S02.E01: Hello, Old Friend

[yeswedo]

An awkward run-in with Mark and Tina causes Maggie and Emma to go on a rescue mission deep inside enemy territory.

[Primetimer]

It's back! And it's still so good!

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[Louise]

I harass my close friends about this show constantly. It's such a gem.

[NoNeinNyet]

Oh good, Maggie's brother is in at least one episode. I hope it's more. I was a little worried given the success Zach Woods has been experiencing lately. I just love him so much.

[Eliz]

It's like I thought I would never love again after Parks & Rec, but this show taught me that my life will go on. I dvr-ed the marathon this weekend and rewatched the whole thing. It's just so good.

Honestly, between this and Mr. Robot, if I was allowed to watch only one network this summer, I would pick USA without a second thought and be perfectly satisfied.

[Valny]

That's awesome to know these two eps are up to it first season greatness. I am psyched to have it come back and can't wait to watch tonight, it feels like forever since I've seen this show. I don't know anyone who watches(except I did introduce it to my sister and niece last year,so we'll have to see if they'll keep watching) so you people are it for me! :)

Edited August 5, 2015 by Valny

[KateeBar]

So, so thrilled this show is back. It is so great at being laugh out loud funny and sweetly touching, it's genius. I can't yet pick my favorite moments - straight-happening, devil's pipes, dark tide, soft touches. Or, it might just be Maggie's date night dance prep. Summer TV really is pretty good this year.

[Lindsey]

I love this show so much, but I can never watch Property Brothers again.

[Bastet]

This show is so charming.  I'm always leery of babies, and the "career woman returns to small town and discovers what life is really about" idea, but so far this series isn’t falling into most of the old traps.

 

I like the family dynamic that is forming with the two friends and the father, and think this could develop into something pretty special on TV.

 

Can anyone refresh my memory as to why Mark's wife forbade contact with Emma?  I can't think of much that would justify such a demand, but I'd like to know if she's as offensive a jealous stereotype as she seems to be at first blush.

[biakbiak]

She found out that he didn't tell her that he asked Emma to marry him and in the midst of the fight Emma mentioned that Mark had just told her that he would have gone to China with her if she had asked. They also almost kissed but she didn't seem to register that.

[bentley]

So glad the show is back. I watched episode 3 on demand as well. That's the good and the bad news, cause now I'm gonna have to wait a long time for a new episode. 

 

I'm a little concerned with the stunt casting--Property Brothers, Darius Rucker.  That's usually a sign of desperation in a show, but hey, if that's what they have to do to increase the ratings...as long as it doesn't interfere with the basic premise of the show, I can overlook it. The guy playing the rabbi is a good comedic actor who can never find the right show. I hope he has better luck on this show.

 

I love the bizarre lines the writers come up with, like the ex-mother in law reminding her son the 3 rules she's always told him to live by that he can't live up to...don't cheat on your wife, don't leave chunks in the tomato sauce and look out for brown recluse spiders (something like that). Just so random and wacky, and a callback to an earlier joke about a dead uncle.

 

I was glad they clarified at the end that the older lady's arms were not cottage cheesey at all, just wishful thinking, because when I saw her bare arms my first thought was "Those arms be bangin'". 

 

 Emma is always noticing how different Mark is with his wife than he was with her. She takes it as an insult that he was never so polite, accomodating and solicitous, but I suspect it's because he could be his true self when he was with Emma, and now he's playing a role, just trying to make the marriage work. Which leads to Wacky Necklines...

 

The pooping in the tub scenes were comedy gold.

[esco1822]

 

I love the bizarre lines the writers come up with, like the ex-mother in law reminding her son the 3 rules she's always told him to live by that he can't live up to...don't cheat on your wife, don't leave chunks in the tomato sauce and look out for brown recluse spiders (something like that). Just so random and wacky, and a callback to an earlier joke about a dead uncle.

I'm pretty sure it was something like LOCK the spider cage.  The implication being that Bruce didn't so it's his fault that his uncle died.  Of course.

[Louise]

My favorite line from episode 1 was Maggie's quiet "that's too many beagles".

[formerlyfreedom]

So, so good! Glad to see this show back!

[Valny]

I watched episode 3 on demand as well. That's the good and the bad news, cause now I'm gonna have to wait a long time for a new episode.

 

Wha -wha WHAT?!!   The third ep is on demand you say?!!  Ok, now way I'm going to wait until next week to watch.  Thanks for posting that bentley.

 

Watched the first ep again tonight with my dad, who didn't laugh until the later part after  Maggie and Emma broke into in Mark's house. He just doesn't get the other verbal humor.   I think I laughed the most when they were hiding in the closet,starting with their first seeing what awesome closet it was:

 

Maggie:What is this sweet paradise we stumbled on? 

Emma:   I want to live here forever.

Then it just gets better as they overhear Birdbones talking smack about them,saying they looked tire and  gained weight and then it cuts to them whispering their disgust back.

Maggie: Excuse me?

Emma:  Just had a baby you bitch!

 

And when Birdbones zeroes in on Emma  with her insulting remarks about the weight, I love when they keep cutting to Emma trying to hold back her anger, the first time being her biting on the pillow to silence herself and the second time Maggie is holding her back from trying to leave the closet. It looked like Lennon was laughing when she was fake holding her back. It was a great bit.

 

"Rene, you little asshole."  :)

 

sidenote- I like Birdbones with lighter hair, the dark hair was a shock for a second.(did she have dark her on The Odd Couple?)

 

Also liked that scene with Bruce and his mom with the sauce. My fave part was when he goes to hug her:

"What are you doing?"

"I was going in for a hug ma."

"You're coming at me with an open mouth.

"That's my hug mouth."

 

Great start to the season!

 

 

ETA- I think the first time I laughed out loud was when Emma kept referencing Gone Girl.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Valny

[Grommet]

The running gag about Emma not having seen any of the movies she referenced was great.

[paramitch]

Tara, thank you for these recaps -- without them I would have missed this absolutely wonderful, funny, adorable show. 

As it did for you, this episode allayed so many of my fears about the show becoming too babycentric, yet in a believable and fun way that still addressed the huge adjustments Emma and Maggie are going through.

So much funny stuff here, too -- Emma's inability to fake seeing all those movies! Bruce's "hug mouth!" Maggie's dates! I really like the fact that Bruce is still a lovable and believable character. I also laughed out loud at Birdbones's glorious linen closet (and at Keegan-Michael Peele singing his lines to her to her to try to get her upstairs).