S02.E06: Geri-ina

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alex recruits an unwelcome face from Brett's past to help with their project, and later considers a career choice. Tina becomes more proactive in trying to get what she wants out of life. At a fundraiser for the school, Michelle challenges Anna.

 

Promo:

[cpcathy]

Great episode. Makes me even more pissed than the show's been cancelled.

Loved the scene with Toby from The Office, what a great insult he gave Tina. Also appreciated the correct timeline of her profile pic and the Parachutes tour. That was a long time ago, Tina!

I might be the only one, but I really like Brett with Natalie. I think they fit together.

[Momof2boyz]

Great episode. Makes me even more pissed than the show's been cancelled.

Loved the scene with Toby from The Office, what a great insult he gave Tina. Also appreciated the correct timeline of her profile pic and the Parachutes tour. That was a long time ago, Tina!

I might be the only one, but I really like Brett with Natalie. I think they fit together.

It's been cancelled? I hadn't heard! That sucks. Last year Looking, now this. I hate HBO.

[WhosThatGirl]

This episode.. I'm really going to miss this show. It's been quite good this season. I loved Tina so much tonight! Her feelings on Brett not wanting to talk to Michelle, "yeah, why would he? He has a hall pass now and is living with his best friend, kind of the dream", her feelings on Anna, "that's your new friend? I do not like her at all" to her "yeah" when Michelle pushed Anna in the pool. It's totally how I would be when talking to my sister. I just realized you guys, I am Tina. Tina is ,me.

[tennisgurl]

Oh no, the show is cancelled? That really sucks. I really enjoy this, especially anything to do with Tina. I love how go hard or go home she is when she commits to something. She is just awesome. 

 

I knew that blond friend was too good to be true. Shove her in the pool! 

[BooBear]

Great episode. Makes me even more pissed than the show's been cancelled.

I haven't heard it has been cancelled.  If so that is going to annoy me even more as I don't think these last few episodes have been that good.  I do not care about the Dune "play" so all the airtime spent on that annoys me.  I also don't care about Michelle's new friend taking over the charter school. Michelle kind of was doing a bad job. And she might feel it is her school but it isn't.  Maybe that woman not sending her the e-mail was a mistake. Brett, ugh, can't stand him. His best friend gets a television show for two years for enough money to set him up for a while and Brett was not exactly supportive.  He is hanging out at his uber hook up?  Michelle isn't even part of his life. Tina really does have a problem with looks. I know plenty of good looking women who aren't all hung up on them but she clearly has an issue.  Kind of makes me feel that is why she isn't with Alex and never will be.

 

Question: who was taking care of the kids this week while Tina and Michelle were out at parties?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I had to pause the episode when Michelle told Anna that she looked at her email because I felt so awkward and embarrassed for Michelle. As soon as Michelle walked up to Anna in front of the pool, I knew that it was just a matter of time before one or both of them ended up in the pool.

 

Brett, gawd. First he was already getting defensive and pissy when Alex started talking to him about bringing another person in to help with their Dune project. But then he was SO unsupportive when Alex said he got offered a full time job on the show for "huge money" (I can't imagine how much worse Brett's reaction would have been if Alex had told him it was for $1 million). What kind of a friend can't be happy for his best friend's success? Of course all Brett is thinking about is himself and how this will affect HIM. He can't celebrate the fact that Alex just got a huge career break and will now have some financial stability. On top of that, he was SO judgmental about Alex "wasting his time" on playing a Russian vampire. So sorry we can't all have your principles, Brett. Obviously it's better to be an Uber driver and play puppets in your friend's apartment.

 

I really felt for Tina at the beginning because last year I found out that a friend of mine who was over 35 was considered a geriatric pregnancy. And she wasn't one of those 60 year old women who was miraculously pregnant. She was 36.

 

I also felt for her because she is obviously new to online dating and didn't realize how much people lie on their profiles, particularly with their pictures. One of my friends said you have to assume that everyone is at least ten years older and/or twenty pounds heavier than they are in their profile pictures when using online dating sites.

[qtpye]

I also felt for her because she is obviously new to online dating and didn't realize how much people lie on their profiles, particularly with their pictures. One of my friends said you have to assume that everyone is at least ten years older and/or twenty pounds heavier than they are in their profile pictures when using online dating sites.

 

Its odd that Tina has been single for so long, but she never has used a dating app.  I guess being so pretty, she has never had to.  I am, against all odds, really loving her character.  She is shallow and makes bad decisions, but you can tell she is not a bad person.

 

So sad the show is not coming back.

 

Brett feels like a giant stone that will weigh Alex down from all other happiness.  Also, it is rich that Brett is being so snooty about art/prestige, when he spent most of his career sound engineering on probably a lot of crappy movies.

