S05.E04: Mother

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Selina rushes to the hospital while attempting to win the presidency. Amy and Dan discover the O'Brien camp has staged a fake protest, and task Jonah and Richard with organizing their own pro-POTUS demonstration. Mike and Wendy meet with a potential surrogate.

Promo:

[bmoore4026]

Dear God, this was the most cringe inducing episode ever.  I loved it!

And Sarah Sutherland needs an Emmy NOW!  That funniest crying-in-a-comedy scene I've seen in a while.

And Selina's devastated crying was the cherry on top.  "Catherine, play the Tim McGraw." :D

Edited May 17, 2016 by bmoore4026

[maraleia]

They used Robert/Ethel Kennedy's home Hickory Hill for the Meyer home exteriors.

Loved her meltdown and the fact that Catherine got the inheritance.

[patty1h]

I know I've seen the woman who played the new girlfriend of Selinas ex-husband. I checked IMDB but she's not listed.  Can anyone help me out with her name?  Thanks.

[dcalley]

1 hour ago, patty1h said:

I know I've seen the woman who played the new girlfriend of Selinas ex-husband. I checked IMDB but she's not listed.  Can anyone help me out with her name?  Thanks.

It's only thanks to an AV Club comment that I got this: It's JLD's half-sister.

Edited May 16, 2016 by dcalley

[ChicksDigScars]

OMG. Amy's comments about Eleanor Roosevelt? So wrong, but so fucking funny.

Andrew is such a slime. Do we need him? I don't enjoy hating him the way I do everyone else. He can just go.

[snakehissken]

I think my favourite moment was actually when Selina was greeting the well-wishers. "Such a diverse crowd! I only wish my mother could have been here to see you all on her property."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Mee-Maw's Funeral Featurette

[patty1h]

Thanks for th answer, dcalley.  I recognizer her from True Blood.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Andrew is even grosser than I thought he was. Hopefully he doesn't sucker money out of Catherine for that stupid Brazilian hotel scheme.

I love that Tom understands Selina so well. When his comment to her after the funeral was that he hated his father, it kind of made me wish they were getting along.

One thing I really loved about this episode was seeing Selina get emotional (heh, even if she was more upset about the recount news). Dealing with death is even worse when you have an antagonistic relationship with the person who died. When it's someone you had a good relationship with, you are sad. But with someone who you had a bad relationship with, you are sad, mad, relieved, guilty about feeling mad/relieved, etc.

[romantic idiot]

Don't think Selena's that deep.

[lovinbob]

7 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Andrew is such a slime. Do we need him? I don't enjoy hating him the way I do everyone else. He can just go.

I think it's good to have someone who is less likeable than Selina. She needs to compare favorably to somebody. And at this point, for me, Andrew is the only one who qualifies.

[vibeology]

1 hour ago, romantic idiot said:

Don't think Selena's that deep.

Yes and No. Her reaction at the funeral was way more about her own setback than anything to do with her mother dying, but the reaction to seeing her mother's messy nails and the fact she got someone to come in and fix her up also speaks to Selina having some sort of complicated emotional reaction to her mother's impending death. Making sure her nails looked good while at the same time remembering how her mother prioritized her nails over giving her a bath are the exact sort of mixed emotions you deal with when the relationship is complicated. Of all the grieving things in the episode, those moments felt the most authentic to me.

[sugarbaker design]

Favorite line of the episode.

[Paraphrasing]

Selina:  Katharine, you have no idea what it's like to be the only daughter of a pathological narcissist.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Don't think Selena's that deep.

Yes and No. Her reaction at the funeral was way more about her own setback than anything to do with her mother dying, but the reaction to seeing her mother's messy nails and the fact she got someone to come in and fix her up also speaks to Selina having some sort of complicated emotional reaction to her mother's impending death. Making sure her nails looked good while at the same time remembering how her mother prioritized her nails over giving her a bath are the exact sort of mixed emotions you deal with when the relationship is complicated. Of all the grieving things in the episode, those moments felt the most authentic to me.

ITA - and on top of that, you don't have to be particularly deep in order to have conflicting emotions. Even children can feel ambivalent about someone.

[Maire]

Between the money and the video tape that Katherine has, I think Selina is in big, big trouble.

