Season 4 Discussion

[paulvdb]

I haven't seen many of his other roles. I mostly know him as the sheriff on Invasion.

And I'd like to second the poster on the previous page who misses the kids, especially the daughter.

[chocolatine]

3 minutes ago, paulvdb said:

And I'd like to second the poster on the previous page who misses the kids, especially the daughter.

The actress started Stanford after the second season (I've read that Chuck Lorre wrote her a letter of recommendation). If she's a full-time student, she probably isn't available to film long story arcs, so I don't think we'll see much of Violet anytime soon.

[wendyg]

I miss Violet, too. I love both the character and the actress.

[roughing it]

William Fichtner also played one of the crew men on The Perfect Storm.

I watched The Help again this weekend, and how great Allison Janney can be.  I really don't like her character Bonnie anymore, and to me, Allison doesn't bring anything to redeem her.

[paulvdb]

23 hours ago, chocolatine said:

The actress started Stanford after the second season (I've read that Chuck Lorre wrote her a letter of recommendation). If she's a full-time student, she probably isn't available to film long story arcs, so I don't think we'll see much of Violet anytime soon.

Thanks for your post. At least now I know why we never see her anymore.

[SanDiegoInExile]

....we get to see the kids every week in the show's opening credits.....

Has there ever been a show that featured headshots of mostly departed cast members?

[indeed]

That explains Violet, but what about Roscoe?  For a show called "Mom", well, one of the leads isn't resembling that title too much.

(BTW, Ana Faris is going to be in the movie remake of Overboard nobody knew they wanted.  Supposedly, the main characters are flipping roles and she'll be the Kurt Russell of the film.)

Edited March 7, 2017 by indeed

[hnygrl]

If I recall correctly, they "got rid of" the kids because the two titular characters have such great chemistry they wanted to concentrate on that more.

You listening writers? GET BACK TO IT!!!

Some of the best episodes of this show are the ones without the kids and just the moms and their AA group.

Edited March 7, 2017 by hnygrl
forgot to add something

[indeed]

Yeah, I'm not saying I really want the kids around or focused on, it's just kinda weird that especially the young son is AOL all the time and we just get to hear about Christy being/wanting to be a good mom.  We also never really see anything about her (two still?) job(s), school, etc.  But A LOT of Adam and Bonnie.  

I like the gal pals/AA buddies interacting.  Very small doses of Baxter is OK, but I wouldn't mind more of the "stepmom".  They could have all sorts of stories for Christy, but...

[Blakeston]

When they revealed that Adam and Christy were in an accident, did anyone else think they were going to reveal that Adam had been drinking?

[hnygrl]

Didn't really like that.

This Adam/Bonnie storyline seriously needs to DIE.

[indeed]

2 hours ago, Blakeston said:

When they revealed that Adam and Christy were in an accident, did anyone else think they were going to reveal that Adam had been drinking?

No, Adam looked surprisingly sober at the beginning of the episode when he offered to drive her.  Glaringly so.  Like the plot called for him to be sober - no other explanation.  Since when does he hang out at their place and not get stinkin' drunk?!  It's sad when the first thing I noticed was Adam's sober, how refreshing and a bit odd, followed by immediate suspicion re: the writing.

[iMonrey]

Ho hum, another episode centered around Bonnie and Adam. Who would have thought? At least there were a few good scenes with Christie and Jill. 

I hope Adam's ex-wife wins him back and they walk off into the sunset together - like, next week.

[hnygrl]

50 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I hope Adam's ex-wife wins him back and they walk off into the sunset together - like, next week.

I hope Bonnie comes to her senses, discovers some self-respect somewhere hidden under the sink, and tells this guy point blank to choose. I'm sick of these two. They are toxic and make a bad couple. 

People? Love ain't enough to keep NOBODY together no matter what the Captain and Tennille said...who by the way...are DIVORCED.

[theatremouse]

4 hours ago, Blakeston said:

When they revealed that Adam and Christy were in an accident, did anyone else think they were going to reveal that Adam had been drinking?

No, but I did think they were going to reveal he'd died. Until they didn't.

