S02.E05: Just the Range

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Brett struggles with the challenges and unexpected perks of a new side gig. Tina and Larry discuss life goals. Alex initially bristles at an unstable new director, but warms to him and finds they have common ground. Anna proves herself to be indispensable to Michelle.

 

Promo:

Edited March 14, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[WhosThatGirl]

Ugh, Sandy Cohen.. why are you being so mean here? I get it, he doesn't want kids, but damn, Tina is an adult and a sane one at that, her behavior isn't one to lie about taking the pill just to be knocked up. Like, whoa.  That was pretty harsh. Bye Sandy Cohen, I liked you much better in Orange County.

 

I did feel for Tina. She doesn't have a person now. And I guess maybe Alex answering the phone "hello" means he deleted her number from his phone and she showed up as just a number/unknown? Whenever someone I know calls me and it's someone I know, I never answer hello or if I do it's like a funny hello.

 

Ew to Brett hooking up with a random. I hate this trope. Because Michelle did so Brett is allowed? I thought they decided to skip this over when Brett almost did a few weeks ago with the manic pixie dream girl. 

[cpcathy]

Michelle's friend seems too perfect a savior.

 

I'm wondering what is to happen with Brett and the random woman.

 

The scene with the baby made me thankful I don't have children.

[tennisgurl]

So Brett resisted the urge to sleep with that woman he knew from home, only to hook up with some rando he met on an Uber? Lame! 

 

Something is up with Michel's friend. She is going to end up messing up the project, or hit on her, or be from a competing school, or something like that.

 

What the hell were Alex and Brett doing at the start of the episode? And can we see more of that?  

[WhosThatGirl]

So Brett resisted the urge to sleep with that woman he knew from home, only to hook up with some rando he met on an Uber? Lame!

 

Yeah, I don't get it either.

[BooBear]

What the hell were Alex and Brett doing at the start of the episode? And can we see more of that?  

 

What? I am starting to think Alex and Brett are selfish losers that deserve to be alone with themselves. Tina.. run far from Alex. Grown men enacting Dune plays in their home? Now that is lame. And clearly Alex lost his girlfriend due to it.  Sure she wasn't that great but, grow up.

 

I thought Tina's scene with Peter Gallagher was so sad. But I can't help but think it really was another rejection. Guys always say they don't want kids or some such when they just really don't like the proposed mother. I am glad they are expanding the world of the four but it does seem like it might be hurting the show. Brett is such a baby and seems to think he gets to do what he wants when he wants. I don't think he is really all that broken up about his wife having an affair. But boy what an excuse to act like a child again. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Just when I thought Tina had a good handle on watching the kids, she leaves the house without a diaper bag! She didn't even bother putting one diaper in her purse!

Edited March 21, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[qtpye]

The Brett story lines have always been the weakest for me.  I think it is because the actor is not on the same level as the other three on the show.  With Alex, Tina, and Michelle, the actors are able to give the characters such depth.  You can tell what they are thinking just by looking at their faces.

 

At this point, Brett almost seems happy Michelle cheated.  He gets to live out his second childhood/midlife crises full blast now.

 

I knew Alex's girlfriend was a plot point contrivance, but to not even realize she left was pretty cold.  It would be crazy if Alex started a bromance with the director, because we know, Brett could not take losing Alex.

 

I have to say, Brett has no trouble attracting the ladies.  First, manic pixie dream girl and now girl next door with scrubs.  Sometimes it feels like he is having the time of his life, even with random Uber passengers accidentally punching him.  He seems much happier now, then he ever did in his marriage.

 

I think Michele senses this.  It is probably why, even though she is the one who cheated, Michele is much more broken up then Brett (not that cheating is a small thing).

 

It would be interesting if by the end of the season, Michele has this great friend and Brett is abandoned by Alex, because Alex begins to realize that Brett is holding him back, emotionally and professionally.

[TVForever]

I have NO problem with Larry's actions. He doesn't want children, and he's acting accordingly. Isn't that what a responsible adult is supposed to do? Because Tina is a flaming hot mess on her BEST day, and I could absolutely see her getting pregnant "accidently/ on purpose". And Larry's no fool, he saw where that train was headed. And Tina did get awfully defensive when she saw that condom...

[EdnasEdibles]

At this point, Brett almost seems happy Michelle cheated.  He gets to live out his second childhood/midlife crises full blast now.

 

This. Brett seemed really really out of it last year with the spouse and kids and trappings of adulthood. Michelle cheating on him has given him permission in his head to be a jerk. 

 

I also don't have a problem with Larry. He has been open about it. I'd rather he say that than be like "Maybe?" and string her along. She's not 30 anymore. If she wants to have kids, she needs to get going on it. There's really no time to change anyone's mind. 

