Original Flavor Season Talk: Dinner at Rodbell's

[Bastet]

26 minutes ago, Dee said:

Bev, Jackie & Roseanne decorating Nana Mary never fails to make me laugh.

Same here.  And you can see it coming from a mile away, because pretty much all sitcom scripts go this route, but when Bev's scolding turns out not to be because they are decorating their sleeping grandma but because they aren't stringing the lights correctly, I love it.

[Mmmfloorpie]

6 hours ago, UYI said:

I will respectfully disagree. I love both the Season 4 (Roseanne as Santa Claus) and Season 5 (Everyone is snowed in) Christmas episodes. In fact, I think the Season 5 one might be better now than the Season 4 one, and I used to think the opposite. 

The Santa Clause episode was pretty weak as far as Christmas episodes go. It takes place before Christmas and there's no Christmas dinner or gift exchanging. The house isn't even decorated and no tree.

It also really isn't connected to the other episodes that season in any meaningful way. Most of it is about Darlene and Karen. They set it up as a possibly storyline for Darlene at the bookstore and having an interest in writing. That fizzled out in favour of giving Darlene a boyfriend and working on the comic book instead.

The Season 5 ep also suffers from a similiar issue. While it is a true Christmas episode, it is completely isolated from the other episodes that season. Nothing consequental happens. Roseanne and Jackie at the diner decorating Nana Mary. Darlene and David having a tiff and making up. Dan with Marla and Nancy. Complete bottle episode. It's also not that funny. I feel that episode was a Christmas gift to the writers. Gave them a bit of a break.

The best Thanksgiving eps were the complete opposite. They were connected to the season's arc. Season 2 ep really fleshes out all the extended family members (including Dan's mom), Jackie reveals she is a cop, and the Crystal and Ed relationship is introduced.

Season 4 ep reveals Al's cheating. 

[JAYJAY1979]

55 minutes ago, Mmmfloorpie said:

The Santa Clause episode was pretty weak as far as Christmas episodes go. It takes place before Christmas and there's no Christmas dinner or gift exchanging. The house isn't even decorated and no tree.

It also really isn't connected to the other episodes that season in any meaningful way. Most of it is about Darlene and Karen. They set it up as a possibly storyline for Darlene at the bookstore and having an interest in writing. That fizzled out in favour of giving Darlene a boyfriend and working on the comic book instead.

The Season 5 ep also suffers from a similiar issue. While it is a true Christmas episode, it is completely isolated from the other episodes that season. Nothing consequental happens. Roseanne and Jackie at the diner decorating Nana Mary. Darlene and David having a tiff and making up. Dan with Marla and Nancy. Complete bottle episode. It's also not that funny. I feel that episode was a Christmas gift to the writers. Gave them a bit of a break.

The best Thanksgiving eps were the complete opposite. They were connected to the season's arc. Season 2 ep really fleshes out all the extended family members (including Dan's mom), Jackie reveals she is a cop, and the Crystal and Ed relationship is introduced.

Season 4 ep reveals Al's cheating. 

I respectfully disagree with the Santa Clause episode because this is the episode where Darlene starts to come out of her funk revealing she hangs at the bookstore, has an interest in writing, and loves science fiction... and Roseanne finally getting to see this new side of Darlene that is more like her then the previous Darlene was.  Plus, Roseanne as Santa Clause was hilarious.

 

Plus, season 5 episode shows David and Mark's home life and it figures into the eventual David moving in with the Conner story.

The only Thanksgiving episode I love was the season 2 one where Jackie reveals she's a cop.

[UYI]

I will say this much: It is clear, based on how they did their Christmas episodes, that it isn't necessarily a holiday they care about too much. They saved all their real money/passion for Halloween. You could FEEL how much Roseanne loves Halloween. 

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, UYI said:

I will say this much: It is clear, based on how they did their Christmas episodes, that it isn't necessarily a holiday they care about too much. They saved all their real money/passion for Halloween. You could FEEL how much Roseanne loves Halloween. 

And I loved that.  Christmas episodes are just awful on most shows; I only like them on the shows that dare do non-treacly ones.  I don't want mystical shit, I don't want some old white dude with a beard who may really be Santa Claus, I don't want lessons in the true meaning of Christmas, etc.

For a show to pick not Christmas, not Thanksgiving, but Halloween as its annual tradition of special, themed episodes?  Reason number 82 of 217 I love this show.  (Or something like that.) 