[UsernameFatigue]

I would love it if both Bonnie and Adam's ex dumped Adam and they got together. Any excuse to have Wendy Mallick on my screen. I get bored with shows that only have the AA friends as foils for Bonnie/Christy. I can't stand Christy's ex, and I don't care for either of her children. In fact they only one I like is Baxter's fiance, as I love Sara Rue in the role. So if I have to continue to put up with the Adam character, I want to at least have WM as well. I also think she and Bonnie have way more chemistry than Bonnie and Adam do.

[MaryMitch]

20 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I would love it if both Bonnie and Adam's ex dumped Adam and they got together. Any excuse to have Wendy Mallick on my screen. I get bored with shows that only have the AA friends as foils for Bonnie/Christy. I can't stand Christy's ex, and I don't care for either of her children. In fact they only one I like is Baxter's fiance, as I love Sara Rue in the role. So if I have to continue to put up with the Adam character, I want to at least have WM as well. I also think she and Bonnie have way more chemistry than Bonnie and Adam do.

That's thinking outside the box! I like it!

[Blakeston]

Wendie Malick would certainly be a huge step up for Bonnie from Rosie O'Donnell.

[momtoall]

18 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I can't stand Christy's ex, and I don't care for either of her children. In fact they only one I like is Baxter's fiance, as I love Sara Rue in the role.

I thought I was alone in feeling that way about Christy's children.  Always thought the daughter looked as old or older than Christy and Roscoe was blah.  Wendy and Sara brighten any scenes they're in, so I'm all for more of them.

[iMonrey]

I get that Bonnie is the big draw and the relationship she has with Christie is more interesting than Christie's kids. But too much of this season has been about Bonnie and Adam rather than Bonnie and Christie -  and their circle of friends from AA. It feels like Christie has been demoted so a supporting character like Marjorie, Wendi and Jill. I'd love to hear Anna Faris give a really candid interview about how she feels about the show's changing dynamic, but maybe she's happy just to get a paycheck.

[treeofdreams]

No comments yet??

I think this new development has a lot of possibilities - certainly much more than if Jill had a baby to take care of.

And no Adam!

[illdoc]

I loved how the social worker thought that Christy was a foster child!

[MissLucas]

I loved how everybody got to deliver some Marjorie 'Do I really sound like that?' lines. And I also loved that Bonnie did not get away with her last minute efforts to get good evaluations. The way she treats her job and the other tenants is a really off-putting and not funny. She scored a pretty sweet gig here for herself, her daughter and Roscoe yet keeps jeopardizing all that for no good reason. I'm glad she's on probation.

The A-plot was great because it dealt with motherhood on so many levels. Bonnie and Christy, Christy and Violet (as usual Roscoe did not exist) and Jill and her mother - though the later was more implied. Great idea to have Jill foster a teenager, I dreaded a baby-plot. This opens much more interesting venues as the kid's clearly traumatized by her mother's substance abuse and seems to be in Jill's age when her mother committed suicide.

[MaryMitch]

I really liked the actress that plays the foster teen.  I hope Jill calms down and does a good job.

[possibilities]

I thought it was a nice twist that the foster teen was withdrawn and sullen at first because she's used to disappointment and rejection, not because she's actually a hellion. She softened right away when Christy tried to engage her, and when Jill admitted her own insecurity at the end. While there are certainly plenty of asshole teens, there are also quite a few who are shy or scared or just sort of normal. Of course, we don't know what hell she might raise later, but I thought it was a good start.

Also, can you imagine landing in that luxury palace as a foster kid? You would either lose your mind and go crazy taking advantage, or you'd become a model citizen to avoid being kicked out. Jill could house an entire orphanage in that place. They could have their own swim team. It's crazy.

[hnygrl]

I like it that they had a normal kid play the foster teen. And I loved it when she told Jill she was doing just fine. Jill was stressing and panicking, thinking she's gonna screw this kid up and the kid was just thinking, "Roof over my head, food to eat, and nobody to hurt me? Winner. Can I stay?" I think over time these two are going to change each other a lot.

Dang. I'm starting to really dig Jill. She's trying. Really really trying and it's sweet to see.

Glad Bonnie's on probation. She B.S.'ed her way into the job. Now it's past time she actually DID the job that not only pays her but allows her family to live there rent-free. Show some appreciation girl.

