Vice Principals - General Discussion

[CofCinci]

I wish I binge-watched this series because I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next week. 

Hopefully the 3 actors are recognized for their work. So much depth they've added to the roles.

Cannot wait to see how the season ends...  Chief Enforcement Officer sounds like the perfect position for Gamby.  Hope he takes it. Perhaps Russel would be happier elsewhere?

[MrWhyt]

8 hours ago, scrb said:

All 3 actors are so good.  She said some hilarious things as she got more and more drunk.

Good to see it labeled as a season finale next week.  It seems McBride may not necessarily want a long run so we may be lucky to get two seasons out of this.

It's only going to be 2 seasons (at this point in time at least), they've already shot all 18 episodes.

[Phishbulb]

8 hours ago, scrb said:

Good to see it labeled as a season finale next week.  It seems McBride may not necessarily want a long run so we may be lucky to get two seasons out of this.

Yes, it will be two seasons of 9 episodes apiece and that's it. McBride said the show is divided into the two halves of the school year, so that's why the first season ends with Christmas and then the second season will pick back up when the school year resumes. 

[cyberfruit]

As much as I love how Russell is acted (well done!), I actually want him to fail. Miserably. Yeah, Gamby's pathetic and doesn't have much of a spine, but he does possess a degree of guilt and emotional intelligence (even though he acts like a damn child). He and Belinda clearly make a good team. A positive team. 

Next week should be interesting. 

[ganesh]

I can get that Gamby would be a little put off that Snodgrass was with the other teacher, but he handled it so so bad. That's his problem though. He can't leave well enough alone. 

18 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Gamby clearly seems to be uncomfortable about this, but still goes along, because I guess he doesn't have it in him to actually stop Russell.

That's been his problem from the start too when they went out of control and burned the house down. I can't imagine that's not going to come back on them. 

Wow talk about a crazy drunk. Gin makes me a jerk too. I stopped years ago. 

Honestly, I think the brunette teacher that Gamby was hooking up with from the field trip is hot. 

[Brooklynista]

What took them so long to let Belinda loose?? This was the first time I laughed out loud during the series. Now I've been black girl wasted and it can look just like that! Of course without the pissing on cop cars and threats of violent dick sucking.

Russell has no off button. There's no line he won't cross and I hope his downfall involves his mother in law.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Brooklynista

[SoothingDave]

Gamby has to know that he would be implicated by Russell in burning down the house if he tried to double cross him, or cut him out as Belinda suggested.  

That was really dark that she went that wild that fast.  Gamby has to feel like a jerk for getting her started.  

[ganesh]

For sure, but Gamby isn't double crossing him though. He told Lee about the new job, and Lee told him to take it. I think what's going to happen is everything is going to start going well enough for him, and Lee will get implicated in the arson and drag Gamby down with him. I mean, it's Gamby's own fault, but it's more of an edge if he is finally getting over himself, but still gets pulled down by his own actions. 

[CofCinci]

So, is Lee gay?  I still don't know. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

I wish Belinda had started singing "Tyrone" when she telling off her ex and her sons.

Kimberly Hebert Gregory should get an Emmy nom for that performance. It's easy to go overboard  playing drunk but she hit the right notes, I think. It was a nice payoff after watching her be so controlled for most of the season.

[Ottis]

Quote

Chief Enforcement Officer sounds like the perfect position for Gamby.

Chief *Accountability* Officer. A broader meaning than "enforcement," though both make you wonder what Belinda thinks the job of a VP should be, i.e. making sure rules are followed vs. supporting the kids.

[ganesh]

I still like that they're using that circle for the kids.

[bookrat]

So noboby'so posting about the finale yet? Has the series been cancelled? Well my guess is that Russell shot Gamby and is trying to make it look like Belinda did it. I can't believe that Russell told Belinda he burned her house down. You know that will come back to bite him in the ass.

Edited September 19, 2016 by bookrat

[ganesh]

I don't think Russell shot Gamby. Clearly, telling Belinda they burned her house down was ridiculously stupid and has to come back to bite them both. If Russell was moving against Gamby to be the only principal, the show would have tipped us off. 