And I don't even like Halloween!  I went trick-or-treating once as a kid, thought it was stupid, and just stuck to dressing up each year for the carnival we had at school, and then as an adult I was - and remain - rather "Really?" at the idea of adults donning a costume unless performing in a play/show/etc.  I hate kids, so I don't hand out candy; my lights are off and I'm out in the back.  So it is not at all a "Hey, that's my favorite holiday, too," connection.  I just appreciate it for being different, and being done so well.

[qtpye]

13 minutes ago, Bastet said:

And I loved that.  Christmas episodes are just awful on most shows; I only like them on the shows that dare do non-treacly ones.  I don't want mystical shit, I don't want some old white dude with a beard who may really be Santa Claus, I don't want lessons in the true meaning of Christmas, etc.

For a show to pick not Christmas, not Thanksgiving, but Halloween as its annual tradition of special, themed episodes?  Reason number 82 of 217 I love this show.  (Or something like that.) 

And I don't even like Halloween!  I went trick-or-treating once as a kid, thought it was stupid, and just stuck to dressing up each year for the carnival we had at school, and then as an adult I was - and remain - rather "Really?" at the idea of adults donning a costume unless performing in a play/show/etc.  I hate kids, so I don't hand out candy; my lights are off and I'm out in the back.  So it is not at all a "Hey, that's my favorite holiday, too," connection.  I just appreciate it for being different, and being done so well.

I think Roseanne and The Simpson really made Halloween a thing in the nineties.  Most shows really did not do much of an Halloween episode unless they were the Munster or Adams Family, but the Christmas episode was always filled with artificial goodness.  This was another way Roseanne really stood out from the pack.

[JakeyJokes]

Roseanne also had to fight the network to do Halloween eps (which is why there isn't one in S1). She said that ABC execs were worried that The Bible Belt didn't celebrate Halloween and thought it was Satanic.

That's a good point about The Simpsons normalizing Halloween, too. The Simpsons and Roseanne are rather comparable in some ways, as they premiered in the late '80s as an antithesis to The Cosby Show (which had been #1), Family Ties, et cetera. I think a lot more families saw themselves as Connors and Simpsons.

I actually think the Season 9 Christmas ep is the funniest!

"Dear Santa, are any of your reindeer gay? Our grandma is!"

"Oh no, we lost one of the wise men... But the yellow ranger is the wisest in all the land!"

[Bastet]

20 hours ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

I respectfully disagree with the Santa Clause episode because this is the episode where Darlene starts to come out of her funk revealing she hangs at the bookstore, has an interest in writing, and loves science fiction... and Roseanne finally getting to see this new side of Darlene that is more like her then the previous Darlene was.  Plus, Roseanne as Santa Clause was hilarious.

Roseanne as Santa and Jackie as Mrs. Claus are terrific.  "Remember, possession of cane is a privilege, not a right." 

And Roseanne saying, "I guess I get a Christmas bonus after all" when Darlene responds to her speech in the bookstore by quietly coming in and pinning her writing up on the fridge chokes me up every time.

[Mmmfloorpie]

22 hours ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

I respectfully disagree with the Santa Clause episode because this is the episode where Darlene starts to come out of her funk revealing she hangs at the bookstore, has an interest in writing, and loves science fiction... and Roseanne finally getting to see this new side of Darlene that is more like her then the previous Darlene was.  Plus, Roseanne as Santa Clause was hilarious.

 

Plus, season 5 episode shows David and Mark's home life and it figures into the eventual David moving in with the Conner story.

The only Thanksgiving episode I love was the season 2 one where Jackie reveals she's a cop.

Lol, you don't have to say you respectfully disagree every time you post...

You're right, she does start to come out of the funk but as I said, they back tracked on it. Instead of following the Karen bookstore storyline, they switched it up to the comic book and David. If you erased the Santa Clause episode from the season, you wouldn't have missed anything important. There is a documentary on Youtube done by a New Zealand (I think) group when they were making this episode. The producers, writers and Tom and Rosey talk about how crap the episode is lol.

It does have its moments though and I like it far better than the season 5 ep that's for sure.

I still maintain the Season 5 ep is garbage. I said this in a previous post, but when I was watching the show in syndication in the late 90s/early 00s on TBS, they never aired this episode for some reason. It was always skpped. I hadn't seen it until much later and I never felt like I was missing much!

