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S01.E04: Easter in Bakersfield

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in Baskets [V]

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Mindymoo

Mindymoo

This was probably the best episode of the series so far. When Chip and Christine were next to each other at the slot machines, and he gave her the Easter candy as consolation after her day had been ruined and her mother shamed her out of her dessert, it was just beautiful. Add to it the flashbacks to his life in Paris, Christine going all mama bear against that woman who mentioned Chip and that dreadful brunch, and it was really just a perfect episode of television. I am completely in love with this series.

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Milburn Stone

Milburn Stone

Add to it the flashbacks to his life in Paris...

 

Interesting to think of those as flashbacks. They could have been! I didn't see them as flashbacks; I thought they were his fantasies as he listened to the French lesson, Chip dreaming of being the sophisticated Parisian clown he never was.

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Mindymoo

Mindymoo

Interesting to think of those as flashbacks. They could have been! I didn't see them as flashbacks; I thought they were his fantasies as he listened to the French lesson, Chip dreaming of being the sophisticated Parisian clown he never was.

That's possible too! I thought of them as flashbacks because it showed him as he possibly first encountered Penelope, but if they were just fantasies, it was still brilliant filmmaking and cinematography.

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Fisher King

Fisher King

(edited)

I think listening to the French language lesson transported Chip back to France and a time when he knew what his life's goal was and he happened to fall in love. It was a happy time for him. None of that really exists now back in dusty old Bakersfield, living with his mother and in the shadow of his successful goofy brother. Those French memories/fantasies were welcomed, brief escapes from the misery that Chip feels and that he projects. He truly is a sad clown and is only halfway decent when he is in disguise.

The scene with his mother at the slot machines was a really good, needed moment.

 

Do we know if he met Penelope singing in a bar in France, or was he fantasizing that part after seeing her singing karaoke Waterfalls? I guess it doesn't matter.

 

.

Edited by Fisher King
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PodcastTown

PodcastTown

Lou Anderson as the mom might be the best casting I've seen on TV in a very long time. I'm talking Emmy consideration here. Not once I'd thought to myself, "oh look a comedian doing drag is funny bit." I actually believe it's his mom. Who happens to be Lou Anderson,hahhahahaha. Did anyone laughed when the hostess said, Please help yourself to the buffet table and Lou is like, "Oh honey I will, I will." hahahahahhah


Also, Martha is so awesome. And real. I love her deadpan delivery. She's my favorite character on the show by far. 

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heatherchandler

heatherchandler

Lou Anderson as the mom might be the best casting I've seen on TV in a very long time. I'm talking Emmy consideration here. Not once I'd thought to myself, "oh look a comedian doing drag is funny bit." I actually believe it's his mom.

 

Really perfect!  I am also hoping for some emmy consideration.  I never get my hopes up because the little, perfect performances are often overlooked.  But, I do hope.  I think there has been a lot written about how wonderful the performance is - lots of articles and such, from what I have seen they have been positive.

 

I cannot remember what episode this was from, I think the second - but when she was telling Martha the flavors of Kirkland sodas and she was like, (paraphrasing) "Strawberry Lime Mellon?  Well that's a new one!" and her eyes got big and goofy, oh my lord I died.  I should put that in the quotes thread - I wish I could remember it exactly.  I will have to re-watch!

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straightshooter

straightshooter

This show has put a spring in my step (not unlike the reaction of Samantha, when Boots joined the family) and has made me re-think the crazy idea of getting rid of cable.

 

I couldn't agree more with the sentiments of others regarding the sheer genius of casting Louie Anderson as his mom.  I laugh loud enough for the neighbors to hear during every single scene during which she graces the screen.  I lose it every time she packs her mouth full of whatever it is she's consuming at the time.  The hat absolutely killed me.  I loved Chip's  "all triumphant Scooby Doo" line while singing in church.  I couldn't stop laughing at his broken cigarettes.  

 

I love this show.  I can't remember being this excited about anything on TV in a long, long time. 


Really perfect!  I am also hoping for some emmy consideration.  I never get my hopes up because the little, perfect performances are often overlooked.  But, I do hope.  I think there has been a lot written about how wonderful the performance is - lots of articles and such, from what I have seen they have been positive.

 

I cannot remember what episode this was from, I think the second - but when she was telling Martha the flavors of Kirkland sodas and she was like, (paraphrasing) "Strawberry Lime Mellon?  Well that's a new one!" and her eyes got big and goofy, oh my lord I died.  I should put that in the quotes thread - I wish I could remember it exactly.  I will have to re-watch!

I rewinded this part repeatedly so that my daughter and her boyfriend could appreciate how hilarious it was.  It was easy to miss.  She loves those sodas!  When she guzzled one in an earlier episode and then spit it out, I was officially hooked on this show.  (The bee in Chip's helmet didn't hurt.) 

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peeayebee

peeayebee

(edited)

I lose it every time she packs her mouth full of whatever it is she's consuming at the time. 

OMGosh. As she was talking to the woman after church with that chunk of cake on the toothpick, I died when she finally put it in her mouth. The look on her face was excellent.

 

Chip was such an asshole thru most of the ep, but once he again he gained some redemption in my eyes by giving his mother the candy. That scene was wonderful. 

 

Another great scene was when Mrs Baskets and Chip were driving and fighting over the radio station. Again, the looks on her face were killing me.