Edited March 28, 2016 by qtpye

[blixie]

 

Her feelings on Brett not wanting to talk to Michelle, "yeah, why would he? He has a hall pass now and is living with his best friend, kind of the dream",

 

Yeah someone was criticizing Brett, and I liked that the show is aware that Brett is acting like a child. The whole read your email thing was awkward, and inappropriate, and the blonde is right she's better suited to getting the school up and running, but damn if I wasn't rooting for Michelle to push that chick in the water. She's a bitch, not because she's better at the job than Michelle, she's a bitch because she felt it necessary to use subterfuge to undermine Michelle's authority rather than doing what it looks like comes up next week and openly challenging her, or bringing up her concerns to Michelle directly. Bitca.

 

I'm so so so bummed this show only has two episodes left, WTH HBO, what the hell.

[peeayebee]

Yeah someone was criticizing Brett, and I liked that the show is aware that Brett is acting like a child. 

And Brett actually said he felt like he was 14 yrs old. He's opting out of adulthood, embracing the nostalgic joy of youth. Perfect hookups, no responsibility, creative nerdy time spent with your best friend. He needs to wake up.

 

I do like Natalie though. Loved her fake-out. That really surprised me. I also loved that Brett brought her a present to make up for the karate chop, which happened after he brought the present. The two of them are charming together.

 

Poor Michelle. Yes, Anna was always suspect. Too good to be true. I thought that when Michelle confronted Anna about not sending her an email, Anna would reveal -- and prove -- that she had sent a separate email to her (which went into Michelle's spam folder), but I like that Anna really had been leaving her out of meetings. It makes more sense for the character. And although it makes sense for Michelle to be so angry and hurt about it, I wish she would allow Anna to control more, for the good of the school. Note that Michelle said "MY school." It was her project, something to give her life meaning.

 

I could hardly watch -- and literally had my hands covering my face -- as Tina created the diversion. I could hardly watch Michelle in that bedroom either. 

[EdnasEdibles]

I love Michelle but I also want to throttle her. She is too mealy-mouthed and tentative all the fucking time. All the time. With everything. So it is not surprising how the blonde lady could steamroll her over and take over the school. And Michelle didn't even work that situation correctly. Never show all your cards - kill them with kindness and build up your squad behind their back and infiltrate all plans, then phase two is phasing them out. Come on, Michelle, fight for one damn thing in your life - don't just stand there and insist in your baby voice that you should have it. It's frustrating because I'm on her side in both situations but she's so mamby pamby sometimes. It kills me.

 

I thought Brett was a total asshole about the show getting picked up and his friend's big payday.  Grow the fuck up, Brett.

 

And I have heard from so many friends about the dating profile pics. One friend got stood up at a bar and the guy wrote her an e-mail and said "I walked in and saw you. You obviously used an old photo so I didn't even waste time having the date." Ouch!

 

I do think that if Tina wants commitment and love she should maybe overlook the photo and get to know him.  And the geriatric pregnancy is real. I had my second when I was 36 and the doctor never tired of telling me I was "advanced maternal age."

[peeayebee]

I just looked up the actress who plays Natalie. Maureen Kukudio. She's in Orange is the New Black. I knew I'd seen her before!

 

I wish Tina had given Toby a shot. He actually seemed like a nice guy.

[Jillybean]

Its odd that Tina has been single for so long, but she never has used a dating app.  I guess being so pretty, she has never had to.  I am, against all odd, really loving her character.  She is shallow and makes bad decisions, but you can tell she is not a bad person.

 

 

Tina is actually the only character I like at this point. She's very authentic, and she doesn't give up hope. I don't find her especially shallow, though. Of course, I came to this show solely for Amanda Peet, who is still stunning at 44 despite what the nerd said. She has had 3 "geriatric pregnancies" so I'm sure she got a kick out of that.

 

I did quite a bit of online dating and always used a current photo. I can't imagine that Tina would use an old photo, despite her self-esteem issues.

 

I had no idea the show has been canceled; fortunately I'm not enjoying it as much these days so I won't miss it much.

 

http://deadline.com/2016/03/togetherness-canceled-2-seasons-hbo-1201726228/

Edited March 28, 2016 by Jillybean

[DarkRaichu]

Seriously Brett, your soulmate finally found success in his career, not to mention financial stability FOR THE FIRST TIME in his life.  You had to sulk like little bleep just because you wanted him to join you escaping reality.

 

Also, shouldn't Michelle ditch this volunteer project thing and find a real job by now?  Brett obviously checked out so someone needs to take charge for the financial well being of the 2 kids.  Can Uber driver income really support 4 mouths and a house in LA????

[Lone Wolf]

I'm not surprised to hear it's been cancelled.  This show, Happyish, Married, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Love, Flaked (latter two over on Netflix) - they're trying to be comedies while they throw in relationship drama (I guess to be more relatable/entertaining/different from a cookie-cutter network comedy), but the common factor (for me) is that the characters aren't very likable and thus difficult to get invested in or otherwise care about.  I tend to initially tune in out of curiosity (in this case, Peet) and then kind of watch apathetically (the stage I'm at this season), then if I'm still hanging in it evolves into hate watching, and eventually I get disgusted and bail (or wiser minds than mine cancel the damn thing.)

