, which would make his current age 44-45 or so. Dan is 48, so that's pretty close by Hollywood casting standards.

I'm pretty sad that when I read this I thought to myself, "Yeah, Tim is way too old to have been in college/med school in '97! Only to realize that 1997 was over 20 years ago."

[Sandman]

On 10/4/2015 at 11:40 PM, amaranta said:

Nope.  How can a show with such a good cast be this awful?  Disjointed, clunky, unfunny and kind of gross.

This was exactly my feeling on watching the pilot. I did not enjoy it at all, and I was kind of astounded at how nasty and profoundly unfunny I found it. I'm not sure how I managed to watch another episode after this, but I'm glad I did -- I find most of the episodes laugh-out-loud funny now, and I'm not even sure what's changed. I know I no longer expect the kind of drawn out situations that the premises of each episode would promise on a comedy with a more conventional format.

I chalk it up to the fact that pilots sometimes just don't gel in the way that they should. Sometimes it takes a while for a show to find its groove.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Zoe Lister-Jones discusses Life in Pieces:

[AnnaRose]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Zoe Lister-Jones discusses Life in Pieces:

Thanks for posting this.  Am I the only person who watches this show that didn't realize Dianne Wiest is an 'icon' and a 'national treasure'?  Looking at her IMDB page, I saw a few of her old movies years ago but I didn't remember her at all.  And on this show I have mostly found her super annoying with her high squeaky voice, although she may have toned it down a bit this season. (Or else I just got used to it and tune it out better.)  James Brolin's character is another that is super annoying to me, so I generally prefer the segments that don't feature them.  (Except for the robovac committing suicide segment which I thought was hilarious... but that was mainly due to the strong acting and deep gravitas of the robovac. :D )

[bybrandy]

On 4/30/2018 at 12:53 PM, OtterMommy said:

I didn't catch the TWA part, but I did find it strange that the whole family was in the boarding area.  I do know people who buy refundable tickets so that they can accompany someone (in this case, a disabled spouse) to the gate and then refund it after their companion has boarded.  Also, aren't parents of unaccompanied minors given some sort of "pass" to get their child to the gate?  Anyway, maybe there is some sort of pass for airline employee relatives?  Who knows?  I can't see this family buying thousands of dollars in refundable tickets just to greet John coming off the plane.

You don't have to buy a refundable ticket.  If yo have disabled spouse you just say you need to accompany your disabled spouse to the gate and have ID and no big deal.  Or at least here.  My mom's on a walker and when we send her between here and my sisters we always accompany her to the gate and pick her up from he gate.  Literally, "my mom is elderly and she needs assistance" and they say, "Okay."   And that is all it takes.  

And once my sister bought me a ticket to visit her (my birthday) and she used my nickname rather than my real name....    which was... WEIRD... but wharves.   And TSA wouldn't let me through the checkpoint.  So I went back to the airline to get my name changed and they couldn't do it for whatever reason... and I was all like, OMG, I'm not going to be able to fly and then she hands me a slip, nods pointedly, and says "You're picking up your child, right?!!"   And I said, "Yes, ma'am."  Got through the TSA (on the other side  with the unaccompanied minor pass and boarded my flight with my nickname on the ticket no problem.  

On the way back?  I'm totally prepared for this name thing to be an issue?  Totally isn't.  Nobody notices.    

[chitowngirl]

Tim and Tyler & the bra shopping? Totally would be my husband and son. That said, just hand the clerk the phone and have the wife tell the clerk what needs to be bought. The “guys” section had me laughing. “I told you not to look up!”

Edited May 4, 2018 by chitowngirl

[possibilities]

Sooo... if Jen doesn't contribute a recipe, there will be no recipe from their family? I guess Lark's daddy can't cook, either.

[roughing it]

9 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Sooo... if Jen doesn't contribute a recipe, there will be no recipe from their family? I guess Lark's daddy can't cook, either.

My coworker is a 36 year old single woman, and the only thing she knows how to cook is something frozen in the microwave.  Or has a pre-made salad from the supermarket deli.  Bon appetit!

