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S02.E07: Officer Of The Year

yeswedo

By yeswedo
in Playing House [V]

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Mecca

Mecca

Strange...On Demand has episode 7, but not 8.  I'll probably go more into detail once I see both episodes, but I will say in episode 7, they had me up until the end.  A little too much cheese in that dialogue.  The rest of the episode was adorable though!

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Phebemarie

Phebemarie

My On Demand only has 7 as well.  I'm hoping they'll have it today.  

 

I thought the morning after fake-out was tricky, too.  I'm glad there wasn't any "we're back together" talk from either party.  Certainly they're too smart to use the old trope of an unexpected pregnancy, right?  

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Mecca

Mecca

My On Demand only has 7 as well.  I'm hoping they'll have it today.  

 

I thought the morning after fake-out was tricky, too.  I'm glad there wasn't any "we're back together" talk from either party.  Certainly they're too smart to use the old trope of an unexpected pregnancy, right?  

 

My "cheese" comment was directed more towards the "If I was a different man..." speech, but I'm glad as well that nothing seemed to come out of the Maggie and Bruce "reunion".  I think they mostly did it as a fake out for the audience to think it was Emma.  It didn't seem like they were hinting at anything further with how Bruce and Maggie both just brushed it off as nothing special.

 

I don't think they would have Maggie or Emma pregnant especially since that was the whole plot of the first season.  This show works best when it's just two best friends facing the world together.  As cute as little Charlotte is, the kid already takes some focus off of the two of them.  I can't imagine what adding more kids would do.

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Bastet

Bastet

(edited)

I'm relieved that the conversation about not being those kind of people did not end with them proving they are, in fact, those kind of people.  Tiresome, first of all, and shitty.  So it was nice to see people control themselves not just for their own reasons, but out of respect to someone else.  Because as much as Rabbi Dan pissed me off last episode, and annoyed me a little bit this one, he deserves the human decency of Emma breaking up with him before she starts up anything with Mark.

 

It was fun seeing Maggie and Bruce so comfortable with each other ... by which I mean the "this is our song" and dancing.  I didn't see the sex coming, but I absolutely love it for how they reacted to it.  They've moved on enough to remember they like each other, they know each other well enough to guarantee a satisfying experience versus getting the itch scratched by a stranger with whom they're not seeking a relationship, but it is no less and no more than that.  Perfect.

 

Also, that woman looked nothing like Andie MacDowell.  But, speaking as a brunette with curly hair, I am well aware many people think all brunettes with curly hair look alike.  We don't.  I cannot simultaneously "oh my god, you look just like" Carole King, Kimberly Williams, Jennifer Beals, Andie MacDowell, Brooke Shields, Minnie Driver, et al.  Because none of them look alike, other than their hair. 

 

Ahem.  Carry on.

Edited by Bastet
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Lingo

Lingo

FYI, I think I do remember a line about Mark having just signed his divorce papers.

That shot of Maggie and Bruce in bed was an awesome WTF moment. I might have cackled with the glee of surprise. I really wanted to see more of Maggie and Mark getting down on the dance floor though.

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Lila82

Lila82

Nitpick: in 1x08, we learn that Mark and Emma dated from sophomore to senior year (and half a summer). Nice line, but do we really think Emma was a seventeen-year-old sophomore?

Otherwise? The tension between them was like its own character. Sweet and sexy and mostly very, very hot.

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Bastet

Bastet

(edited)

FYI, I think I do remember a line about Mark having just signed his divorce papers.

 

Yes, that was the lead-in to Maggie's initial advice to cool his jets -- some variation on the old "the ink on your divorce papers is barely dry" saw. 

 

Which, as I said in the thread for tonight's other episode, means more time has passed than would seem ... except that's if they're in CA and now that I think on it I'm not sure where Pinebrook is supposed to be.  (I was afraid to get attached to this show in season one for a variety of reasons, so I didn't pay proper attention[to things as basic as setting, apparently].)

