The Real O'Neals - General Discussion

[Bobbin]

It sounds like fans here are used to exacting authenticity in their viewing. My wife and San Diego-born kids used to watch "Simon & Simon" with a Thomas Guide trying to identify all of the local locations. But no doubt due to a chancy-concept, this show is working with a modest budget and commensurate production values -- cut them some slack.

Since the pilot, Jimmy has definitely and surprisingly become a beloved character. There is no doubt that all of the family members love each other.

The resources available to gay teens in Chicago are probably not in abundance at a Catholic high school or in its neighborhoid, and before he was "out," as a young Irish-Catholic teen, Kenny wouldn't dare be caught looking for or at such materials. Also, being self-conscious and guarded, it's common for gay teens to not realize when someone is interested in them. Kenny likely has fellow students at his school in the same situation he is, and they're all oblivious to each other. The good news is, adolescence is when awkward ducklings grow up to be swans.

[starri]

You know, for whatever problems this show might have, Noah Glavin is not one of them.  It may just be his enormous puppy-dog eyes, but he makes Kenny someone charmingly naive, instead of annoyingly so.  Even if the show doesn't last past this season, I hope he continues to land high-profile roles.

 

Although I know I'm getting old when Pat's square jaw is what I'm watching for.

[Snow Apple]

Ha Ha. The clothing and activities are so true the first day it hits 50 degrees. I love little things like that on tv shows.

[wayne67]

OMG that episode was so cute. I love this show.

 

They hit such nice character moments without being overly saccharine about it. 

 

Kenny's campiness was useful for camping. Who'd have thunk it. 

[zxy556575]

I don't know if the writers can keep the momentum going with the scripts, but the actors continue to bring it. I'm not sure I'd like the show so much if anyone but Noah was playing Kenny. I finally looked him up -- most of his previous work had been on stage, as well as doing audiobook narrations. And he's 21!

[starri]

Boy, did Shannon's story remind me of some stuff.  And both of my parents are ministers....

[truthaboutluv]

I really enjoy this show and will be pretty bummed if it doesn't get a chance at another season. Frankly I've enjoyed it far more than I ever have Fresh Off The Boat and I was shocked when that show got a second season. I definitely think Kenny and the actor who plays him is the MVP of the show but I really like the brother and younger sister and I especially like the friendship between Kenny and his brother and how supportive he's been of Kenny's coming out. Martha Plimpton is a veteran at this point so she's always going to nail it and I like the dad. Honestly I don't dislike any character - the aunt/friend could be annoying but I think the writers have wisely used her in a limited fashion. I also liked Kenny's ex-girlfriend Mimi and was hoping she'd stick around even after he dumped her. 

Edited March 30, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[crazycatchick]

I assumed they lived in the Beverly neighborhood (on the south side) based solely on the fact that I know it's a pretty Irish neighborhood. But the family also seems to be Cubs fans, which is daring for that side of town!

I really am enjoying this show. I love the relationship between the three siblings. I haven't watched last night's but I liked last week with them all discussing the different types. "Did you know being gay had homework?" That whole card ride was hilarious.

[iMonrey]

The show is definitely growing on me. It's one of those things that kind of sneaks up on you because the pilot wasn't all that great and the whole thing feels a little sanitized for network TV. But the characters are so great and the whole thing is just pleasant to watch.

 

I do think it's a little trite and unrealistic that Shannon was able to break the priest so easily. Surely he's had to answer questions like this all the time, it's what he's devoted his life to. The fact that she sort of schooled him so easily felt like a cheap knock at religion and I'm not even religious. But it's the kind of thing Catholics have been so up in arms over about this show.

 

I missed something: what was the plan to get Jimmy home without injuring himself? How was Kenny pretending to be weak and wanting to go home supposed to get Jimmy out of telling their dad he quit wrestling?

 

I'm glad they acknowledged the irony of wrestling itself being kind of . . . you know, gay.