 

I also agree that Michelle's friend seems too good to be true. You meet people like this all the time in life. They seem amazing at first and then the crazy comes out once you're in too deep. 

[qtpye]

Yeah, I think Brett is perfectly happy living with Alex, seeing the kids regularly, and having a random hook up here and there.

 

He really does not need Michelle, emotionally or physically.  However, if Alex dropped out of his life,he would be screwed.  He is too needy to be by himself.

[tennisgurl]

 

What? I am starting to think Alex and Brett are selfish losers that deserve to be alone with themselves. Tina.. run far from Alex. Grown men enacting Dune plays in their home? Now that is lame

I think Alex and Brett are most interesting with each other (usually). Them hanging out is at least more interesting then Brett randomly deciding to hook with with random Uber woman. At least Alex and Dune recreating Dune is weird in a sort of creative way, which I find to be entertaining in its way. Brett hooking up with some woman and acting like an asshole is not entertaining, and seems to be going backwards plot wise. Like I said earlier, why have him resist hooking up with that woman from home, only to have him hook up with some woman a few episodes later, after some time has past?

 

I have been on Brett's side throughout the cheating storyline, for the most part, but this episode he came off as a total asshole.

 

I feel bad for Tina, but I also do not really think Larry is a bad guy in this situation. Some people just never want to have kids, and thats fine. At least he was honest with her.  

Edited March 21, 2016 by tennisgurl

[cpcathy]

Brett is still really angry and I believe his anger. I totally understand how he would be conflicted in Detroit and then not be able to hold back this time. I don't hate this storyline.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm totally fine with Larry not wanting kids and being totally honest about it (rather than giving Tina hope that he may change his mind some day). Peter Gallagher is 60 so the youngest I'm willing to imagine Larry is 50. People tend not to change their minds about huge things like having kids at that age. And I totally get liking kids but not wanting to have your own.

On top of all that, even if Larry wanted kids, I could see him being cautious about jumping into that with a girlfriend who previously had no real interest in them but now promises that she'll do everything (despite the fact that she still doesn't comprehend taking spare diapers with you when you leave the house) just because she's had a week or two babysitting her sister's kids.

[peeayebee]

I loved this ep. Brett getting punched in the face was the funniest thing. I also loved that at first his forehead only had an indistinct red mark on it, but by the end you could see the individual knuckle prints from the woman.

 

I don't see anything strange about him not hooking up with the woman in Detroit and then doing it with a different one here. He's not a static person. He changes, just like everyone else. One place his mind could have been is when he had the chance with the first woman he decided to be better than Michelle and not cheat. Then with the second woman maybe he felt he had earned it by being good the first time. Also, he'd been stewing in his hate juices longer this second time and had screamed at Michelle that morning. Maybe he felt that her mentioning David's name was rubbing his nose in it. Anyway, there are a bunch of reasons his actions make sense to me.

 

It was fun seeing him and Alex doing Dune. I also liked that Alex wasn't even aware that his girlfriend (Christine?) had moved out. (Oh, and I loved that line from her from last week, calling them Bert and Ernie.)

 

Alex being friends with that director may be interesting going forward, though I get the feeling that when Brett finds out he's going to accuse Alex of cheating on him just like Michelle did.

 

I was suspicious of Anna last week, the too-good-to-be-true woman savior. I hope the contractor she has in mind will work out, but I'm sure something bad is coming down the pike.

 

And Tina. I felt so bad for her when she told Larry she had finally found something she was good at. I don't blame Larry at all for wanting to use a condom. He's been very upfront regarding how he feels about having children. And when Tina came home and immediately starting making out with him, his eyes were open (literally and figuratively) as he realized her passion had to do with the baby (and how wonderful he was with Frankie). I don't blame him for thinking Tina might be acting a bit crazy by not taking her BC pills. Also, he had seen her trying to hide Frankie from him, so he knows she can be deceptive.

 

How great was it when he walked out of the room when Frankie started crying, then returned with the Cheerios. I loved that.

[qtpye]

Alex being friends with that director may be interesting going forward, though I get the feeling that when Brett finds out he's going to accuse Alex of cheating on him just like Michelle did.

 

 

They also could turn into a dysfunctional three stooges and get a real movie made about Dune with puppets...that turns out to be the sleeper hit of the year.

[Pallas]

DUNE: Sands and Strings!!! is hilarious on the face of it. Then again, the recent National Theatre production of War Horse was a marvel. But what would the audience for DUNE: Arrakis Meets Apparatus do with itself between appearances of the towering, bentwood sandworm?  

 

Steve Zissis has emerged from the desert and is taking the cruel city by storm.  

[EdnasEdibles]

As a sidenote, It is not surprising at all to me that they keep going on and on about Dune in this show. And that last year (or the year before?) they had a Tom Sawyer scene with Rush on the radio. I feel like when you find a man child of a certain age, they won't shut up about Dune and Rush. 