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Andrew is even grosser than I thought he was. Hopefully he doesn't sucker money out of Catherine for that stupid Brazilian hotel scheme.

Uh oh. Of course he'll do that, but I'm more worried about Mike.

The capper to this fantastic ep was Bob Bradley coming up to Selina with a big smile. "Congratulations!"

But, yeah, a completely cringe-worthy but hilarious ep. Every time Selina was happy at the hospital, I was cringing. I'm glad that didn't backfire on her. Hearing the news about losing was a godsend -- prayer works in mysterious ways -- because her breakdown likely helped her in popular opinion. I guess that doesn't really matter to her.

Loved the hospital chapel scene with her and Gary. His telling her how to pray, whispering in her ear like he does when she meets people, was fantastic. "Lift me up."

I couldn't believe that she forgot to include Catherine when they took MeeMaw off life support. Well, yeah, I can believe it, but that was the worst.

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Andrew is even grosser than I thought he was. Hopefully he doesn't sucker money out of Catherine for that stupid Brazilian hotel scheme.

Uh oh. Of course he'll do that, but I'm more worried about Mike.

The capper to this fantastic ep was Bob Bradley coming up to Selina with a big smile. "Congratulations!"

But, yeah, a completely cringe-worthy but hilarious ep. Every time Selina was happy at the hospital, I was cringing. I'm glad that didn't backfire on her. Hearing the news about losing was a godsend -- prayer works in mysterious ways -- because her breakdown likely helped her in popular opinion. I guess that doesn't really matter to her.

Loved the hospital chapel scene with her and Gary. His telling her how to pray, whispering in her ear like he does when she meets people, was fantastic. "Lift me up."

I couldn't believe that she forgot to include Catherine when they took MeeMaw off life support. Well, yeah, I can believe it, but that was the worst.

[vibeology]

2 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

I couldn't believe that she forgot to include Catherine when they took MeeMaw off life support. Well, yeah, I can believe it, but that was the worst.

Not even that she forgot Catherine, but she forced her staff to be a part of it too. I think forcing that sort of thing on your employees is pretty thoughtless and so awkward.

[LuciaMia]

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 is pretty thoughtless and so awkward.

Not to mention everybodys cellphone going off.

[Traveller519]

It's like they shoplifted a bunch of vibrators.

A good show for character development of Selina. I tend to agree with the notions out there that the Nevada news didn't set her off in itself, but it peeled back the scab just enough for her to come to terms with the fact that her mother truly was dead now.

I wasn't a huge fan of how the recount news played out, though there were some fantasic lines/visuals coming from it. I would have thought Kent would have identified the nature of the votes when they determined which districts they were from, and I can't believe it would be enough to swing the popular vote, unless they were truly neck and neck.

[CofCinci]

4 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

Favorite line of the episode.

[Paraphrasing]

Selina:  Katharine, you have no idea what it's like to be the only daughter of a pathological narcissist.

This is one of the best lines from the series. I hope it's used at the Emmys. 

[represent]

Quote

Yes and No. Her reaction at the funeral was way more about her own setback than anything to do with her mother dying, but the reaction to seeing her mother's messy nails and the fact she got someone to come in and fix her up also speaks to Selina having some sort of complicated emotional reaction to her mother's impending death. Making sure her nails looked good while at the same time remembering how her mother prioritized her nails over giving her a bath are the exact sort of mixed emotions you deal with when the relationship is complicated. Of all the grieving things in the episode, those moments felt the most authentic to me.

 This show is just so awesome.

Exactly, this is how I viewed that scene. The nails were the only way she could find any "closeness" to her mother. She just wanted to make good on what was important to her mother and if she really truly hated her she would have left those nails undone.  But in the end she was only able to connect with her mother on a superficial level because that's the relationship her mother "nurtured." She clearly had a very fucked up relationship with a mother of which Catherine knows nothing about except that Selena has turned into said mother.  It seems that she was fond of her father. That scene  at her mother's home was both hilarious, yet  you know if this wasn't a comedy that it was also sad. Blaming your kid for her father's death? Seriously? Even Gary was like WTF?  Then Selena telling Catherine that she has no idea what it's like to be the only daughter of a narcissistic ....mother, was hilarious.