Edited by peeayebee
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Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf

This was probably the best episode of the series so far. When Chip and Christine were next to each other at the slot machines, and he gave her the Easter candy as consolation after her day had been ruined and her mother shamed her out of her dessert, it was just beautiful. Add to it the flashbacks to his life in Paris, Christine going all mama bear against that woman who mentioned Chip and that dreadful brunch, and it was really just a perfect episode of television. I am completely in love with this series.

Examples of what I call the "Louie"-ness of this show that make me glad it's on.

 

Those and "Mom, wear panties next time."  I think a sizable amount of the dialogue is improv'd.  Brilliantly.

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Mindymoo

Mindymoo

I think a sizable amount of the dialogue is improv'd.  Brilliantly.

I wouldn't be surprised. Louie Anderson is a brilliant stand-up comedian, after all. And I've read that the Costco and Arby's thing were all Anderson's idea.

 

What I really, really love though? Is that looking at Louie Anderson, I'm not seeing it as "haha, Louie Anderson in a dress". There's no novelty in casting Louie as Christine, because he actually looks like he could be somebody's mother when he's playing Christine. This is no John Waters, Divine as Edna Turnblad affair.

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Blakeston

Blakeston

I interpreted the French scenes as flashbacks. Partially because of Penelope, and partially because walking through the streets in clown makeup smoking cigarettes seems like something that Chip realistically would have done there.

 

I think his fantasies would have involved him performing, and receiving adulation.

 

(Is it bad that I only realized now that Christine named twin boys Chip and Dale?)

  • Love 3
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TheRabbi

TheRabbi

I am in the minority here. I just watched this episode and had to come here to point out how repulsed I was by this episode. Chip is just an absolute asshole. I understand he's depressed, but to treat your mother and every person around you like total shit is not forgivable. Am I supposed to be rooting for him as a main character? Your mother has taken you in at the lowest point in your life, and I just can't get over how ungrateful this POS is.

I kept waiting for some kind of revelation at the end as to justifying his completely obnoxious behavior, but nope, Mom just comes over and forgives you and all is right. Ugh.

There's plenty of comedies where the main character is kind of a dick (Curb is one of my favorite shows), but this is just hitting me the complete wrong way.

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DiabLOL

DiabLOL

I realized today that what fuels my bottomless pit of love for Louie as Mrs. Baskets isn't just how awesomely believable he is and how fascinatingly hilarious the character is but that he's made a really really unusual personality so real. Louie's performance is not over the top even though the character is. Does that make sense?

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peeayebee

peeayebee

I am in the minority here. I just watched this episode and had to come here to point out how repulsed I was by this episode. Chip is just an absolute asshole. I understand he's depressed, but to treat your mother and every person around you like total shit is not forgivable. Am I supposed to be rooting for him as a main character? Your mother has taken you in at the lowest point in your life, and I just can't get over how ungrateful this POS is.

I kept waiting for some kind of revelation at the end as to justifying his completely obnoxious behavior, but nope, Mom just comes over and forgives you and all is right. Ugh.

There's plenty of comedies where the main character is kind of a dick (Curb is one of my favorite shows), but this is just hitting me the complete wrong way.

I agree that Chip was a complete asshole thru most of the ep. Selfish and rude. BUT... I think the last scene shows that he does care about his mother. It was a little thing, giving her the candy, but it showed that he can feel empathy. His life is a huge disappointment to him, and he takes it out on others. He's probably a disappointment to his mother, but she loves him and, for the most part, tries to be a good mother to him. 

 

 

I was having a hard time getting thru this ep because of what a jerk he was, but that last scene made it all worthwhile.

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PodcastTown

PodcastTown

I agree that Chip was a complete asshole thru most of the ep. Selfish and rude. BUT... I think the last scene shows that he does care about his mother. It was a little thing, giving her the candy, but it showed that he can feel empathy. His life is a huge disappointment to him, and he takes it out on others. He's probably a disappointment to his mother, but she loves him and, for the most part, tries to be a good mother to him. 

 

 

I was having a hard time getting thru this ep because of what a jerk he was, but that last scene made it all worthwhile.

I kinda agree with you, and I don't mind it when Chip is being an ass to Martha. Martha plays it off very well, and she could give a care in the world. But when I see Chip being an ass to his mom, whose happen to be Louie Anderson, it angers me. How can you be so mean to sweet old Louie Anderson? She is so sweet.

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hincandenza

hincandenza

On 2/12/2016 at 9:11 AM, PodcastTown said:

Lou Anderson as the mom might be the best casting I've seen on TV in a very long time. I'm talking Emmy consideration here. Not once I'd thought to myself, "oh look a comedian doing drag is funny bit." I actually believe it's his mom. Who happens to be Lou Anderson,hahhahahaha. Did anyone laughed when the hostess said, Please help yourself to the buffet table and Lou is like, "Oh honey I will, I will." hahahahahhah 

 

From your mouth to the Emmy voters ears!  Just catching up on these forums since season 1 appeared on Hulu recently and I binged it last week (hoping season 2 is out soon!), but as I'm sure you're aware Louie Anderson did win an Emmy for this role.  He really is incredible; it doesn't feel like a mocking role at all, and I've- we've all- known moms who are just like that.

It was this episode, and the one before and after it, that made me realize I was into the show; I was kind of sketchy in the first couple of episodes because Chip was such a mean asshole, and I didn't want some godawful "Todd Margaret"-esque series of cruel things happening to him and others.  Then, lo and behold, the show found its beating heart and I blew through the rest of season 1.

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