3 hours ago, JakeyJokes said:

Roseanne also had to fight the network to do Halloween eps (which is why there isn't one in S1). She said that ABC execs were worried that The Bible Belt didn't celebrate Halloween and thought it was Satanic.

That's a good point about The Simpsons normalizing Halloween, too. The Simpsons and Roseanne are rather comparable in some ways, as they premiered in the late '80s as an antithesis to The Cosby Show (which had been #1), Family Ties, et cetera. I think a lot more families saw themselves as Connors and Simpsons.

I actually think the Season 9 Christmas ep is the funniest!

"Dear Santa, are any of your reindeer gay? Our grandma is!"

"Oh no, we lost one of the wise men... But the yellow ranger is the wisest in all the land!"

Home Improvement also always had a Halloween ep.

[UYI]

Haha, I was the original person who said "respectfully disagree", but that second time was someone else.

 

My mom actually can't bring herself to watch the Halloween episodes now; they scare her too much. But all those great costumes made those episodes so much fun! So much was obviously put in to making them! 

[TheLastKidPicked]

 I enjoy the holloween episodes because it gives the writers and actors a chance to let loose once once a year and play around with things they don't usually get to do.   Some examples are showing John Goodman's slapstick side when he played all three of the stooges.

Or Roseanne dressing like a man and actually going into the men's room.   When she tried talking to the man at the urinal next to her, and he wouldn't engage with her:   "Oh, I see.  It's like being on an elevator."

Edited December 11, 2017 by TheLastKidPicked

[JAYJAY1979]

3 hours ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

 I enjoy the holloween episodes because it gives the writers and actors a chance to let loose once once a year and play around with things they don't usually get to do.   Some examples are showing John Goodman's slapstick side when he played all three of the stooges.

Or Roseanne dressing like a man and actually going into the men's room.   When she tried talking to the man at the urinal next to her, and he wouldn't engage with her:   "Oh, I see.  It's like being on an elevator."

 

The season 3 Halloween episode was one of my favs of the Halloween ones because of Roseanne dressing as a man for her costume and doing some social research at the Lobo... and to top it off, Crystal doesn't recognize Roseanne and hits on her :)

My second favorite of the Halloween episodes was the Christmas Carol twist in season 5 where Roseanne is shown her past, present, and what her future will become if she doesn't snap out of her depression.  It made sense in season 5 that Roseanne wasn't too keen on the holiday because of Becky eloping, she losing her job, Dan losing the bike shop, and the prospect of her mother Bev moving back to Lanford.  It's no wonder she had the blues.

[TheLastKidPicked]

3 minutes ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

It made sense in season 5 that Roseanne wasn't too keen on the holiday because of Becky eloping, she losing her job, Dan losing the bike shop, and the prospect of her mother Bev moving back to Lanford.  It's no wonder she had the blues.

I gained a whole new level of respect for the show when they had Dan lose the bike shop.  It brought us back to EXACTLY why the show was groundbreaking when it premiered in 1988.  Unlike the other comedies of the time, where every problem was solved in 22 minutes, Roseanne showed what it is really like for some families.

You can be a good person, do the right thing, and work hard.  And sometimes it still doesn't work out.

[Bastet]

20 minutes ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

I gained a whole new level of respect for the show when they had Dan lose the bike shop.  It brought us back to EXACTLY why the show was groundbreaking when it premiered in 1988.  Unlike the other comedies of the time, where every problem was solved in 22 minutes, Roseanne showed what it is really like for some families.

You can be a good person, do the right thing, and work hard.  And sometimes it still doesn't work out.

It was especially impressive how they let it play out gradually over the course of a season; economic conditions in Lanford change between when he decides to go for it and when he has to let it go, and those changes happen sometimes in the background, with just a line in conversation about something else, and sometimes overtly, like Roseanne losing her job because Rodbell's was turning the diner into a bargain bin (reflecting the community's changed spending habits, given the various Wellman layoffs and other job losses).

[ljenkins782]

On 12/11/2017 at 1:24 PM, TheLastKidPicked said:

Or Roseanne dressing like a man and actually going into the men's room.   When she tried talking to the man at the urinal next to her, and he wouldn't engage with her:   "Oh, I see.  It's like being on an elevator."