This first half of the show was the boys against Belinda. So the second half I am guessing is her against them. 

[thuganomics85]

Their cars being set on fire seems like an obvious ploy to make Gamby think it was Belinda (nice going, Russell), but I'm really leaning towards it being a set-up from Russell.  Not sure if he'll actually be the guy who pulled the trigger, but I think he's trying to make a play at being the lone principal.  The scene at the flagpole seemed suspicious too, when he kept talking about all the shit Gamby did for Belinda.  I don't know; I think he's up to something.  Everything is fair game for that psychopath.

This has always been pretty dark, but it was hard to watch Belinda, when she realized just what had happened.  She isn't a perfect person by any stretch, but I think she truly wanted to be a good principal and good for the faculty and kids, and I truly think she was warming up to Gamby, so that betrayal had to gut her.  All her work done it by two assholes who were too insecure (Gamby) and too much of a psycho (Russell), to allow her to do her job.  At least she got to beat their asses for a little bit.  I do hope this isn't the end of her.  Kimberly Herbert Gregory was amazing in this role.

I really hope we get more of Gale and Ray next season.  Busy Phillips reactions shots and annoyance over Gamby is perfect, and Shea Whigham is doing wonders with his small, but potent scenes.  Ray really is becoming the heart of the show.

Gamby and Russell's over-the-top celebration and strut after "winning" was somehow both frustrating, but hilarious.

Walton Goggins continues to be hilarious with every line, even if Russell might be one of most irredeemable characters of all time.  I think even Boyd Crowder might think Russell has a few screws loose.

[scrb]

Pretty dark.  The violence at the end drove it home.  Even though some of the put downs and lines could be funny in isolation, it's not just screwing someone over for a job.  The fight seemed funny at the time, Brown and Gamby throwing punches, but again, given the ending, you can't look at it in isolation.

Russell said it wasn't personal but he egged Gamby on to call her a slut and then right after telling her it's not personal, he taunted her with the shoe and threw it away.

So you may have a psycho here, with all kinds of malice.  In fact the glee with which they destroyed Belinda's home seemed more than about trying to chase her away from the job they wanted.  It appeared things just got out of hand but now you have to wonder if it wasn't intentional.

Russell doesn't have the perfect home life but he could lose all that as well as his job, if it were discovered he was jointly responsible for breaking in and burning Brown's house.  And if he blew up the cars and shot or had Gamby shot, it's another level of sociopathic behavior.

I can't recall exactly what happened with the neighborhood bully but he did resort to violence there, even if was in retaliation.  Too bad they didn't have Brown punch Russell a couple of times.

[CofCinci]

Ohhhh....  Who shot Gamby?  Russell, Brown (or Brown's husband), or someone else. 

Gamby prayer circle!

[benteen]

The show has been dark but they REALLY went dark with this finale.

Russell was an absolute idiot for telling Belinda he burned down her house.  As noted a couple of episodes, it's simply not good enough to Russell to know that he scored a victory over Belinda.  He has to spike the football right in front of her face as well.  That will bite him in the ass at the end.

I kept thinking Belinda was going to get hit with a train and they would make this really dark.  I hope she's back last year because Kimberly Herbert Gregory is really good too.  She stole that last episode from Walton Goggins with how funny she was and that is a legit accomplishment.

I really hope Busy Phillips is given more to do next season.  She was criminally wasted this season.  I've been doing a re-watch of Freaks and Geeks (one of my favorite shows) and I find her performance funnier and more brilliant every time I watch it.

Neal and Lee's reactions to their good fortune and their first day as co-principals was great.

I very much enjoyed this series, particularly Goggins performance.

Edited September 19, 2016 by benteen

[Amers]

I think the shooter was Ray. The whole jealousy thing. Then he gave Ray a massive, Indian looking knife. I think it will be a huge twist and Ray did it. I mean, he stole a man's wife. He's not as does eyed and innocent as he seems. 