An Adam-free episode. More please?

[roughing it]

30 minutes ago, hnygrl said:

An Adam-free episode. More please?

I could do with a few Adam-free episodes, and a few Bonnie-free episodes.  Gah that character has become so unlikeable.

[jewel21]

Good episode. I always wondered what happened to Bonnie's mother after we last saw her. I also liked Bonnie learning she has a half brother. I wonder if we'll see more of him? This was a nice mix of drama and humour. I also enjoyed Jill in this episode as well as Wendy's ongoing crying theme, heh.

[wonderwoman]

Quote

Good episode. I always wondered what happened to Bonnie's mother after we last saw her. I also liked Bonnie learning she has a half brother. I wonder if we'll see more of him? This was a nice mix of drama and humour. I also enjoepisode. I always wondered what happened to Bonnie's mother after we last saw her. I also liked Bonnie learning she has a half brother. I wonder if we'll see more of him? This was a nice mix of drama and humour. I also enjoyed Jill in this episode as well as Wendy's ongoing crying there, heh.

CBS broke in with news of the Syria attack; please fill in what happened after the brother arrived. 

[jewel21]

Bonnie doesn't believe him at first and he shows her a picture of his mother and father. Bonnie is pissed that her mother gave her up but kept the brother. The brother is a lawyer and Bonnie is pissed that their mother put him through school but the brother informs her that he put himself through school, and everything good that happened in his life was because of him and despite of their mother. Christy comes clean about the money they found in the freezer and the brother tells Christy to keep the money and use it toward school. Then he mentions that Bonnie and his mother have the same temperament. That's pretty much it... Oh, and he gives Bonnie his business card if she ever wants to reach out.

[wonderwoman]

Thanks much...

[Ina123]

No Adam is a good episode.

[iMonrey]

I only vaguely remember the episode where Bonnie met her mother; who played her? Anyone remember?

[greekmom]

I really enjoyed the brother and was hoping that he overheard Bonnie at the graveyard.

Hopefully she meets up with him and finds out more about his life and why the mother kept him and how his life was a struggle.

Maybe it may give Bonnie better closure and realize she could have been a lot worse off.

[Blakeston]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I only vaguely remember the episode where Bonnie met her mother; who played her? Anyone remember?

Ellen Burstyn. She tracked Bonnie down because she was dying of cancer, and they had a sit-down. Bonnie was hoping she had a decent reason for abandoning her, but her explanation was, "I met a guy, and he didn't want a little kid around."

[hnygrl]

 That. Was. Good. Really. REALLY good. Emmy nomination good.

I sure do wish I'd taken notes now. That one sentence at the end, what did she say? Something to the effect of I can't blame my failures on you. Her taking responsibility for her own actions and not blaming every negative thing on her mother was really really good. Especially after seeing that "being kept" wasn't such a good deal either. 

Man I loved this one. 

Back to Adam next week. Dammit. Maybe they'll finally break up? Huh? Please?

[illdoc]

There was a CBS Breaking News interruption that I thought was going to take longer than it did, so I missed the middle. Did they keep the money or give it to the brother?

[hnygrl]

17 hours ago, jewel21 said:

 

Bonnie doesn't believe him at first and he shows her a picture of his mother and father. Bonnie is pissed that her mother gave her up but kept the brother. The brother is a lawyer and Bonnie is pissed that their mother put him through school but the brother informs her that he put himself through school, and everything good that happened in his life was because of him and despite of their mother. Christy comes clean about the money they found in the freezer and the brother tells Christy to keep the money and use it toward school. Then he mentions that Bonnie and his mother have the same temperament. That's pretty much it... Oh, and he gives Bonnie his business card if she ever wants to reach out.

 

illdoc, JEWEL21 did a recap.

[kitkat343]

Here is a link to what I hope is everything we missed from the CBS interruption on youtube.  My station cut out too, so I can't guarantee it's everything, but definitely includes part of what was cut out for me.  Oh, and the actor playing the brother is really good (as was Ellen Burstyn  as always) so it's worth seeing.:

 

[UsernameFatigue]

I am sad that they killed off Ellen Burstyn so soon as I was hoping she would make at least a couple of more appearances. I like the twist though with Bonnie having a brother. I wish they had said how much younger he is supposed to be - looks like a decade or so but who knows. I hope they bring him back for more shows as I think the show needs a new family type character since Christy's kids are not around. (And I don't miss them, either). My only quibble with the show would be the end when Bonnie went to her mother's grave. It seemed like it was supposed to be fairly recently after her passing, but the ground did not looked disturbed at all, as if the grave had been there for quite some time. 