Edited May 4, 2018 by roughing it

[Perfect Xero]

10 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

Tim and Tyler & the bra shopping? Totally would be my husband and son. That said, just hand the clerk the phone and have the wife tell the clerk what needs to be bought. The “guys” section had me laughing. “I told you not to look up!”

"Mom, there was a boy right there and now he knows I have boobs!"

That was good, also it as silly that he was taking pictures of all the bras in the store to send to her when she could have just sent him a picture of the one she needed for him to show the clerk.

The most surprising thing about the scene to me was that Tyler went along because he thought they were going to play basketball and that he actually owns gear.

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

Sooo... if Jen doesn't contribute a recipe, there will be no recipe from their family? I guess Lark's daddy can't cook, either.

Considering how coddled they've portrayed Greg as in the past, I kind of doubt that he's ever cooked anything for himself. Though he at least knew what roux is, so there's that.

[possibilities]

I just have a hard time believing that Jen and Greg never eat at home, and only eat what? Canned soup and TV dinners? And if that's the case, why is it all about how Jen's deficient, and Greg's equal incompetence doesn't matter? Also, if you don't want to exist on dry toast and take out, you can easily get a freaking cookbook and follow a recipe. It's not that hard. So that whole plot just seemed really stupid to me. And also, restaurants don't usually just give away their special recipes, so... wtf?

Not telling them what kind of bra they were supposed to get, other than the color, is also stupid. Not being able to ask after the sales person told them the options was also stupid. "Heather, doe she want the underwire? There are 7 different styles here, which of the following is it?"

They could have done something with the awkwardness without making everyone involved be actually stupid.

[Subrookie]

On 4/30/2018 at 10:53 AM, OtterMommy said:

I didn't catch the TWA part, but I did find it strange that the whole family was in the boarding area.  I do know people who buy refundable tickets so that they can accompany someone (in this case, a disabled spouse) to the gate and then refund it after their companion has boarded.  Also, aren't parents of unaccompanied minors given some sort of "pass" to get their child to the gate?  Anyway, maybe there is some sort of pass for airline employee relatives?  Who knows?  I can't see this family buying thousands of dollars in refundable tickets just to greet John coming off the plane.

I used to work for an airline post-9/11. There are circumstances, like a captain's retirement, where people who aren't passengers are allowed at the gate. 

At least when I worked there the parent of an unaccompanied minor could get a pass as well. 

[Calvada]

I couldn't understand why they didn't hand the phone to the salesclerk and have her figure out by talking with Heather which bra it was.  Reason #8,493 why I won't ever be a sitcom writer - I can't turn off my logic button.  

Lots of people get to go to the gate - those accompanying minors, elderly, disabled, and so on.  Also family members of active duty military get to meet them at the gate.  There have been a few occasions in airports where suddenly it got very dusty as I walked past young children seeing mom or dad show up. 

[ae2]

It's really easy to ask, "why didn't they just do so and so? How dumb." And I find myself asking this sometimes too...

But then I think of all the stupid people I've seen in real life doing absolutely ridiculous things and I have zero problem believing situations like these could unfold exactly as shown here.

[AnnaRose]

Haha, that's a good point Ae2!

[possibilities]

Heh. I do admit I know a few real dumbshits. I think I just find them more annoying than amusing, though. So maybe I'm the rotten egg.

[juno]

I have been watching this series for almost 3 years. I enjoy most episodes but find the constant music to be unbelievably annoying. So much that I may not watch next season so I don't have to hear it anymore.

[possibilities]

Do doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!

Why do they do that? Do they really think we can't make a transition without it?

[iMonrey]

Quote

And also, restaurants don't usually just give away their special recipes, so... wtf?

You can go online and find approximations for "famous" recipes, that's a really common thing. It won't be exact but it'll be pretty close. 

[paulvdb]

‘Life In Pieces’ Renewed For Season 4 By CBS

[paulvdb]

CBS fall TV 2018 schedule

Quote

Returning shows “Elementary,” “Instinct,” “Life in Pieces,” “Man with a Plan,” “The Amazing Race” and “Celebrity Big Brother” are on tap for the second half of the season. New dramas “The Code” and “Red Line” (which CBS describes as an “event series”) and comedy “Fam” are also set for midseason.