[ganesh]

That's more of a credible theory than Lee for me. Gamby has been browbeating Ray all season, and he could have snapped. 

[benteen]

46 minutes ago, Amers said:

I think the shooter was Ray. The whole jealousy thing. Then he gave Ray a massive, Indian looking knife. I think it will be a huge twist and Ray did it. I mean, he stole a man's wife. He's not as does eyed and innocent as he seems. 

I think this idea really works.  I did think Ray was getting weird by pointing out things like "you two share the same blood" and so on.  Just the way he said it sounded weird.

[ganesh]

And before this episode, Ray was basically the 'better man' and the 'favorite.' He got the daughter more interested in motor cross until Gamby put his foot down after the accident. Now Gamby got a legit promotion and was actually being nice to everyone. The daughter was back riding horses, so he could see that he's losing his position. 

I don't know if Ray set fire to the cars though. Why would he care about Lee? He might have shown up and waited for Gamby in the parking lot and then just took the opportunity.  

[represent]

The person who shot Neil was clearly much taller than his wife's short husband, who looks much shorter than Gamby even. No way could that have been him unless this show is that bad that it thinks viewers like me don't notice huge differences in height. I'm thinking they are smarter than that because the show is on HBO, I'm hoping they are anyway.  Now could he have paid someone? Maybe, but I doubt it. He admitted he was jealous to Neil and he didn't seem sinister during that convo.. Not only that, Neil ended up encouraging his daughter to take up motor cross again which actually is what the stepfather said he was trying to use to build a bond with Neil'sdaughter. He gave her his bike at the end and said go for it.  So I'm seeing that whole dynamic, with the stepfather/father issue being resolved as much as anything can be resolved with immature Gamby.  Besides, I've just never gotten the impression that he actually hated Neil as in wanting him out of the way. Plus I just don't get a sinister vibe from that stepfather. Quite the opposite, I get a level of maturity that Gamby lacks being that he's a man willing to admit to another man that he was actually jealous of an emotional bond that said man had with his biological child. That's something that Gamby has trouble doing. The person looked as tall as the guy that Belinda brought in to take notes on Neil and Russell at the beginning of her tenure. That guy who wore a pony tail and a suit and didn't talk, all he did was stare and follow behind Gamby. 

Edited September 19, 2016 by represent

[Amers]

7 minutes ago, represent said:

The person who shot Neil was clearly much taller than his wife's short husband, who looks much shorter than Gamby even. No way could that have been him unless this show is that bad that it thinks viewers like me don't notice huge differences in height. I'm thinking they are smarter than that because the show is on HBO, I'm hoping they are anyway.  Now could he have paid someone? Maybe, but I doubt it. He admitted he was jealous to Neil and he didn't seem sinister during that convo.. Not only that, Neil ended up encouraging his daughter to take up motor cross again which actually is what the stepfather said he was trying to use to build a bond with Neil'sdaughter. He gave her his bike at the end and said go for it.  So I'm seeing that whole dynamic, with the stepfather/father issue being resolved as much as anything can be resolved with immature Gamby.  Plus I just don't get a sinister vibe from that stepfather. Quite the opposite, I get a level of maturity that Gamby lacks being that he's a man willing to admit to another man that he was actually jealous of an emotional bond that said man had with his biological child. That's something that Gamby has trouble doing. The person looked as tall as the guy that Belinda brought in to take notes on Neil and Russell at the beginning of her tenure. That guy who wore a pony tail and a suit and didn't talk, all he did was stare and follow behind Gamby. 

True, and I watched it again with my husband who fell asleep and I would say it certainly wasn't Lee or Belinda herself at least. Lee has a particular walk, and it wasn't there. The person did look taller and leaner than Ray. But honestly that stuff could mean nothing. There's no telling. I'd like it to be the secretary he had to fire. But more than likely it's the Sasson guy, because I agree she did leave too quietly. But Ray is also still on my list of ideas, regardless of height. 

[CofCinci]

I can't remember, but did he expel any problem student earlier in the season?  The shooter could be a student. 