Roseanne's "God, it stinks in here" as she enters the men's room is one of my favorite line deliveries of the series. I love that episode. Also, Jackie not wanted to dress up until Roseanne puts the cat nose on her and she gets excited over how cute she looks. I loved the casual sister moments when they weren't battling over anything, but just hanging out and goofing around. Amazing chemistry between Laurie and Roseanne.

Quote

 

I gained a whole new level of respect for the show when they had Dan lose the bike shop.  It brought us back to EXACTLY why the show was groundbreaking when it premiered in 1988.  Unlike the other comedies of the time, where every problem was solved in 22 minutes, Roseanne showed what it is really like for some families.

You can be a good person, do the right thing, and work hard.  And sometimes it still doesn't work out.

 

Agreed. That was such a well done storyline, including Becky's freakout. It had that "end of the world" feeling that a lot of kids go through when family life starts falling apart but they're unable to control their own environment yet (and yes, she could have and should have been exploring scholarship options, etc, but she was navigating blind because her parents didn't know how to help her.) 

I also really liked the fight between Dan and Roseanne in the episode where she doesn't get the office job because of her lack of computer skills. How she tries to palm off the responsibility on Dan by telling him that he told her to quit and Dan bellowing "the hell I DID" (as the party guests scurry out, lol). John Goodman was really good at raising his voice and being a very active participant in their arguments without ever seeming genuinely scary or threatening. 

[TheLastKidPicked]

1 hour ago, ljenkins782 said:

That was such a well done storyline, including Becky's freakout. It had that "end of the world" feeling that a lot of kids go through when family life starts falling apart but they're unable to control their own environment yet (and yes, she could have and should have been exploring scholarship options, etc, but she was navigating blind because her parents didn't know how to help her.) 

I also really liked the fight between Dan and Roseanne in the episode where she doesn't get the office job because of her lack of computer skills. How she tries to palm off the responsibility on Dan by telling him that he told her to quit and Dan bellowing "the hell I DID" (as the party guests scurry out, lol). John Goodman was really good at raising his voice and being a very active participant in their arguments without ever seeming genuinely scary or threatening.

The argument over Becky's college fund took a different direction than I thought it would.  When she was about to lay the guilt trip on Dan and Roseanne, I figured we see a mea culpa from them.  And similar to other shows of the time, we would see the parents realize their mistake and find a solution by the end of the episode.  But Dan had been stressing out over the house payment, stressing out over the utility payment, and stressing out over losing the bike shop.  It was just too much.  His reaction was more realistic and you have to imagine (or remember) Dan, with his voice rising but not quite yelling, 

"That's right, Becky!  We went broke on purpose just so you couldn't go to college!"

[Annber03]

Oh, god, yes. If I'd talked to my dad the way Becky did, I could've easily seen him responding like Dan had. 

(Hell, he probably wouldn't have even needed to speak at all. He could've just given me a "Don't you even dare push it" glare and that would've been enough to end the conversation right there.)

Even then, though, while they may not have liked the way Becky responded, and called her on it, and while they may not have been able to provide the perfect solution to all their problems, the fact that they still managed to sympathize with her overall frustration and fear regarding her future just adds to the overall sadness of the entire situation, because it's just a vicious cycle of struggling. Roseanne worrying about not being able to give their kids the kind of life they'd wanted them to have is heartbreaking. 

[txhorns79]

Quote

I gained a whole new level of respect for the show when they had Dan lose the bike shop.  It brought us back to EXACTLY why the show was groundbreaking when it premiered in 1988.  Unlike the other comedies of the time, where every problem was solved in 22 minutes, Roseanne showed what it is really like for some families.

Kind of.  I mean, Bev did conveniently show up with a check for $10,000.00 after the power went out.  And Roseanne was pretty much ready to blow through that check like an episode later when she wanted to start the diner. 

[StaceyNotStacie]

I was the same age as Darlene and Becky when the show originally aired and now I’m close in age to Dan and Roseanne. I think that as I get older, my perspective changes and I’m more annoyed with the teens. 

[Bastet]

I liked the friendship that formed between Gary and Dan, so I love the final scene between them after Gary and Jackie break up.  Dan and Gary pretend like they'll still get the bike and be buddies, but they know they won't, and do that good-bye handshake.