I think 95 percent of that crying for Selena was about the state of the race. I might think that 5 percent was over not necessarily the loss of her mother but the fact that they were never close. But I'm truly not so sure, I'm really not. If she was able to think that deep about it, in that moment, then I'd expect to see some minor changes in the future with the way she treats Catherine.  But I'm not because she would never admit that she's seriously lacking in the mother department. She'd have to have  less of an ego and be a bit introspective for that to happen. So, that's why I'm not sure that even 5 percent of those tears were for the passing of her mother.

Andrew, LOL, that's all. On cue, with taking back his "heartfelt'' words to Selena after hearing she wouldn't be the benefactor of her mother's fortune. Then he turns around and "lovingly" calls for Catherine. I now see how he and Selena were a match.

Kent's "I grieve with thee." Along with his facial expression while everyone else was crying. I think Gary Cole was trying to hold back laughing so badly. I wonder how many takes it took to get that scene.

Oh, and Selena kinda of dancing a little to the Tim McGraw song, I saw that, OMG, so good, so very good. Her head started moving and you could see her bottom half starting to sway to the rhythm of the song.

The Congratulations at the end by Bob was the cherry on top. How in the hell did he even find his way to that funeral in the first place? LOL.

Increasingly, it looks more and more like,  the "Dick Van Dyke looking mother fucker" is going to be president. 

Edited May 16, 2016 by represent

[qtpye]

I love the way they are not afraid of showing Selina in a very unflattering light, with the stress of the recount only magnifying her bad qualities.

However, I understood the issue with her mother.  She might have seemed heartless, but some people do not get along with family members, for valid reasons.

I have a friend who is one of the most caring wonderful people I have ever known.  The man literally devotes his life to selflessly helping others.  This guy figured out at the age of ten (guy was precocious) that his mother was narcissistic abusive neglectful horror that only enjoyed making everyone in her life miserable.  He does his duty by his mother, but he does not love her.  He only has her in his life a minimum amount because she will literally destroy any happiness he has (she is not above lying about being abused...something she has done several times or getting physically violent with people when she does not get her own way).  This is not a product of dementia, she has always been like this.  If she passed away, my friend will probably be relieved.

10 minutes ago, represent said:

Exactly, this is how I viewed that scene. The nails was the only way she could find any "closeness" to her mother. She just wanted to make good on what was important to her mother and if she really truly hated her she would have left those nails undone.  But in the end she was only able to connect with her mother on a superficial level because that's the relationship her mother "nurtured." She clearly had a very fucked up relationship with a mother who her daughter knows nothing about except that Selena has turned into said mother.  It seems that she was fond of her father. That scene  at her mother's home was both hilarious, yet  you know if this wasn't a comedy that it was also sad. Blaming your kid for her father's death? Seriously? Even Gary was like WTF?  Then Selena telling Catherine that she has no idea what it's like to be the only daughter of a narcissistic ....mother, was hilarious.

This is very well put.  The mother was probably one where she competed with Selina and never fostered anything deeper (probably tried to undermine her at every turn).  I also find it very believable that she could still have a very loving relationship with her grandchild, despite having a horrible one with her daughter.  This rang true for me as I have seen bad parents become great grand parents.

[zibnchy]

Why is Amy being criminally underused this season? And Richard. I'm so over Jonad.

[Catherinewriter]

I wish there were a technological way to delete Julia's face from the screen, have her words to listen to, but be able to focus on the responses of the guys, or guys and gals. I am usually so keyed into her that I forget that these actors are hilarious; when I happen to catch one of them (as in Tony Hale) responding to her, I just lose it. 

[peeayebee]

I know. There's always something happening with the other characters. In this interview with Tony Hale he says how they're always trying to make funny moments:

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So the challenge is, we’re always thinking. What are little things we can do, like she’ll drop a purse and I’ll catch it before it hits the ground. I think that’s the best challenge, because you’re constantly activated, thinking, where can we really pump this up?

[nameless slob]

I for one really liked the scene of Selina saying goodbye to her mother. All alone with her in the hospital room. I think JLD acted really well on the scene. In her eyes you could see how ambivalent she was with everything. You could sense that what she was experiencing was very complicated. I think she should submit this episode as her acting. Very good.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Loved the hospital chapel scene with her and Gary. His telling her how to pray, whispering in her ear like he does when she meets people, was fantastic. "Lift me up."