Edited by Bastet
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possibilities

possibilities

(edited)

Yes, they're in CT. And I think Emma had been dating Rabbi Dan for three months, they kept saying over and over again the three month timeline, so I guess they wanted us to pick up on it having been longer than it looked-- though I didn't figure it out til after the episode ended and I was able to reflect-- they SAY 3 months, but we only saw something like three dates; it's the whole show vs tell thing rearing its head. Eight episode seasons make timelines confusing.

 

I like the dancing on this show.

 

And Maggie's outfit was amazing, she looked terrific.

 

And how adult everyone is. They have normal person levels of relationship drama, not made for TV idiocy. I like it.

Edited by possibilities
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DearEvette

DearEvette

Awww.... I loved this one. From the opening with the terrible outfits to the ending with that fantastic scene betweem Emma and Mark. Man, those two have such chemistry.

Now I finally see what Maggie saw in Bruce. How can you not fall for a guy who completes you on the dance floor? And of course their song is 'I like to Move it' That party looked hella fun.

And finally I love the set up to make you think that Maggie made up the Andie McDowell woman complete with a name that also sounds like she just made it up.

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swimmyfish

swimmyfish

 

It was fun seeing Maggie and Bruce so comfortable with each other ... by which I mean the "this is our song" and dancing.  I didn't see the sex coming, but I absolutely love it for how they reacted to it.  They've moved on enough to remember they like each other, they know each other well enough to guarantee a satisfying experience versus getting the itch scratched by a stranger with whom they're not seeking a relationship, but it is no less and no more than that.  Perfect.

 

 

I agree. It's been very hard not to wonder through the whole series what Maggie ever saw in Bruce, so it was nice to see them have a good time together in a way that had nothing to do with Charlotte. And I, once again, actually gasped when the camera panned up on the two of them together in bed, but I really, really liked the way it was handled - no regret on either side, no one secretly pining they'll be getting back together, just a lovely homemade breakfast. I never thought I'd say this about Bruce, but that was very classy.

 

Although, not as classy as Mark in his tuxedo! Hot DAMN, that man is fine. It's interesting how Keegan Michael Key played essentially the same role on Parks & Recreation. He's very, very good at being a romantic lead as well as just a good guy. I'm sure he doesn't want to get pigeon-holed, but if he wanted to become the television-equivalent of '90s Hugh Grant, I would not complain.

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HeatherinThailand

HeatherinThailand

The whole timeline of Mark and Emma's relationship has confused me as well. In season one, it didn't make sense to me when they talked about dating sophmore through senior year, because then she was able to get on a plane and become a high powered business woman with no college education after he proposed? And he proposed when they were EIGHTEEN? So, when they said they met at 17, that made more sense to me, and I thought that they must have been referring to sophomore to senior year of college, but that they must have been friends before they dated.

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paramitch

paramitch

I love this show, and absolutely adored this episode, which was sweet, funny, sexy, smart, and all the moments felt earned. The show has a kindness at its core that is so refreshing, and I love that the friendship between Maggie and Emma is every bit as important and palpable as the love and attraction between Emma and Mark.

It's just so nice to watch a show about people who act like grownups. Maggie and Bruce aren't vitriolic or cruel to each other but are instead goofily sweet and delightful. You can actually see in this episode what made them a good couple once upon a time, and I love that their marriage may be over, but that they are able to look back with a lot of fondness and caring. And I could have watched them dance for another 20 hours -- they were so relaxed and funny together!

On 9/8/2015 at 7:32 PM, Bastet said:

I'm relieved that the conversation about not being those kind of people did not end with them proving they are, in fact, those kind of people.  Tiresome, first of all, and shitty.  So it was nice to see people control themselves not just for their own reasons, but out of respect to someone else.  Because as much as Rabbi Dan pissed me off last episode, and annoyed me a little bit this one, he deserves the human decency of Emma breaking up with him before she starts up anything with Mark.

It was fun seeing Maggie and Bruce so comfortable with each other ... by which I mean the "this is our song" and dancing.  I didn't see the sex coming, but I absolutely love it for how they reacted to it.  They've moved on enough to remember they like each other, they know each other well enough to guarantee a satisfying experience versus getting the itch scratched by a stranger with whom they're not seeking a relationship, but it is no less and no more than that.  Perfect.