[ganesh]

I think it would have to be someone who had a decent enough screen time though, which is why I like Ray for it. Could it be one of Belinda's kids?

[represent]

10 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I think it would have to be someone who had a decent enough screen time though, which is why I like Ray for it. Could it be one of Belinda's kids?

Her kids didn't strike me as murderers. I don't even see her filling them in on what she would deem as a huge humiliation/failure. Whoever it was they were tall, taller than even Russell, as well as heavier. Heck, it could be the Russell's neighbor across the street since Neil is the one who knocked him out cold defending Russell. He knows what his car looks like, he pulled up in front of his house in it.  Although the guy didn't look as muscular as that neighbor but he sure did look to be the same height. And it would also explain why he also set Russell's car on fire too.

I'm thinking it's Russell's neighbor or someone Belinda hired because they still have that damaging footage of her that they can release. 

Edited September 19, 2016 by represent

[represent]

As a matter a fact, Russell strikes as more of someone who would commit murder or at least pay to put out a hit on someone.  I thought he was capable of ANYTHING when he led in burning down Belinda's house.  Gamby is the kid from school who has no strength in his core, he's a follower. He's the idiot that ends up taking the fall, yet he wasn't really the mastermind behind it all. Dummy, you can see already Russell trying to run a game on Gamby with his "you" this and "you" that bullshit, with Gamby interjecting and reminding him that it was he too that committed all the crimes right along side him. 

[Victor the Crab]

Actually, the one who pulled the trigger was standing on a parking island six inches above Gamby when they did that, so they might have been roughly the same size. Dr. Brown has all the motive to do this. Maybe she sent the guy who was spying on them earlier to do the dirty deed. But it's also possible Abbott was the shooter as she may have been upset over the budding romance between Gamby and Snodgrass.

[SFoster21]

I've seen this theory posted elsewhere and I agree: the shooter is the teacher he blew off for the blonde.

[benteen]

That would also make sense.  It always looked like something was going to explode with that ex-teacher. 

Ultimately, there's plenty of candidates that would want to shoot Gamby.

[FortKnox]

After thinking it over here's something I have a problem with. With the way Brown was acting you mean to tell me no one else got her on camera and post it online minutes later. Hell, there was a table full of people just a few feet away from the cop car she was pissing on.

[CofCinci]

When does this return?

[Happytobehere]

I watched the first episode of this show when it first came on and hated it.  I found it racist, sexist garbage designed to pander to the egos of fragile white men, so I stopped watching it.  I decided to give the show another try because I had nothing else to watch at the moment and I wanted to give the show another shot, because well, pilot episodes do not necessarily reflect the show we will ultimately get.

Having seen the entire season, I can only say this was so much worse than my initial perception.  Two completely horrid, mediocre men, who feel entitled to a job, who systematically destroy the home, career and sobriety of a black woman, while facing no consequences for their actions and being rewarded for their deviancy.  Who can't find chuckles in that? Seeing people root for these denigrates speaks volumes.  Seeing people somehow think Gamby is the better of the two because Russell so clearly a sociopath, shows how sick this show is. Russell is a sociopath who deserves to be institutionalized for the remainder of his life.  Gamby however, is worse because he clearly knows right from wrong but relishes the evil he does in the name of his entitlement.  The best outcome would be for the season to premiere with  Gamby succumbing to his wounds and Russell being caught as he flees from the scene of the crime.  Truly a piece of garbage.

[scrb]

I don't recall any overt racism from either character.

Not like they resented her for getting her position due to race or anything like that.

Both characters are over the top, which is nothing new if you've seen Eastbound and Down.

I also don't know about entitlement either.  Both of them had been working towards getting the principal job for years only to see someone from the outside awarded the job.  It would be entitlement if they expected to get the job over someone who was there longer or was more qualified than they were.

Or if they explicitly said the job should go to a man or a white man.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2 trailer (season premiere is September 17):

[GreekGeek]

On 7/30/2017 at 6:43 PM, scrb said:

I don't recall any overt racism from either character.