[Blakeston]

I really enjoyed the two final episodes of the season. The season definitely had some duds, but these two episodes were very solid.

I felt horrible for poor Samantha when everyone overheard her saying she wants her boyfriend to be her first - but damn if I didn't laugh my ass off.

[ae2]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

I really enjoyed the two final episodes of the season. The season definitely had some duds, but these two episodes were very solid.

I felt horrible for poor Samantha when everyone overheard her saying she wants her boyfriend to be her first - but damn if I didn't laugh my ass off.

Yeah! That was awkward and uncomfortable and hilarious!

Tim's "noooope" when her boyfriend started to follow her upstairs topped it all off.

These episodes were pretty good. The love-fest at the end was a little cheesy, but Tim and Heather chasing after Sam (who was right there) in the background was good. A few of the stories were duds though, in my opinion.

The grandparents learning Spanish was just dumb. Although there's hope that next season they'll be traveling and we'll see less of them (doubtful, but there's hope). However, the modeling story line was one of the few segments focused on them that got a few laughs out of me, even if the characters were as annoying as ever. "Oh, that nice old man just fell off the curb!"

Matt and Colleen buying the car was actually a little poignant, and the dealer trying to not reference the baby was good, but the car rolling away and getting destroyed didn't land.

Greg and Jen'

Sophia lawyering Jen was hilarious! (Has Jen always had a nose piercing? She didn't have a stud in the next segment.) Jen just accepting it was even better.

My favorite line of the night may have been Jen saying, "yeah, let's get this in the bedroom before I realize you're interpreting this as us finishing the puzzle."

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

I really enjoyed the two final episodes of the season. The season definitely had some duds, but these two episodes were very solid.

So, I logged onto my CBS All Access this morning to watch the season finale and thought, "Um, this is funny and all, but it doesn't really make any sense..."

I had no clue there were 2 episodes until I read this.

(Yes, I have since gone back and watched both episodes...probably the best of the season!)

[chitowngirl]

I liked how, even though Jen and Greg were excited about getting their life back a bit with Lark becoming more independent, they were genuinely happy about having another baby.

[J-Man]

Best lines for me:

"Let's get our coats and go down to the App store."

"I hope they take checks."

[AnnaRose]

10 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I really enjoyed the two final episodes of the season. The season definitely had some duds, but these two episodes were very solid.

I agree.  I thought these two episodes were better than most of the rest of this season.

8 hours ago, ae2 said:

Sophia lawyering Jen was hilarious! (Has Jen always had a nose piercing? She didn't have a stud in the next segment.) Jen just accepting it was even better.

My favorite line of the night may have been Jen saying, "yeah, let's get this in the bedroom before I realize you're interpreting this as us finishing the puzzle."

I don't recall Jen ever having a nose piercing, and I thought it was strange for high-powered lawyer Jen to all of a sudden sport one just so the writers could have Sophia win her argument.  I found it distracting the whole time, even though it was tiny.  But that aside, I really enjoyed that scene... which wasn't too surprising since Jen and Sophia are two of my favorite characters.

44 minutes ago, J-Man said:

Best lines for me:

"Let's get our coats and go down to the App store."

"I hope they take checks."

Yep, that was pretty hilarious. 

I also laughed when Greg suggested that the first person to get out of bed be the one to make Lark her cereal, and Jen very nonchalantly gave him a kick, and then when he landed on the floor responded: "Oh no.  It sounded like you fell.  Are you okay honey?" as she rolled over and went back to sleep.

Speaking of Lark, the little actress has come a long way since the beginning of the season and was much more natural delivering her lines.

With the thank you note story, Colleen continues to be The Worst, and is dragging Matt down to her level... but the family members' responses were pretty hilarious.

It was nice to see Brad Morris as the car dealer - he played Maggie's ex-husband in the short-lived but awesome Playing House series - and he was pretty funny here trying not to say anything baby-related.