[DarkRaichu]

Brett just lost his leverage over Michelle for what? A random hookup with a stranger?  Two wrongs did not make it right. Any slimmer of sympathy I had towards Brett's attitude was officially gone.

 

What did Tina feed the baby?  He pooped at least 1/3rd of his weight.

 

I think the show is heading toward a Brett-Alex-director dude love triangle.  The director likes Dune too.  Brett is not going to be able to share his lover with anyone else. 

Edited March 21, 2016 by DarkRaichu

[grumpypanda]

I think Brett was open to having a fling with the woman in Detroit but when he told her that he was married she flipped out. At least that was my impression.

I think that the new woman might not end up a random hookup either. It seemed like they really clicked and I can see a potential relationship forming.

So how did Tina get the baby home if she threw away the car seat? Those things are expensive, I'd be pissed if my babysitter threw mine away. And every parent/nanny knows that you never ever leave the house without diapers and wipes. Babies poop at the worse times.

I don't blame Larry for not wanting kids at this point in his life, what is he like 60? Tina has got to be in her forties so the time might have passed for her too. I found the conversation between the two of them really sad.

Edited March 21, 2016 by grumpypanda

[numbnut]

I'm not a big fan of montages in TV shows (they're often used as filler when there isn't enough story to sustain the season) but this one was awesome. Loved the music and how it showcased each character's pivotal moment. Well done, show!

[Jillybean]

Who the hell invites their Uber driver inside for drinks and sex? Brett actually looks like he COULD be a serial killer, so that chick was a moron.

 

Perfectly reasonable for Larry not want children, he's much older than Tina (who is getting close to being too old to have kids, unless Tina is supposed to be younger than AP). But it would be bizarre to suddenly whip out a condom if they haven't been using them all this time.

 

The other storylines are growing stale for me. I miss the friendship between Alex and Tina. No one on the show loves each other anymore, and it sucks.

[BooBear]

Who the hell invites their Uber driver inside for drinks and sex? Brett actually looks like he COULD be a serial killer, so that chick was a moron.

 

Actually my highly paranoid lawyer mind wanted to scream at Brett that he shouldn't go for it with an Uber passenger, at her home, right after the ride, because later she could claim rape.

 

I didn't realize Peter Gallagher was 60. Ikes.

[qtpye]

Who the hell invites their Uber driver inside for drinks and sex? Brett actually looks like he COULD be a serial killer, so that chick was a moron.

 

 

 

When the electric car broke down and he said this is  where I kill you...I would have jumped out the window and ran like I was the Road Runner.

Edited March 22, 2016 by qtpye

[lidarose9]

I have been watching this show with some mixed feelings, but these last few episodes have been disappointing to me. It's such a shame cuz there are really brilliant moments, and the acting can be just breathtaking. But the overall direction seems really trite and predictable. They did such a great job of showing the "cracks" in the marriage with real subtlety, but ever since Michelle told Brett about cheating, the storyline became a kind of fantasy. Yes, wouldn't we all just LOVE to drop everything and leave town to go chase our lost youth, after discovering our mate cheated -- but nobody can do that. People have to go to work. People have jobs. I was just rolling my eyes through all that. Then, Brett stumbles into not one but two opportunities for revenge cheating, just plop, there you go. Tidy.

 

Then Michelle leaving her kids with Tina, I just can't see it. Her kids are unhappy, why would she abandon them to the crazy aunt? And that blonde woman, you can see this coming a mile away: it'll be either the overused lesbian come-on thing or the obsessive weirdo stalker thing, yawn. Show! Be better than that, will ya? They have brought a surprising sensitivity to the portrayal of a marriage in trouble, and it's frustrating to see that devolve into cliches or formulas. 

[Margherita Erdman]

This episode was everything if only because of the nude bodystockings on Alex and Brett, the didgeridoo, and the gigantic poofy sandworm. I thought the opening credits and scenes were pure comic genius.

(or was it a Spice worm? sorry my knowledge of the Dune saga is secondhand and dimly remembered, vague memories via long-ago male friends in high school and college who loved Todd Rundgren and role playing games)

I too thought the breakup between Larry & Tina over kids was realistic, sad, and no one's fault (although the condom was a dick move, no pun intended, if that wasn't something he'd been using before).

The show has suffered, IMO, from Brett & Michelle's literal separation as characters, since their home and nuclear family were the original hub the show and its relationships spun around.

Edited to ask: Are there vegan Hot Pockets?