Not like they resented her for getting her position due to race or anything like that.

Both characters are over the top, which is nothing new if you've seen Eastbound and Down.

I also don't know about entitlement either.  Both of them had been working towards getting the principal job for years only to see someone from the outside awarded the job.  It would be entitlement if they expected to get the job over someone who was there longer or was more qualified than they were.

Or if they explicitly said the job should go to a man or a white man.

Gamby insinuated that Brown only got where she was because of affirmative action, so I would say that's overt racism. Hard to say if he or Russell would have otherwise acted the same if the new principal were a white man. 

I have mixed thoughts about this show. As a teacher, I always look for realism about school life, even if some might argue it's a sitcom and therefore intentionally unrealistic. Some of it is spot on about public education: the politics, the paranoia on the part of assistant principals when a new principal comes in, the "meh" pep rallies, the worry about misbehavior on field trips (and the kids did misbehave while the other chaperones had their own party, so for once Gamby had a legitimate gripe),  the debate on whether to handle kids with detentions and suspensions or touchy-feely talks in beanbag chairs with popcorn. Other stuff is ridiculous. I'm not a prude about foul language, but it should be confined to characters likely to use it in appropriate dramatic circumstances. Anybody who cursed like Gamby in front of the kids would be disciplined immediately. And the house fire and the LSD-spiked drink were even more farfetched. (I never heard of LSD absorbed through skin.)

I'm curious about how Russell came to be married to a Korean woman. Was she a mail order bride, as Jackie said? Or is she a beard? Or do they genuinely love each other?

I really, really hope the show doesn't end with the guys victorious. I don't need to see vile angry men defeating a flawed but competent woman. Ideally, one of them would become principal...and Brown would be promoted to superintendent!

[scrb]

Briefly saw the promo for upcoming second and final season.

Brown is around and looks like she's trying to pit the guys against each other.

I don't recall the exact verbiage when Gamby and Russell found out Brown got the job.  If they made the comment about AA, you'd think they'd be using racist slurs or insinuations all the time.

You clearly didn't see that.

If McBride has such attitudes about AA, I don't think he'd use his shows to express it because he gets a lot of roles when he isn't working on his own show.  I think he'd look to avoid controversy, even though his HBO shows have been over the top.

As for Russell, I think his wife is a doctor, not some stay at home wife like you'd expect mail order brides to be.

[GreekGeek]

1 hour ago, scrb said:

I don't recall the exact verbiage when Gamby and Russell found out Brown got the job.  If they made the comment about AA, you'd think they'd be using racist slurs or insinuations all the time.

You clearly didn't see that.

If McBride has such attitudes about AA, I don't think he'd use his shows to express it because he gets a lot of roles when he isn't working on his own show.  I think he'd look to avoid controversy, even though his HBO shows have been over the top.

As for Russell, I think his wife is a doctor, not some stay at home wife like you'd expect mail order brides to be.

Gamby's comment was "I'm pretty affirmative about how she got in." He couldn't say anything more overt because there was at least one Black teacher present. You don't have to use the n-word constantly to be racist. I forgot to mention that he also spoke Pidgin English to Russell's wife, assuming she wouldn't understand him if he talked normally.

 Here's one perspective on the characters' racism and sexism.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

New S2 promo:

HBO is calling these cast commentary clips, but they're really like pop up video:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Recovering from his wounds, Gamby returns to a dramatically changed North Jackson High.

Promo:

[thuganomics85]

Vice Principals has finally returned and almost everyone is awful, but hilarious as always!

Of course, Gamby would devolve into self-pity and agony over what happened, and pushed away Snodgrass, even though she is likely the best thing to ever happen to him.  And then be a pain in the ass to Gale and Ray, after they volunteer to take care of him.  Pitiful is not a good look on you, Gamby.  And then, naturally, Russell uses this opportunity to be come the new principal, but can't deal with all the problems with the students, parents, and teachers, and needs Gamby to come back to save his sorry ass (plus he's earn the wrath of Haas, by blowing all the budget on making his office look ridiculous, but so Russell.)  Those two losers really do belong together.