I think I'll be back watching in the fall.  This show has a lot of duds and annoyances, but at least it's usually not the whole episode and I will often find a segment or two worthwhile.  I do wish it was more consistently funny though.

8 hours ago, ae2 said:

The grandparents learning Spanish was just dumb. Although there's hope that next season they'll be traveling and we'll see less of them (doubtful, but there's hope).

I'm hoping so too - fingers crossed!

By the way... does anybody here think they would prefer if they showed the individual segments in chronological order?  Or do y'all like it the way it is?

Edited May 19, 2018 by AnnaRose
Clarity.

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

I think I'll be back watching in the fall.  This show has a lot of duds and annoyances, but at least it's usually not the whole episode and I will often find a segment or two worthwhile.  I do wish it was more consistently funny though.

Actually, we won't be watching in the fall.  CBS has this as a midseason show next season....

[Blakeston]

18 hours ago, ae2 said:

Although there's hope that next season they'll be traveling and we'll see less of them (doubtful, but there's hope).

Yeah, when they said at the end that they don't feel the need to travel anymore, my reaction was "Oh crap."

And that's such a shame, because I love Dianne Wiest. I just hate the writing for those characters so much.

[AnnaRose]

8 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

Actually, we won't be watching in the fall.  CBS has this as a midseason show next season....

Oh yeah, thank you for the reminder... I totally forgot about that.

[iMonrey]

Quote

the car rolling away and getting destroyed didn't land.

I thought that was the most hilarious part! I was more or less expecting it to roll away but I just thought it would bump into something. I didn't expect a semi to totally demolish it. That . . . must have cost a pretty penny.

[stillhere1900]

On 5/6/2018 at 12:26 PM, Calvada said:

 

 

  Also family members of active duty military get to meet them at the gate. 

Yes. My son is active duty Marine. My dh & I went to the gate with him this past tuesday

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/18/2018 at 10:59 PM, AnnaRose said:

I don't recall Jen ever having a nose piercing, and I thought it was strange for high-powered lawyer Jen to all of a sudden sport one just so the writers could have Sophia win her argument.  I found it distracting the whole time, even though it was tiny.  But that aside, I really enjoyed that scene... which wasn't too surprising since Jen and Sophia are two of my favorite characters.

Although I'm willing to believe that Jen pierced her own nose at a slumber party, we have never seen her wear a nose stud before and probably never will again. When Heather and Tim approached her in the kitchen , she was kept in profile so we wouldn't see the piercing, and they were too dopey to realize that it might come up in the debate and to therefore  ask her how old she was when she got it.

I didn't find it so funny that both parents were too drunk to care properly for a 3 year old and that they couldn't foresee that that would be an issue before they both drank. Or that they were so happy to have a 3 year old that didn't seem to need them anymore.

It's also a little unusual that they were both so confident that this pregnancy would result in a baby as soon as Jen realized she was pregnant since their previous unplanned pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I guess the show plans to ignore that.

There was a throwaway line about their nanny being the one who is pregnant. Do they have a nanny for when Lark is home from preschool? Does Greg really hang around all day doing nothing? Along with Matt, who doesn't seem to be producing much art. Although, I'd much rather he stay home with any baby then Colleen, whom I honestly wouldn't trust to raise a child.

I figured that Matt and Colleen would wind up adopting her half-sister's unplanned baby. Am I correct that their embryo had been unfrozen and couldn't be saved anymore, even if they couldn't find a surrogate? I'm also a little surprised that Heather never volunteered to be the surrogate since she's already had all her kids but is likely still young enough to carry a baby.

Also, there's no way Matt and Colleen should have been able to finance that car. Don't they have bad credit?  We know they have minimal cash flow.

I really do like this show, though. Although Jen is one of my favorites, I find her and Greg's joint story lines much more annoying then Joanie and John's (and I knew when Tyler, in a rare moment of clarity, said something about buying something in the app store how that would end up; I guess they figure there's a store they never noticed at the mall near the Apple Store?)

