S02.E03: Off Ramp

[Juliegirlj]

Someone mentioned that Liv Tyler looked pregnant in the van scene, and she probably was - she had a baby last year. I wish she had taken the cuffs off Tommy and he had hugged her during the rape, then we would know for sure if he can take people's pain away. He didn't hug Jill at the diner ( he said he was sick). Any chance Meg gets pregnant? Could that white baby at the adoption place ( offered to Kevin and Nora) actually have been Kevin's grandchild, and Meg and Tommy's baby?

[Milburn Stone]

How much of Tommy's epiphany story is based on facts we witnessed? Maybe all of it, but I can't remember. When he says, "And then I was standing in the bathroom with the baby, and Wayne came into the bathroom, and hugged me and transferred all his superpowers to me, and told me I was 'the one' "--was that an event we actually saw last year? Or is he making that shit up?

[editorgrrl]

How much of Tommy's epiphany story is based on facts we witnessed? Was that an event we actually saw last year? Or is he making that shit up?

In the season 1 finale, the only person who tried to help Tommy at the rest stop was a church guy in the parking lot—while Christine was changing the baby's diaper in the restroom. Tommy refused the offer, the church bus took off, then Tommy heard the baby crying. He found her alone on the floor of the stall, scooped her up, and ran out—screaming Christine's name. Cue opening credits.

We later saw Holy Wayne bleed out in a diner restroom with Kevin. Law enforcement took him out in a body bag. Tommy got his mom, and Nora found the baby on Kevin's porch.

In this episode, Kevin was watching a Holy Wayne video on his laptop. Later, he hugged Laurie outside jail—but she still kept crying. Tommy's lying.

[Milburn Stone]

Tommy's lying.

 

Thanks for clearing that up, editorgrrl. That was my feeling just from his demeanor as he was talking (he seemed to be trying to sell something), and also because I couldn't remember seeing the events he reported taking place. But it's very helpful to have it confirmed.

[Happytobehere]

I liked the first two episodes, even though I can do without Patty, but bringing back Liv Tyler and the wife from season one was a mistake, as they were two of the worst things about the show last season.

The Regina King character and her family, who featured so prominently in the first episode have all but vanished. Too bad.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

On October 19, 2015 at 8:43 PM, A Boston Gal said:

I'm also torn as to whether Tom's story is a fabrication, or whether it truly represents what happened. The argument as to why he didn't hug Jill is interesting, and is the only thing that leads me to think he didn't make it up. But then again, we never saw any of the events that lead Tom to drop the baby off at Kevin's, did we?

Sorry guys ... I know this is from two years ago ... but after having watched S1 at the time it aired (and even then having already read the novel years earlier, as I'm a huge fan of Tom Perrotta), I am binge-rewatching S1 and watching S2 and then S3 for the first time ... due to some medical issues, I have short-term memory problems so I'm necrobumping stuff and I apologize for that ... a tiny bit surprised I'm unearthing these for first time since airing since I would have thought maybe some others were rewatching or watching for the first time with release of S3 ... Anyway, had not seen any of S2 and just watched this episode today and was definitely wondering whether a) He really has this power (or truly believes he does) and he and his mom have decided it's time to share it with the world or b) she can't pay her bills and they need to come up with a good scam, or c) when she says "what do they really need" or "what can we give them that they don't have" or however it's phrased and they come up with "hope", they think this is the best way to provide that, be it a scam or real.

The argument you mention about why he didn't hug Jill makes me think maybe indeed it's real ... I'd been leaning towards scam but that seems too obvious. 

And of course this entire S2 (and S3) is uncharted territory for me having not been novelized ... 

Also, if anyone is reading this and has not read the original novel, it's REALLY outstanding and just different enough from the TV series to maybe help explain some of the unexplained, and if not would make an interesting thread to discuss the differences (perhaps that already exists in the S1 folder, but more likely I'm thinking it MAY have existed back when it first aired in the TWOP days ... I'm betting, though again my memory is poor, that I probably posted on it quite a bit back then).