Edited March 22, 2016 by Margherita Erdman

[iggysaurus]

I don't blame Brett for being upset/angry at Michelle for her affair, but I think he's making things worse by refusing to talk to her about it. Sure, nobody wants to even hear the name of the person their partner cheated with at first, but it's been weeks or months now, and he still can't even have a conversation about it? He's making things worse than they already would be. I've been cheated on, and as horrible as I felt, I still would've been open to hearing my bf's explanation afterward. Especially if he was saying that he fully realized it was a mistake, and that the person he hooked up with was no longer in his life at all. Nothing can take back the act of cheating, but you CAN come back from it depending on how motivated both people are to get past it.  Or if you're going to break up over it, then deal with that head-on too. Just COMMUNICATE, one way or the other! So Brett is basically infuriating to me, much more than Michelle, despite him being the one who was wronged.

[Clanstarling]

Just when I thought Tina had a good handle on watching the kids, she leaves the house without a diaper bag! She didn't even bother putting one diaper in her purse!

That's one of the many reasons (including throwing the car seat away) why when she said she'd finally found something she was good at, the mister and I laughed out loud. Once you're really good at it (or used to it, at least) - the explosive poops don't really bother you that much (you're always prepared, and your gross-out limit is sky high). Though I'll have to say, holding her arm out of the window when she drove was hysterical. Edited March 22, 2016 by clanstarling

[scrb]

Okay they can stop with the baby shit for comic relief now.

[qtpye]

Yes, Tina being so bad at the childcare is getting ridiculous.  It just seems like she is lonely and she enjoys being needed by the children.

 

Amanda Peet is killing it, because this type of character could have been really annoying, but Peet gives her depth and vulnerability.

[Margherita Erdman]

ELECTRICBOOGALOO, ON 21 MAR 2016 - 05:02 AM, SAID:

Just when I thought Tina had a good handle on watching the kids, she leaves the house without a diaper bag! She didn't even bother putting one diaper in her purse!

That's one of the many reasons (including throwing the car seat away) why when she said she'd finally found something she was good at, the mister and I laughed out loud. Once you're really good at it (or used to it, at least) - the explosive poops don't really bother you that much (you're always prepared, and your gross-out limit is sky high). Though I'll have to say, holding her arm out of the window when she drove was hysterical.

No kidding! And

[qtpye]

Tina's "I've finally found my calling and it is children" epiphany seems as insubstantial and as likely to be as fleeting as all the other illusory life purposes I imagine her character's backstory to have included, callings that maybe felt totally authentic for a moment or three, discarded ambitions that have brought her to this point. She's a gorgeous and charismatic woman who is, as Brett says, ferocious and tenacious when she has a goal in mind but tragically unfocused and running out of time if what she truly wants is a family in some conventional way. Seems like she might just be happy as an aunt who's really close to her niece and nephew. God knows Michelle is going to need her, especially if Brett continues to be so useless.

 

I agree.  I think Tina is like a rudderless ship at this point.  She wants something to give her life meaning and I just do not see her being a good fit for motherhood.  I wish that she had not  gotten this into her head, because Larry was actually good for her.  His wealth could have been a security blanket while she explored other opportunities.

 

Larry also seemed like a level headed guy.  He was under no illusion that Tina was madly in love with him.

 

The sad part is that Alex owes a good part of his success to Tina's influence.  He was in  LA for many years with nothing to show for it and he starts becoming a working quasi successful actor a year after meeting her.  She helped him regain his confidence.

[scrb]

Tina had love in her eyes when Sandy Cohen was calming down the baby with his antics.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

[Firestorm]

What? I am starting to think Alex and Brett are selfish losers that deserve to be alone with themselves. Tina.. run far from Alex. Grown men enacting Dune plays in their home? Now that is lame. And clearly Alex lost his girlfriend due to it.  Sure she wasn't that great but, grow up.

 

I thought Tina's scene with Peter Gallagher was so sad. But I can't help but think it really was another rejection. Guys always say they don't want kids or some such when they just really don't like the proposed mother. I am glad they are expanding the world of the four but it does seem like it might be hurting the show. Brett is such a baby and seems to think he gets to do what he wants when he wants. I don't think he is really all that broken up about his wife having an affair. But boy what an excuse to act like a child again. 

 

Don't think he's all that broken up about his wife having an affair? He's clearly messed up over it. He took off straight running. He got over major depression and devoted himself to fixing things with his wife and making her happy - only to find out she'd been having an emotional affair that ended up in her cheating on him and had not told him anything over the weeks/months that this was developing. I'd be pretty rocked, too. 

 

He's trying to figure out what to do with his life now. And I think the dune play is a really cool idea! Yeah, he's having a crisis. Give him a break and let him recenter. 

 

Honestly, Tina is a mess. She's a turbulent, impulsive, illogical, over-emotional train wreck. Constantly committing the straw man fallacy in every argument she gets in. I don't know what Alex ever saw in her. Maybe he's attracted to women he has to take care of because she doesn't have her shit together at all.