[stillhere1900]

The gay son is a total sitcom cliche. It's like he's trying too hard to be gay.

 

Do male gay teens really act so over the top like that ?

Edited March 30, 2016 by stillhere1900

[zxy556575]

I love the little throwaway lines like the collapsible banjo being something Kevin saw on Shark Tank.

 

I'm also thinking maybe I need to watch Wild.

[starri]

Wild is a really good movie.  I thought Reese Witherspoon would be stuck doing rom-coms, but she really struck gold.

 

I guess by law ABC shows have to promote other ABC shows?

[mojito]

 

Boy, did Shannon's story remind me of some stuff.  And both of my parents are ministers....

Me, too. I was in Shannon's shoes at 12 (back then, that's when you were confirmed). Decades later, I was still reminding my father (and was resentful) of the absurdity of making me be confirmed, which is not how it's supposed to be. You're supposed to be old enough to make this choice. Really, I'm enjoying the Catholic angle as much as the gay angle. In a way, it seems that the writers are my age but writing about how it is in 2016, which strikes me as a bit off. But I'm relating, at least.

 

The show continues to surprise me for not being predictable. As far as Shannon stumping the priest....it's 2016, but I'm sure a priest in my day would've been stumped because no one would've had the guts to stand up to him. I definitely liked her questioning the equality of man yet pointing out how only men can be priests. 

 

The Irish, despite their treatment when they first came to the US, is, in my opinion, the ethnic group that has best assimilated into America and can laugh about themselves without being offended by others laughing about them, and they're the first people to make Irish jokes. (The Irish are so far gone from being an "outside" group, that most of us don't even think about the Irish as an ethnicity at all.) Similarly (but maybe not to quite that same degree), Catholics (American and probably Canadian, too), are also quite good about making fun of themselves. Just this morning, I had a neither-Catholic nor-lapsed-Catholic friend make a crack about nuns and rulers, and I had to chuckle. (If you're an old nun reading this, you and your colleagues brought this stereotype on yourselves!) I like that this show focuses on Irish Catholics. (Italian Catholics would've been my runner up.) 

[Tiger]

You know, for whatever problems this show might have, Noah Glavin is not one of them. It may just be his enormous puppy-dog eyes, but he makes Kenny someone charmingly naive, instead of annoyingly so. Even if the show doesn't last past this season, I hope he continues to land high-profile roles.

Although I know I'm getting old when Pat's square jaw is what I'm watching for.

I think he and Matt Shivley not only have amazing brotherly chemistry, but a raport that it usually takes co-stars a full season or more to develop.

For all I know, they may hate each other and not even speak once the director yells "cut", but damn they have IT on-screen!

[mojito]

 

Do male gay teens really act so over the top like that ?

I don't know.

 

But one thing I do know is that one person's "over the top" may be "normal" to another person. Because I've seen very effeminate behavior in a couple of 8 year-old boys (different places, different times, both with straight male influences), I've learned to accept that some things just are. They became good points of references over the years whenever I heard someone talk about  sexual "preference" or "learned behavior" because I know that these two boys were merely being themselves. No other boys in their worlds behaved as they did.

[Rockstar99435]

I missed something: what was the plan to get Jimmy home without injuring himself? How was Kenny pretending to be weak and wanting to go home supposed to get Jimmy out of telling their dad he quit wrestling?

 

I think that Kenny was going to pretend to be weak so that Pat would send him home and then Jimmy and Pat could have their bonding time. Jimmy told Kenny that he wanted the camping trip to butter up Pat so he wouldn't be so upset when Jimmy told him he was quitting wrestling and that Kenny was ruining his plan by being so much better at camping than Jimmy. But the plan backfired because instead of sending Kenny home, Pat just had Jimmy carry Kenny's pack for him. I loved that Pat only wanted Jimmy to keep wrestling so he could get into college and not that he was living through Jimmy's accomplishments. 

[iMonrey]

Thanks Rockstar.

 

 

Do male gay teens really act so over the top like that ?