Had no idea Dale Dickey was going to be in this!  She's always awesome, so I can't wait to see more of Nash.

Hope they keep working in Brown for this season, because Kimberly Hebert Gregory is the best.

Tonight in Walton Goggins makes the most mundane lines laugh out loud hilarious: "I don't give a fuck about these ducks!"

Right now, my predictions for the mysterious shooter are A) Ms. Abbott, due to Gamby picking Snodgrass over her or B) Ray as the surprise choice, who secretly has had enough of Gamby being a dick to him.  But it could be anyone, really.  Although, I doubt it will be Brown or Russell, since both of them are way too obvious.

Can't wait to see where this goes!

[luna1122]

16 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

Had no idea Dale Dickey was going to be in this!  She's always awesome, so I can't wait to see more of Nash.

Patty the Daytime Hooker!

 

16 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

Tonight in Walton Goggins makes the most mundane lines laugh out loud hilarious: "I don't give a fuck about these ducks!"

 

He's the entire reason  I watch this show. He's never not hilarious here, I can never take my eyes off of him.

This show is designed to be offensive. We're not supposed to be ROOTING for these two awful losers, we're supposed to hate them. So adding in sexism and racism, along with their complete lack of morality or compassion or self awareness or empathy, is to be expected.

[ganesh]

Even though Russell had the most to gain, I don't think he did it. He would need to show up Gamby to his face so Gamby knows he got beat by him. 

I also liked the show down with Brown was done already, rather than Gamby obsessing over her. The tattoo was fantastic because they were holding hands. 

The end was great. Those kids were being mean to Patty and deserved to get their radio smashed. 

[ganesh]

I can buy that. It would make sense that Brown's indirect influence lead to the shooting. The only other is Ray, and I can see how a character outside the main plot makes sense. 

Snodgrass was totally smiling at the end of the episode too. 

[Ottis]

Loved the first episode back. Laughed quite a bit... "Its the most confusing, annoying gang bang I have ever been in my life..."

I also liked the 80s music cues.

[Lambie]

I love this show. I love how wrong it is to laugh (and rewind and laugh even harder). I love McBride and Goggins together so much. 

 

Russell's monologue about whose cocks he had to suck, who he had to jerk off, and the budget licking his taint ending with the "confusing, annoying" gang bang was sublime. I don't know how they do scenes together with a straight face. 

[thuganomics85]

Oh, Russell, you vindictive, petty, little psychopath!  Of course he wouldn't stand the teachers mocking him behind close doors, and then when they refuse his blatant attempt to suck up to them with sushi, he just simply fires almost every single one of them (only sparing Snodgrass for Neal's sake.)  If Haas wasn't already pissed at him, I can only imagine what he'll do after he finds out he pretty much fired the majority of the teachers.  Walton Goggins is so much fun here.  The scene in the bathtub had me in stitches.

Meanwhile Neal is actually showing something resembling a soul and conscious, by helping the kid he planted evidence on get back into school.  Sure, he's still a paranoid, immature, easy jealous, man-child that is becoming more and more obvious with his racism, but... progress?

Now I'm starting to wonder if Nash could possibly be involved in the shooting, because she seems so gung-ho about being the vice principle, that I wonder if she wanted Neal out of the way.

Still wish we got more Ray and Gale, because their reactions to Neal being Neal are still hilarious.  Shea Whigham and Busy Phillips are the gifts that keep on giving.   

[Amers]

I haven't seen any one point this out,  but the cafeteria workers "lucky" shoes from saving Neal were clearly spattered with blood. That wasn't from finding someone already shot, he was standing near when it happened. He is clearly the shooter. 

And he has plenty of motive with all of Neal's blatant racism, even if he's too stupid to realize what he's saying. Kwim? Like, he actually seems to care about the guy, but he also says and does some pretty racist things. Perhaps he was tired of it? 

[scrb]

But then why rescue him rather than let him bleed out?