I loved both of those things too, a lot. And I'm especially with you on Bruce and Maggie. I was so pleased that their hookup wasn't a big deal, but was instead simply a fond, funny little moment. Nobody did the sitcom thing of "but I thought we were back together!" and instead treated it like one more step in saying farewell to their romance as they settle into friendship.

On 9/8/2015 at 8:57 PM, Lila82 said:

Otherwise? The tension between them was like its own character. Sweet and sexy and mostly very, very hot.

The great thing about the tension and chemistry between Emma and Mark is that it's there throughout the episode, not just in the ridiculously romantic and yearning final moments at the event. The fact that they constantly seem like magnets drawn to one another, to look at one another, to be close to each other, just made that final scene feel even more earned. 

On 9/8/2015 at 10:38 PM, possibilities said:

And I think Emma had been dating Rabbi Dan for three months, they kept saying over and over again the three month timeline, so I guess they wanted us to pick up on it having been longer than it looked-- though I didn't figure it out til after the episode ended and I was able to reflect-- they SAY 3 months, but we only saw something like three dates; it's the whole show vs tell thing rearing its head. Eight episode seasons make timelines confusing.

And Maggie's outfit was amazing, she looked terrific.

And how adult everyone is. They have normal person levels of relationship drama, not made for TV idiocy. I like it.

I thought everyone looked wonderful in this episode, and I loved that there was a moment of appreciation for how beautiful Maggie looked too. This show has these little nuances that I love, that feel real to me, and that was one of them. The standard trope would have been for everyone to gaga over Emma (as the one with the unresolved romantic situation), so it was nice for Maggie to walk in and have everyone support how wonderful she looked. Little touches like these make the show's characters feel real and relatable.

On 9/9/2015 at 9:36 AM, swimmyfish said:

I agree. It's been very hard not to wonder through the whole series what Maggie ever saw in Bruce, so it was nice to see them have a good time together in a way that had nothing to do with Charlotte. And I, once again, actually gasped when the camera panned up on the two of them together in bed, but I really, really liked the way it was handled - no regret on either side, no one secretly pining they'll be getting back together, just a lovely homemade breakfast. I never thought I'd say this about Bruce, but that was very classy.

Although, not as classy as Mark in his tuxedo! Hot DAMN, that man is fine. It's interesting how Keegan Michael Key played essentially the same role on Parks & Recreation. He's very, very good at being a romantic lead as well as just a good guy. I'm sure he doesn't want to get pigeon-holed, but if he wanted to become the television-equivalent of '90s Hugh Grant, I would not complain.

I totally agreed on both points -- and this was the episode where we saw that, okay, Bruce can be a goofball and an ass, but he also seems -- at heart -- a genuinely good, nice person. He's not who I want for Maggie, but I'm glad he's a good friend to her, and is so far a good dad to Charlotte.

I've been crushing on Keegan-Michael Key for a few years now, but this episode put him in my official pantheon of Official TV Crushes. Holy cats, he's just so elegant and beautiful, but even better, in this role Mark's absolute niceness and decency shine through.

For instance, you could tell he had no idea that almost every single woman in that room was completely falling all over themselves for him, and he's just so humble he had no idea. That's pretty irresistible.

On 9/9/2015 at 9:52 AM, BananaRama said:

I swooned when untied bow-tie Mark appeared.  Keegan Michael Key is an outstanding actor.  I hope he wins an Emmy.

Yeah, you and me both. He looked gorgeous in that moment. And it wasn't just that he looked handsome. It was one of those beautifully acted moments when he walked out, and you could see his hesitance and tiredness, and willingness to be open. The moment he walked out to Emma, they weren't playing anymore. His feelings for her were right there -- and so were hers for him. I thought it was an incredibly lovely and romantic moment that was perfectly played by both actors.

I love this show. It's the best TV surprise I've had in ages.

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