 

I wouldn't consider Kenny "over the top." I've seen much, much worse, as far as stereotypes go. And in fact the actor playing Kenny is openly gay so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he knows how to realistically portray Kenny without being a cartoon character.

[xander874]

I only feel mostly old when I think that Pat was a teen actor on Evening Shade and now is the father of teens on this show. But, I do like the dynamic between him and the sons. He loves them both and has his own relationship with them.

 

I'm totally not religious, but I liked that Shannon's story didn't take her to a typical story of becoming an atheist or agnostic. It is weird that her parents are okay with her having a job at 14. In my state, you had to get permission from your parents if you wanted a "real" job before 16. of course, that was 100 years ago so... 

[LisaM]

I binge watched most of the episodes this weekend. I think the show is terrific - and I don't usually watch comedies. Love the relationship between Kenny and Jimmy. Jimmy could easily be the dumb jock brother who makes fun of his gay kid brother - but he is exactly the opposite. I also love the relationship between the parents. Martha Plimpton is terrific and I loved Bebe Wood on The New Normal. Fun show. I hope it gets renewed. I actually laugh out loud at some of the gags.

[Snow Apple]

I like this show more and more with each new episode. I never watched Wild, but that bit was hilarious.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing Kenny's ex-girlfriend again, but I'm glad they got rid of that "mean girl" woman from the pilot.

[SmithW6079]

I really enjoy this show, but this episode had me confused. I thought Aunt Jodi was Eileen's sister, but she wasn't even mentioned. Grandma Agnes made it sound like Eileen was an only child.

I love how Eileen stood up for her family. She and Pat reconciling has to be the end game. The chemistry between them is too good.

Pat and his moustache were hot. When they called him a bear a few episodes ago, I would have argued he was more a "bull," but then I saw Jay R. Ferguson with a beard.

[truthaboutluv]

I may be wrong but I thought Jodi was related to Pat and was an in-law or something. I think she'd been married to his brother but wasn't anymore. However they're still close to her and refer to her as Aunt Jodi. So she's Eileen's ex-sister-in-law. 

 

The episode was really fun. My definite laugh out loud moment was Jimmy going, "so that's the plan now, we're going to let God take out grandma", when the grandmother started choking. It's how genuine he said it, like he really thought this could even be a thing. Shannon making a killing sucking up to the grandmother was hilarious and I really loved the bonding moment between Kenny and Eileen.

[MaryMitch]

I loved this episode; this show keeps getting better and better!

[Bobbin]

Eileen has sure come a long way: "Kenny is NOT broken, and he doesn't need to be 'fixed'!"

What a great episode. I wonder if the writers dare to make it edgier, though -- Modern Family is further along on that front.

[SmithW6079]

Eileen has sure come a long way: "Kenny is NOT broken, and he doesn't need to be 'fixed'!"

What a great episode. I wonder if the writers dare to make it edgier, though -- Modern Family is further along on that front.

"Camp Nohomo" was pretty daring and made me laugh out loud.

[starri]

That was the show's first truly great episode.  It all clicked.  This is possibly because Frances Conroy should be in everything.

 

I've said that I don't really do more tradition sitcoms, and even though this isn't the same kind of multi-camera setup as, say, Big Bang Theory, it's still not the kind of absurdist humor that I usually prefer.  But I laughed from beginning to end this week.  Although Pat either needs a full beard or to be clean-shaven.

 

The other thing that I've really liked about the show is that, while it's certainly not graphic about it, they're not shy about showing Kenny is as into boys as a straight teenager would be into girls.  I've only ever seen a few episodes of Modern Family, and Cam and Mitch always came across as kind of neutered.  Kenny, imagining a week in the woods with other gay boys was...not.

 

And Eileen's finally coming around was actually quite touching.  Particularly Kenny telling her that he wasn't as afraid of coming out as she was because he has a better mother.

[zxy556575]

I like that Pat is growing to love his bachelor basement pad.