On 5/18/2018 at 10:59 PM, AnnaRose said:

By the way... does anybody here think they would prefer if they showed the individual segments in chronological order?  Or do y'all like it the way it is?

I like it this way. Kind of reverse callbacks. I do have to pay attention to get the most out of it.

Edited May 24, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[roughing it]

On ‎5‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:17 PM, J-Man said:

"Let's get our coats and go down to the App store."

OT - Kind of reminds me of when I wanted to go to The Container Store - knew about where it was but not precisely.  So we are driving around looking for it and my husband asks "what's the name of the store?", to which I replied, "The Container Store".  He said "yes, I know, but what is the NAME of the store?"  And again I replied, "The Container Store - that is the name of the store."  This went on a couple more times until we found "The Container Store".  Who's on first??

[Perfect Xero]

10 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

There was a throwaway line about their nanny being the one who is pregnant. Do they have a nanny for when Lark is home from preschool? Does Greg really hang around all day doing nothing?

Greg got a job a few episodes back, then he inadvertently got his friend who helped him get the job fired and was promoted to his position.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

3 hours ago, Perfect Xero said:

Greg got a job a few episodes back, then he inadvertently got his friend who helped him get the job fired and was promoted to his position.

I remember the bathroom graffiti incident, but I wasn't sure if he had stayed at the job, especially since in this episode, he mentioned how bored he'd been that day since Lark was now doing everything herself.

[Unclejosh]

Just watched the last few episodes and enjoyed them for the most part.  I do think they should have chosen a different shot of Samantha diving away after the boy showing her butt especially in light of all the focus on male gaze and sexualizing underage kids. My daughter who is 18 and identifies as pansexual but is mostly attracted to woman and is very much involved with women's and LGBT rights and how media portrays women and children made the comment to me that it was unnecessary to use that shot of a 15 year old.  I don't know if she is overly sensitive or is making a good point but I am surprised that no one directing or editing noticed because it was pretty blatant as it was in focus and in the center of the frame. 

[dbklmt]

Hunter King's sister Joey King is joining the series as a pregnant 17-year old who plans to place her baby with adoptive parents Matt and Colleen.

https://tvline.com/2018/08/21/life-in-pieces-season-4-joey-king-cast-pregnant-teen/

[HazelEyes4325]

1 hour ago, dbklmt said:

Hunter King's sister Joey King is joining the series as a pregnant 17-year old who plans to place her baby with adoptive parents Matt and Colleen.

https://tvline.com/2018/08/21/life-in-pieces-season-4-joey-king-cast-pregnant-teen/

It's Ramona Quimby! 

I had no idea the actress was the younger sister of the actress playing Clementine.  However, I've seen her in a few things (Namely the Ramona movie and the first season of Fargo, as Colin Hanks's daughter) and have always thought she was a strong actress.

Edited August 21, 2018 by HazelEyes4325

[paulvdb]

I also didn't know that Joey King was Hunter King's sister. I mostly know Joey from the Netflix movie The Kissing Booth.

[paulvdb]

CBS Announces the Fourth Season of Comedy Series "Life in Pieces" to Premiere on Thursday, April 18

Quote

CBS announced today that the fourth season of comedy series LIFE IN PIECES will premiere with two original episodes, Thursday, April 18 (8:30-9:00 and 9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. On April 25, LIFE IN PIECES will begin airing in its regular time period on Thursdays at 9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT.

[Kiddvideo]

Thanks for the update on season 4. I haven’t seen that it’s been renewed or canceled for 5, but given how quickly they’ll have to burn off episodes I’m guessing it’s going away. I don’t really care for how the characters developed (Joanie and John especially), and they’re in that one note personality phase already. Will give this season a try but don’t have high expectations.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 5/18/2018 at 7:59 PM, AnnaRose said:

I don't recall Jen ever having a nose piercing, and I thought it was strange for high-powered lawyer Jen to all of a sudden sport one just so the writers could have Sophia win her argument.  I found it distracting the whole time, even though it was tiny. 

As Rayanne Graff said about Cynthia Hargrove’s nose stud on My So-Called Life, “It’s too small. It’s like a semi-precious pimple.”