I love everything about that break-up, really.  Jackie was so weak for so much of the relationship, desperate to hold onto him, and he's a good guy and she's already decided to quit the job; for her not to give into his ultimatum is a great moment for her.

And then there's terrific dialogue when Roseanne finds out and at first flips that Jackie would let him go, before acknowledging she did the right thing.

"[I broke up with him because he told me to quit the force.]"
"I've been telling you to quit the force since the day you started."
"And I've been trying to break up with you, but you won't go away!"

"What would you do if Dan just demanded that you give up your job, the house, and the kids?"
[Beatific smile]

["Dan wouldn't do that to you."]
"Do you know how many years I had to put into Dan?  Do you think he came out of a box like that?"

And, of course:

"No man is worth anchovies."

[Mmmfloorpie]

19 hours ago, Bastet said:

I liked the friendship that formed between Gary and Dan, so I love the final scene between them after Gary and Jackie break up.  Dan and Gary pretend like they'll still get the bike and be buddies, but they know they won't, and do that good-bye handshake.

I love everything about that break-up, really.  Jackie was so weak for so much of the relationship, desperate to hold onto him, and he's a good guy and she's already decided to quit the job; for her not to give into his ultimatum is a great moment for her.

And then there's terrific dialogue when Roseanne finds out and at first flips that Jackie would let him go, before acknowledging she did the right thing.

"[I broke up with him because he told me to quit the force.]"
"I've been telling you to quit the force since the day you started."
"And I've been trying to break up with you, but you won't go away!"

"What would you do if Dan just demanded that you give up your job, the house, and the kids?"
[Beatific smile]

["Dan wouldn't do that to you."]
"Do you know how many years I had to put into Dan?  Do you think he came out of a box like that?"

And, of course:

"No man is worth anchovies."

I like how they reference the relationship a couple times in season 4.

A lot of shows would have just forgotten all about it almost 2 seasons later.

[chocolatine]

I watched Roseanne in the 90s as a kid/young teenager, while living in Germany. My family had recently emigrated from the former Soviet Union and we were living very frugally, so I didn't realize Roseanne and Dan were supposed to be poor until the episode where they had the electricity turned off. They owned a single family home, occasionally ordered pizza, and Becky got to hang out at the mall with her friends. I would have killed for that kind of luxury at the time.

I've recently come across the show on Amazon Prime Video, and have been rewatching with a different perspective now that I'm an adult and have been living in the US for a while. The realism of Seasons 4 and 5 showing the economic decline of the town and the Conner household, which mostly went over my head when I first watched it, was a gut-punch this time around. Of course it was too pat that Bev swooped in with  the $10k gift before Roseanne and Dan had to face disastrous consequences, but it was still more realistic than most sitcoms then or now.

[Angeltoes]

I can still completely sing their Halloween ditty, "Oh, I come from six feet under with a dead guy on my knee..."  Hey, it's catchy.

Quote

The Home Ec episode

Also known as the episode with little Leonardo DiCaprio.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Angeltoes

[Maharincess]

@Angeltoes, I can still sing it too and thanks to you, I now have it stuck in my head! 

[lexytheblasian]

On 12/29/2017 at 8:18 PM, chocolatine said:

Of course it was too pat that Bev swooped in with  the $10k gift before Roseanne and Dan had to face disastrous consequences, but it was still more realistic than most sitcoms then or now.

Does anyone think that was a slight "jump the shark" moment?

[readster]

1 hour ago, lexytheblasian said:

Does anyone think that was a slight "jump the shark" moment?

No, in fact I've known people who have been above water for month or years and some relative dies or leaves them money and they get ahead by a couple of years and then just rebuild their budget from there. Of course, what did they do with the money? Blew most of it on the Lunch Box, doesn't seem like Jump the Shark, just being Roseanne and Jackie and never thinking ahead. 

Edited January 3, 2018 by readster
known and not "done

[Mmmfloorpie]

I think it is more "jump the shark" that 4 owners were able to make a living off a small diner in Lanford lol.

 

1 owner ya... 2 MAYBE... But 4?

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, lexytheblasian said:

Does anyone think that was a slight "jump the shark" moment?

Maybe not "jump the shark" - I reserve that for Season 9 - but it was definitely a trope. For all the show's realism, it was still a comedy, so they weren't going to have the Conners fall into complete financial ruin.