[Dirtybubble]

 

I only watched this episode because of Frances Conroy--she was great but the rest of the episode zzzzzzzzzz

 

I don't think I even chuckled once much less laughed.  I wont be watching again =(

[Stiggs]

Love this show! The last episode had me laughing through tears. It's one of the few shows where I like ever character and nobody gets on my nerves - and I actually belly laugh. The "God taking out Grandma" line made me snort, and the whole scene with the mom eating the gay cake in the bathroom with the "sink ice cream" was both hilarious and sweet. 

 

And on a shallow note, Jay R. Ferguson grew up so...damn sexy. He was Ponyboy in the TV version of The Outsiders (which OWNED ME the summer I was 17) so he'll always have a special place in my heart. :) He's a great sitcom dad, and the mustache almost made me throw my bra at the TV. 

[AD35]

 

That was the show's first truly great episode.  It all clicked.  This is possibly because Frances Conroy should be in everything.

 

So that's who was playing the grandmother! I knew that she seemed familiar somehow but couldn't quite place her. I liked the running joke of Shannon totally scamming her grandmother for money, and Jimmy's comment about one of Shannon's outfits.  "You look like a mormon's 8th wife".  Eileen has certainly come a long way from the pilot with regards to Kenny.

[SmithW6079]

I may be wrong but I thought Jodi was related to Pat and was an in-law or something. I think she'd been married to his brother but wasn't anymore. However they're still close to her and refer to her as Aunt Jodi. So she's Eileen's ex-sister-in-law.

The episode was really fun. My definite laugh out loud moment was Jimmy going, "so that's the plan now, we're going to let God take out grandma", when the grandmother started choking. It's how genuine he said it, like he really thought this could even be a thing. Shannon making a killing sucking up to the grandmother was hilarious and I really loved the bonding moment between Kenny and Eileen.

According to ABC.com, Jodi is Pat's brother's ex-wife.

[zxy556575]

According to ABC.com, Jodi is Pat's brother's ex-wife.

 

The show seems to be struggling with what to do with Jodi. And why ex-wife? We've seen this former relative by marriage a lot more than we've seen or heard about Pat's brother. It's really a very minor quibble, but I like the actress and her nosy interactions with the family.

Edited April 7, 2016 by lordonia

[NutmegsDad]

I lost it when the family swapped out the picture of Pope Francis with one of Pope John Paul II. *That* is how you tell when you have to appease an ultra-Catholic these days.

[LisaM]

One of the reasons why I really like this show is that all of the characters are good people and are ultimately supportive of each other. I laugh out loud at each episode and I don't watch any other comedy except Big Bang Theory. Shannon continually getting money from Grandma, Eileen realizing how hard it was for Kenny to come out, Pat helping out during the Porn Bomb Emergency, Jimmy trying to help Kenny during his first day at school -- loved all of it.

[sheetmoss]

I couldn't put my finger on it what seemed familiar - then it hit me, the actor playing Kenny reminds me of John Ritter playing Jack Tripper on Three's Company. by at times going so broad

 

One thing I do appreciate about this show, the dad's character isn't dumb, whipped, etc

[CyJo]

I was all set to not like this show after the endless promotions ABC did, but it has gotten better and better! Glad it has moved on from the set quirks of the first episode, although Jimmy sure got over his anorexia awfully quick and Shannon doesn't steal anymore? Also loved the ending with Kenny and his mom. Very sweet

[cincivic]

This is one show my husband and I both like. That's a rarity. We laugh and laugh. The whole show just works and I hope it gets picked up.

[movingtargetgal]

I could not stop laughing at the midnight "bathroom cake with sink ice cream".  Who hasn't been there or done that.  Secret eating of "forbidden" food in the middle of the night is an American pastime.  

[Big Mother]

Being a huge Survivor/Big Brother fan, they had me at shannon's "I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to play the game." ROFL.

[Tiger]

"Camp Nohomo" was pretty daring and made me laugh out loud.