 

This ep...as ElectricBoogoloo noted above, I saw the pool gag coming down the freeway.  Tina distracting the crowd was OTT (but consistent with her character), likewise consistent is Brett not having grown beyond his infantile id-driven self.  And while we're probably supposed to root for Michelle in this power struggle, the fact is that Anna is better equipped (resources and mindset) to head up the project; whatever evening the score plotting Michelle has in mind, she'd do well to not let it interfere with the school's success.

 

ETA:  Let's add my latest curiosity tune-in, You Me Her, which recently debuted on the DirecTV channel, to the list of the quirky new breed of couples-driven comedies.

Edited March 30, 2016 by Lone Wolf

[ElectricBoogaloo]

[blixie]

 

whatever evening the score plotting Michelle has in mind, she'd do well to not let it interfere with the school's success.

 

Eh which is why I thought shoving her in the pool was so perfect and RICHLY deserved, it didn't jeopardize anything re: the school's success, she acted like a shady tree, being *personally* manipulative to professionally undermine Michelle, and she got rightfully pushed in a pool by the person she manipulated and undermined: CONSEQUENCES yo. And I'd disagree that someone who operates like her is who you want heading up a kids school, a conniving dishonest liar isn't likely to win anyone over any more than the floundering inarticulate mess that is Michelle, honestly the best thing for that school is that neither woman ends up in charge. And the assy charter school fails rightfully.

[Clanstarling]

I also felt for her because she is obviously new to online dating and didn't realize how much people lie on their profiles, particularly with their pictures. One of my friends said you have to assume that everyone is at least ten years older and/or twenty pounds heavier than they are in their profile pictures when using online dating sites.

If I caught what they were saying, Tina used a picture that was at least 10 years old (though she's certainly not heavier, unless she was a skeleton)

 

 

And while we're probably supposed to root for Michelle in this power struggle, the fact is that Anna is better equipped (resources and mindset) to head up the project; whatever evening the score plotting Michelle has in mind, she'd do well to not let it interfere with the school's success.

I was taken aback by Michelle's attitude toward fund raising with rich people. Did she think it was going to get funded with bake sales? Getting that kind of crowd to kick in is a score in the plus column. Anna is certainly unpleasant and underhanded, which are all grievances I can agree with. But getting rich donors, not so much.

The sneaking to read the email on Anna's computer bothered me. Unless Anna used BCC on her email (didn't look like she did), any one of Michelle's friends could have seen she wasn't copied on the email. Michelle would never have needed to do anything but ask to have it forwarded to her and Anna couldn't have denied she didn't include her. And, some friends if they couldn't even be bothered to notice their "leader" wasn't there.

Edited April 3, 2016 by clanstarling

[Accidental Martyr]

If I caught what they were saying, Tina used a picture that was at least 10 years old (though she's certainly not heavier, unless she was a skeleton).

I think she said it was taken at a Coldplay concert in 2001.

[sasha206]

On 4/3/2016 at 5:31 PM, Clanstarling said:

If I caught what they were saying, Tina used a picture that was at least 10 years old (though she's certainly not heavier, unless she was a skeleton)

 

 

 

I was taken aback by Michelle's attitude toward fund raising with rich people. Did she think it was going to get funded with bake sales? Getting that kind of crowd to kick in is a score in the plus column. Anna is certainly unpleasant and underhanded, which are all grievances I can agree with. But getting rich donors, not so much.

The sneaking to read the email on Anna's computer bothered me. Unless Anna used BCC on her email (didn't look like she did), any one of Michelle's friends could have seen she wasn't copied on the email. Michelle would never have needed to do anything but ask to have it forwarded to her and Anna couldn't have denied she didn't include her. And, some friends if they couldn't even be bothered to notice their "leader" wasn't there.

 

I am just binge watching this show, and Michelle, to me, is the most irritating and selfish character of them all.  She was somewhat relatable in season 1, although it's hard for me to imagine how she could be so hot after David, who was patient and kind, and then suddenly turn off on him.  Her reaction to him seems more like it was written from the male perspective -- the man finally gets laid and now he's no longer interested.  I get that she has young kids, felt guilt, blah blah blah.  But she seemed to have a connection with that man that extended beyond just sex, so it seems odd to me that she suddenly dumps him like a cheap hooker.  Meanwhile, suddenly she gets all hot and heavy for the husband that is now out of work and has been acting dopey?  

And she finds some passion for the charter school and she doesn't seem to have much of an interest any more in her own children?  The plot device of having the distraction so she can get on Anna's computer was silly.   How about maybe asking one of those who obviously go the email if they could forward it to her so she could have the emails handy from the distribution listing?  

On Alex and Tina, I just never bought that there was some unspoken passionate love from Tina to Alex, nor do I buy that this guy drops a few pounds and is suddenly some desirable actor playing a vampire.  This plot line would've been more believable if Alex was a dumpy, but good looking guy who drops weight and now gets the acting gigs.  Who would really believe that guy to be a sexy vampire?  

Amanda Peet is really the only reason I'm hanging in there.

Edited August 2, 2016 by sasha206