And even with the $10k gift, if they invested it all into the diner, realistically they wouldn't have been able to keep up with two mortgage payments and all the bills in the time it took to get the diner up and running and profitable. They must have borrowed money from Jackie, Bev, or Ed to make ends meet during those months. 

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 1/3/2018 at 7:38 AM, readster said:

No, in fact I've known people who have been above water for month or years and some relative dies or leaves them money and they get ahead by a couple of years and then just rebuild their budget from there. Of course, what did they do with the money? Blew most of it on the Lunch Box, doesn't seem like Jump the Shark, just being Roseanne and Jackie and never thinking ahead. 

Ver;y insightful post, and if you know people like Dan and Roseanne, their decision is very believable.   Do any of you have friends who are good people, hard workers, and good at their jobs?  But are NOT cut out for owning their own business?

It's an unspoken,  "Well, the guy who owns the pizza place is an idiot, so if he can make it, then we could be RICH owning our own place".

[peacheslatour]

I am watching the Take My Bike...Please episode where at the end Jackie bails on her squirt girl job and comes down to Dan's bike shop. She answers the phone and it's Bev, who of course starts being obnoxious so Jackie puts her on hold. The hold music is playing audibly and Jackie and Dan start dancing. I just though it was a sweet moment for the two of them.

[CherryAmes]

On 1/8/2018 at 7:00 PM, TheLastKidPicked said:

Ver;y insightful post, and if you know people like Dan and Roseanne, their decision is very believable.   Do any of you have friends who are good people, hard workers, and good at their jobs?  But are NOT cut out for owning their own business?

I know people who are good people, hard workers and good at their jobs but they are so stupid about money it could make you cry.  The really sad thing is that you can kinda, sorta get away with this when you are young, or relatively young and there is still time to recoup your losses - and maybe you still have elderly relatives who will die and leave you something - but once you are in your 50s and 60s and you are still crazy stupid with money it's just not good.  Not good at all.  The smallest thing going wrong can be devastating.  This was life for the Conners and I suspect based on the stuff coming out about the revival that this is still life for the Conners.

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

I am watching the Take My Bike...Please episode where at the end Jackie bails on her squirt girl job and comes down to Dan's bike shop. She answers the phone and it's Bev, who of course starts being obnoxious so Jackie puts her on hold. The hold music is playing audibly and Jackie and Dan start dancing. I just though it was a sweet moment for the two of them.

I love that scene, too. "Let's vogue!" *Strikes pose*

[readster]

17 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

I know people who are good people, hard workers and good at their jobs but they are so stupid about money it could make you cry.  The really sad thing is that you can kinda, sorta get away with this when you are young, or relatively young and there is still time to recoup your losses - and maybe you still have elderly relatives who will die and leave you something - but once you are in your 50s and 60s and you are still crazy stupid with money it's just not good.  Not good at all.  The smallest thing going wrong can be devastating.  This was life for the Conners and I suspect based on the stuff coming out about the revival that this is still life for the Conners.

How very true. My money problems were due to some bad choices in my early to mid 20s. I got out of them and sadly got into a relationship with someone who left me broke and over $8K in debt. I had just gotten myself out of debt, gotten married and was expecting our first time. Then I was fired from my job and while my wife was still working, she was still spending money or learning to her parents for advice on things. We ended up getting more into the hole as a result. Because she had to LISTEN to her folks on money. Anyhow, flashforward to now, my wife has learned from those mistakes and my in-laws apologized for being "out of touch" with today's life style. Hence, we got into money problems again and we are in our early 40s. But to be realistic we will probably never truly be out of debt again for a long time. So, like the Connors who have made those decisions constantly and even when they get out of debt, keep the same habits. So, I can see after all these years they are still in financial problems. As they say, you are born poor and if you make the same mistakes as you were born into, you will die poor.

[SparklesBitch]

On 1/13/2018 at 4:03 PM, peacheslatour said:

I am watching the Take My Bike...Please episode where at the end Jackie bails on her squirt girl job and comes down to Dan's bike shop. She answers the phone and it's Bev, who of course starts being obnoxious so Jackie puts her on hold. The hold music is playing audibly and Jackie and Dan start dancing. I just though it was a sweet moment for the two of them.

I LOVE this moment! I hope for more Dan and Jackie moments in the revival. Their brother/sister sort of relationship always made me smile. 