I was really surprised they not only did the joke, but then showed characters taking their shirts off and Kenny then lusting over his fantasy. It was extremely daring for a broadcast network family sitcom airing at 830. Really glad they went there, but surprised they were allowed to.

I like that they've fixed whatever was up with Noah Galvin's hair in the first few eps.

I thought the best scene was Jimmy & Kenny in the car looking for the cake. Galvin and Matt Shivley are awesome together.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Tiger

[Big Mother]

I can't stop laughing.

 

"Kenneth Christoper Sebastian O'neal..."

"I had a beard named Mimi. and it can get itchy and bitchy real fast."

"You look like a Mormon's 8th wife."

"Kenny doesn't know what it's like to have a difficult mother."

 

LOL

Edited April 8, 2016 by Big Mother

[starri]

I thought giving Kenny "Sebastian" as a confirmation name was kind of brilliant.  St Sebastian's iconography, from the Renaissance to today, is VERY homoerotic.

[The5thGoldenGirl]

Longtime lurker here, but I had to come out and say that I just adore "The Real O'Neals."

 

I was very excited for the show before it aired, but I'll admit I was a little disappointed in the first few outings.  BUT, things are starting to click, and I think everyone is getting into their groove, from the writers to the directors to the actors, all of whom are brilliant!

 

I wish more people would review it; I always look for reviews after the episodes air only to find hateful "reviews" by people who have an agenda against the show.

[atomationage]

I also thought this was the best episode so far.   Plimpton and Conroy were both great.  This was probably the first Laugh Out Loud episode, for me.

[iMonrey]

The "Camp Nohomo" gag was funny but unfortunately such a camp would not be anything like Kenny's fantasy. No late-night unsupervised campfire cookouts or late night swimming. In fact I shudder to think what happens in those awful de-programming places so I shuddered a little when the grandmother brought up the subject. I guess we're lucky the mother hasn't considered such a thing so far.

[Delphi]

I love everything about this show, the plot, the cast and their fantastic chemistry. Noah is killing it as Kenny, as an aside for those wondering, yes some gay sixteen year olds act like that, especially after having the guts to come out.

This last episode might have been the best yet, I really hope the writers can keep it up but even if they stumble I'll stay for the cast.

I'm really hoping for a season 2.

[Sandman]

This is the second sitcom Bebe Wood has been featured in a show that revolves around gay storyline, and is destined to be cancelled after one season. I read an article about her and she was apparently offered the role of one of the daughters in Life in Pieces, which is doing comparatively well and is sure to be renewed. I think she made the wrong choice to go with this show.

 

I'd say she made the right call: I could not get through the pilot of Life In Pieces, as much as I wanted to like it. Horrendously, painfully unfunny; a waste of a strong cast.

 

I like the chemistry of the family members -- they actually behave, unlike a lot of sitcom families, as if they love one another. Martha Plimpton rocks. I find Aunt Jody oddly endearing -- that is, equally odd and endearing. Something about the pure loyalty in her delivery of "I started a wildfire in a national park!" killed me.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Sandman

[Tiger]

I didnt understand how Pat knew that guy at the Coffee Shop. Eileen's detante with her rival and the gay dodgeball game were great. Oh, the politics of gay dodgeball . . .

The only thing wrong was this ep was almost no Kenny & Jimmy scenes.

Really hope ABC brings this back. Repeats are apparantly airing on Wed this comedy as part of a comedy six pack from 8-11.

[SmithW6079]

The friend was a fellow cop who had transferred.

Loved how easily Pat fell into the gay dodgeball game with the gay jocks. I thought Kenny was out of line in "outing" his dad as straight.

Did they explain who Aunt Jody was in the pilot? Maybe they could drop a "you're my ex-sister-in-law" once in a while.

This show still gives me a retro feel, so I'm always surprised to realize it's supposed to take place today. I think Kenny, living in Chicago, would be a little savvier than he is.

[The5thGoldenGirl]

Jody was married to Pat's brother, but they got divorced.