Edited April 8, 2017 by UsernameFatigue

[possibilities]

I really hope they bring him back. I bet he has a family, too. I love that he's gay because it's annoyed me that the show is so white and so straight. It's not like everyone in AA is white and straight, but the show makes it seem like they are-- except the one Black woman who went to prison and then dumped sobriety. Also, he's funny and strong and would be a great counterweight to Bonnie's personality. Everyone else humors her, and this guy didn't take her shit.

[TheOtherOne]

Finally caught up with this week's episode. LOOOOOOOOOOVED it. I really think it may be my favorite show airing right now, and this episode was one of the best.

Plus, Anna Faris was on fire in the scene with Bonnie and her brother. I don't think she gets nearly enough credit on this show, where Janney gets all the accolades, but she's hilarious. Far too underrated.

12 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

My only quibble with the show would be the end when Bonnie went to her mother's grave. It seemed like it was supposed to be fairly recently after her passing, but the ground did not looked disturbed at all, as if the grave had been there for quite some time. 

At first I thought that was the same cemetery Christy took Violet to where she claimed Violet's father was buried (I'm too lazy to go back and check that episode to confirm), and thought maybe Bonnie was doing the same thing--borrowing someone else's grave to make her speech to her mother. Which wouldn't have really made sense, though it would have explained why the grave was strangely undisturbed.

Edited April 8, 2017 by TheOtherOne

[treeofdreams]

I was thinking about the grave issue while the scene was playing, and looking closer it seemed that the grave was greener than the area around it, which may mean it had been sodded.

[Canada]

Great... Adam comes back and the show goes to shit again.  I wish they would just get rid of him.

[msani19]

That was not good. That's all I've got.

[UsernameFatigue]

This was one of the worst episodes I have seen. Adam and Bonnie have been together (on and off at least) for awhile now, and she has certainly stayed at his place before. She never knew how he liked towels folded? Which was his favourite mug? I guess the writers are trying to make us believe that these things are only bothering Adam because Bonnie is now living there, but it was a bit too much. And Adam was right about Bonnie going through his mail - none of her business so soon after moving in.

My biggest quibble would be though, isn't Bonnie's job dependent on her being a live in manager at her apartment building? Isn't that why she has an apartment there in the first place? Lazy writing. As was the writing for Christy's new boyfriend. Lets take every stereotype about vegans and throw them all into one person. And lets make Christy so desperate for a boyfriend that she will parrot everything he says and does. Ugh. 

[wendyg]

Yes. Near-impossibly given that the show's main cast are five women over 39, this episode actually failed the Bechdel test. Very disappointing.

[LADreamr]

Adam is such a selfish POS. Can he please be gone soon? He gets wasted in her apartment, invites massive alcoholics over to her home, and his entitled ass sees nothing wrong with it, and there would be a lot wrong with it, even if Bonnie wasn't in recovery. But Bonnie just breathes wrong in his space and he's a pissy brat about it. Bonnie, please recognize your worth and leave this jerk!

[Blakeston]

22 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Lazy writing. As was the writing for Christy's new boyfriend. Lets take every stereotype about vegans and throw them all into one person. And lets make Christy so desperate for a boyfriend that she will parrot everything he says and does. Ugh. 

That tired, tired veganism storyline felt like the most Chuck Lorre-ish thing I've ever seen on this show. And I don't mean that in a good way.

[hnygrl]

Hated it.

Bonnies the building manager SHE HAS TO LIVE THERE!!!! GEEZE...and you mean to tell me, that out of all the sleepovers and weekenders they've had at Adam's place all this crap just came up NOW???? Good grief. That was awful.

Let's not even talk about the boy toy who refused to orgasm. Or COOK his food. Yeesh....

Awful. Just...let's pretend this episode never aired.