[STOPSHOUTING]

On 2/15/2017 at 9:22 PM, BitterApple said:

I also thought it was crappy that Roseanne wouldn't let Bev buy Darlene the CD player as an early birthday present. It's not like any of the children were rolling in luxury goods. Life had been pretty shitty for that entire year, so why not let the kid have something nice?

"We like the kids poor, that way they don't clash with the furniture."

[CherryAmes]

Speaking of crappy Roseanne, I hated the way she tried to prevent Darlene from going away to school.  I know they gave reasons and we were supposed to be sympathetic to Roseanne but I wasn't.  At all.  She saw what happened with Becky and yet she still wasn't willing to put her kids first - it was always Roseanne.  Realistic?  Yep.  Didn't mean I had to like it!

[chocolatine]

19 minutes ago, CherryAmes said:

Speaking of crappy Roseanne, I hated the way she tried to prevent Darlene from going away to school.  I know they gave reasons and we were supposed to be sympathetic to Roseanne but I wasn't.  At all.  She saw what happened with Becky and yet she still wasn't willing to put her kids first - it was always Roseanne.  Realistic?  Yep.  Didn't mean I had to like it!

That was the part I didn't completely understand. Did Darlene end up dropping out of high school to attend writing school, or did she graduate high school early? If it's the former, I can see why Roseanne wouldn't like it. If writing school didn't work out, or Darlene wouldn't be able to make a career of it, she'd just be a high school drop-out, and that's not the life Roseanne wanted for her. But if Darlene got her high school diploma early, I agree that Roseanne made too big a deal of it, since presumably she would have been OK with Darlene leaving for college after graduating high school a year (or however long) later. 

[CherryAmes]

She must have graduated because unless my memory is completely gone (which could very well be!!!!) she got admitted to a prestigious art school that came complete with a scholarship so money and not finishing high school weren't the issues. I felt then and still feel now that it was jealousy on Rosenne's part.  She didn't want Darlene to have the chance in life that she didn't have.  Which, like I said, with what happened with Becky just didn't ring true to me.

[Mmmfloorpie]

6 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

That was the part I didn't completely understand. Did Darlene end up dropping out of high school to attend writing school, or did she graduate high school early? If it's the former, I can see why Roseanne wouldn't like it. If writing school didn't work out, or Darlene wouldn't be able to make a career of it, she'd just be a high school drop-out, and that's not the life Roseanne wanted for her. But if Darlene got her high school diploma early, I agree that Roseanne made too big a deal of it, since presumably she would have been OK with Darlene leaving for college after graduating high school a year (or however long) later. 

In the cousin Ronnie ep (I think), Roseanne finds a money order to the board of education. 

Darlene explains it is so she can take a high school equivalency test. I guess that would be like a GED?

Darlene was 16 when she wanted to go to college. Roseanne says she can't until she was 18.  The reason for her wanting to go early is just that "she will have had all the creativity sucked out of her" by then.

Would have been nice to have a better reason but Sara Gilbert wanted to leave to go to college and that was all they could think of I guess.

[peacheslatour]

Yep, she got a GED. I did the same thing when I was 17. I wanted to go to design school and I did.

[Bastet]

Yes, like Becky, Darlene got a GED.  They talk about it at the time, and confirm it when David graduates high school - he's the first of their "kids" to do so.

I don't mind Roseanne's initial reaction; Darlene was young, she'd already had one kid run off, etc.  And she came around, which gave us that beautiful, "I love you, Darlene, and I want you to get the hell out" scene.

[Mmmfloorpie]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yes, like Becky, Darlene got a GED.  They talk about it at the time, and confirm it when David graduates high school - he's the first of their "kids" to do so.

I don't mind Roseanne's initial reaction; Darlene was young, she'd already had one kid run off, etc.  And she came around, which gave us that beautiful, "I love you, Darlene, and I want you to get the hell out" scene.

She wanted to kick her out of the house on her 18th birthday like her and Dan had planned lol.

[Bastet]

The one where Roseanne is helping plan Crystal and Ed's wedding is on right now, and when Roseanne says she'll finish the seating chart for the reception on her own, Crystal objects that she doesn't know half the people, as a set up for the "Well, then it won't take me long" joke, but reality is they know pretty much all the same people.  Unless Crystal has a huge number of out-of-town relatives coming, Roseanne knows far more than half the guest list; she will know even more of the people Ed has invited than Crystal does, and she must know a significant number of the people Crystal has invited.  Especially since it's not a big wedding.