I also liked that when Andrew showed up at the hospital with his new girlfriend, instead of whispering factoids about her, Gary whispered to Selina, "I don't know who she is." Even when he's not helpful, he still makes an effort to do his job. 

I was cracking up at how annoyed Selina was when she needed a tissue after the funeral but Gary didn't have any left because he had been crying during her eulogy. 

[represent]

Oh, I forgot, the actress playing Catherine did a hell of a job when she busted out crying. That shit looked so real and it was hilarious, along with "Stephen Hawking" Gary, not being able to stomach what the doctor was saying. My lord forgive me, but Selena was right, he was sitting in that wheelchair from the chest down looking like Hawking. This show is so very wrong, yet so very right. 

Edited May 17, 2016 by represent

[dcalley]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

 

I also liked that when Andrew showed up at the hospital with his new girlfriend, instead of whispering factoids about her, Gary whispered to Selina, "I don't know who she is." Even when he's not helpful, he still makes an effort to do his job.

And then after hearing that she's a craft blogger or somesuch, a giddy "I do know who she is!"

[Ottis]

Kudos to the actress playing Catherine for that both very ugly and humorous crying after her grandmother dies. Well done, from an acting perspective.

[peeayebee]

That was the most hilarious ugly crying face I've ever seen!

[candall]

Well, you all have made me a little more open-minded to Selina's conflict about her mother, but mostly I found this episode cringe-inducing, without the "but hilarious" part.

 

Tom James being sensitive enough to recognize the one condolence that might provide comfort--and willing to set aside Selina's treatment of him to confide it--made me seriously want HIM to get the top job. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by candall

[ktwo]

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Well, you all have made me a little more open-minded to Selina's conflict about her mother, but mostly I found this episode cringe-inducing, without the "but hilarious" part.

I totally agree. Found this episode VERY hard to watch. 

[Roaster]

One of the most cynical episodes of a TV comedy I've ever seen.  Funny, but I hope they dial back the darkness a little going forward.

Is all of Season 5 going to take place in one month?  The first 5 episodes are, for sure.  The tie election/Nevada recount thing was good for some plot, but I am tired of it now.  Maybe they should just skip ahead six months and get beyond this.

[represent]

Quote

Well, you all have made me a little more open-minded to Selina's conflict about her mother, but mostly I found this episode cringe-inducing, without the "but hilarious" part.

It's weird,  I found this episode to be nothing but hilarious. Dark, but just funny, I laughed a lot. I think it was the best of the season so far. 

However, I found the episode before this one to be a little harsh/cringe worthy. The episode where she was biting everyone's head off and I think she called the Queen of England a "cunt." Then she made a joke about Chung, I think his name is, volunteering to be a victim of a beheading if it got him his fifteen minutes of fame. I was like, I know it's HBO, but...

Jokes about beheadings, not sure you want to go there with ISIS and all.

Edited May 20, 2016 by represent

[iMonrey]

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That shit looked so real and it was hilarious, along with "Stephen Hawking" Gary, not being able to stomach what the doctor was saying.

Some of the one-liners this season feel forced and inorganic, like Selena telling her minions to cancel the recount "like Anne Frank's bat mitzvah."  And the Stephen Hawking thing - she said that before she even turned around to see how Gary was sitting. It almost feels like someone going through the script and inserting these "like so-and-so" jokes as an afterthought.

[ganesh]

On 5/20/2016 at 8:18 PM, represent said:

Jokes about beheadings, not sure you want to go there with ISIS and all.

I think you definitely go there. You have to take the gloves off on a show like this. You can't do that on every show, but here, yes. 

I liked that Selina wasn't typically grievey and everyone was weird about it. I'm not that way either, and I have no issues with my family. I don't think people have to behave a certain, expected way in these situations, so I liked that she was unapologetic about it. I would *not* want to be at that church. I liked that Ben was crying though. I'm hoping that Selina's breaking down helps her poll numbers and in Congress. 

I do like the Nevada plot. It's the slow tortuous process I would expect from American politics. Huey, Duey, and Rapey!