Crystal's mannerisms that bug me so much are on full display in this one (not to mention her personality).

I love Becky's reaction when she realizes them wearing those hideous dresses is going to be captured for posterity.  (Uh, duh, Beck, yeah, there will be wedding photos.)

And Jackie's drunken speech is pretty much the perfect response to some annoying videographer sticking his camera in your face at a reception.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Bastet

[chocolatine]

OK, so if Darlene got her GED then Roseanne did overreact about writing school at first. With a GED she'd have had other options if writing didn't work out.

5 hours ago, Bastet said:

Crystal's mannerisms that bug me so much

The thing that bugged me most about Crystal was her "old lady" walk and posture. I don't know if it was supposed to signify that Crystal has lived a hard life - widowhood, divorces, single motherhood, etc. - of if the actress had some sort of health issue, but it was jarring that a woman in her 30s would slouch and shuffle like an 80-year-old.

[Mmmfloorpie]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

The one where Roseanne is helping plan Crystal and Ed's wedding is on right now, and when Roseanne says she'll finish the seating chart for the reception on her own, Crystal objects that she doesn't know half the people, as a set up for the "Well, then it won't take me long" joke, but reality is they know pretty much all the same people.  Unless Crystal has a huge number of out-of-town relatives coming, Roseanne knows far more than half the guest list; she will know even more of the people Ed has invited than Crystal does, and she must know a significant number of the people Crystal has invited.  Especially since it's not a big wedding.

Crystal's mannerisms that bug me so much are on full display in this one (not to mention her personality).

I love Becky's reaction when she realizes them wearing those hideous dresses is going to be captured for posterity.  (Uh, duh, Beck, yeah, there will be wedding photos.)

And Jackie's drunken speech is pretty much the perfect response to some annoying videographer sticking his camera in your face at a reception.

Notice how Anne Marie wasn't there Chuck, but instead some other guy.

 

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

OK, so if Darlene got her GED then Roseanne did overreact about writing school at first. With a GED she'd have had other options if writing didn't work out.

She was mad that Darlene wanted to leave for college at 16. She had just lost Becky the year before.

[qtpye]

19 hours ago, chocolatine said:

OK, so if Darlene got her GED then Roseanne did overreact about writing school at first. With a GED she'd have had other options if writing didn't work out.

The thing that bugged me most about Crystal was her "old lady" walk and posture. I don't know if it was supposed to signify that Crystal has lived a hard life - widowhood, divorces, single motherhood, etc. - of if the actress had some sort of health issue, but it was jarring that a woman in her 30s would slouch and shuffle like an 80-year-old.

Particularly because Crystal was supposed to be the ultra feminine girly one.  Her movements were about as girly as a gimpy Godzilla.

Edited January 17, 2018 by qtpye

[Not4Me]

17 hours ago, chocolatine said:

The thing that bugged me most about Crystal was her "old lady" walk and posture. I don't know if it was supposed to signify that Crystal has lived a hard life - widowhood, divorces, single motherhood, etc. - of if the actress had some sort of health issue, but it was jarring that a woman in her 30s would slouch and shuffle like an 80-year-old.

 

Haha, true. At best, Crystal was just a hot mess. But I’ll take her, Anne Marie, Bonnie any day over Nancy (who was just obnoxious, as was Roseanne by that point). At least those friendships seemed a lot more organic and brought out more of Roseanne’s empathy. 

[chocolatine]

7 minutes ago, Not4Me said:

 

Haha, true. At best, Crystal was just a hot mess. But I’ll take her, Anne Marie, Bonnie any day over Nancy (who was just obnoxious, as was Roseanne by that point). At least those friendships seemed a lot more organic and brought out more of Roseanne’s empathy. 

100%. I hated every second Nancy was on screen. I know Sandra Bernhard is a famous comedienne, but the Nancy character didn't work at all in the context of the show.

[peacheslatour]

18 hours ago, qtpye said:

Particularly because Crystal was supposed to be the ultra feminine girly one.  Her movements were about as girly as a gimpy Godzilla.

What the hell ailed her anyway? I have never seen such a doormat in my life. At least she was able to make a go of her cosmetics business but poor Lonnie had a mother that would just let everybody walk all over her.

[Mmmfloorpie]

I liked Crystal lol.