The A Word - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[atomationage]

Sundance seems to downplay the autism them by including it in a list of other A words, Adolescence, Aging, Attraction, Advice, Alliance, Adultery, Anguish, Anger, Affection, Angst, Adventure, Altruism, Admiration, Animosity, Anxiety, Acceptance: 

[guilfoyleatpp]

I'm so glad a forum was started for this show! I'm on Episode 4...well, we started with 1 and then missed a week and then watched 4. So yesterday I watched Episode 2 and now I'm on Episode 3.

The mom is just too much. I'm sort of wondering why they made her so unpleasant. It starts in the first episode when she calls out the little girl for moving so her own son wouldn't be the only one out. And he actually couldn't care less about the game. Even though her SIL Nicola does her a huge favor that puts a strain on Nicola's own marriage, Bitchface McGee can't help but be ugly to her when she returns with good news? She ignores her daughter. She was called out for being a bully in grade school by someone trying to help her, she's so clueless and tone deaf about people close to her.

I'm not sure what the point is here in making her so unlikable. I mean I guess it's a change from the martyr mom and the Munchausen by Proxy mom, but it's still...I don't know. I have a friend (with a 5 year old, I also have a 5 year old) and her son is moderately autistic. Friend and her husband are both socially awkward in different ways and she's mentioned sometimes the correlation between her son and her son's father. Now that I think about it, the lack of impulse control could be an ADHD signal.  I'm  not sure, just spit balling. 

[atomationage]

22 minutes ago, guilfoyleatpp said:

The mom is just too much. I'm sort of wondering why they made her so unpleasant.

I think they're just trying to show her living in a permanently stressful situation.  She certainly contributes to the stress.  They have this nice little family, with their own routines, and then they have to come up against other people who don't know or understand exactly what is going on.   I saw this back in March and April, so details are a little fuzzy, but you've obviously watched the scene were Joe slaps someone, I forget if it was his mum or dad.   That was an alarm bell.   I like the daughter, and the lady who used to work for them who picks up Joe every morning when he goes out for his walk.   I watched for Eccleston and McHugh, but they have a very nice cast. 

Good news, there is apparently going to be a second season. 

[DearEvette]

I agree about the mom.  Everyone is flawed and has some issues or selfish moments, but hers are just soo... unpleasant.  I just finished episode three? The one with her old school friend Maggie who is the occupational therapist wokring with Joe.  I loved her calling Alison a bully because she does feel like one. And then later on when Allisontracks down Maggie at her office I love how Maggie tries to get her to realize all of her reactions to Joe are selfish. So yeah Allison is the worst.

I am kinda liking Nicola, the SIL's boss.  He is kinda an ass but he's kinda funny.  He's growing on me.

I feel bad for the older daughter Rebbeca.  I like how she isn't some sullen caricature and she's really good with Joe.

[DearEvette]

Ok I finished this season and this was so good.  Glad it was renewed.

I hated Allison so much until the finale where she finally became human. I actually felt bad for her the last episode. 

I didn't think I'd like Eddie as much as I did but I love his character progression.  Also I think his and Nicola's marriage was portrayed really honestly.  Looking forward to see what happens there.

[atomationage]

I felt uncomfortable with Joe wandering off every morning and getting picked up in the road.   I wonder what they're going to do with that in the next season.  It won't air until 2017, so it will probably be on about the same month as this year.   

I had seen Greg McHugh (Eddie) for years on Fresh Meat, and was surprised that his character on The A Word was so completely different..

[DearEvette]

On 9/5/2016 at 7:50 PM, atomationage said:

felt uncomfortable with Joe wandering off every morning and getting picked up in the road.

I did too.  I wonder if that was intentional?  One the one hand it was a unifying way to open each episode and was supposed to give the subext that this was a close knit, everybody knows your name, community.

But on the other hand, there is a sense of foreboding about it since it is usually cloudy in the morning and he is surrounded by all these hills and lakes.  beautiful scenery but also a little sinister when you think of how alone he is out there, this little  5 yo with just his headphones on.  I never did get the sense of how really far away from the house he was.

Also in the finale

Spoiler

the face of the person picking him up in the very first scene is blurred out.  The van is the same, but the face of the guy is blurred.  Even though it turns out to be one of the regular guys who picks him up, the blurring felt really intentional and a little foreshadowy.

Edited September 7, 2016 by DearEvette

[atomationage]

The scariest part for me was that he's actually in the road.  It might be an isolated area, but an unexpected car could come around a curve or over a hill and not see him.   My recollection is that he just got up before everyone and let himself out.  I still thought it was pretty neglectful of his parents.   They gave him more freedom than was good for him.   Plus, he's walking with the headphones, so how is he going to hear anything approaching?

[IrishPirate]

I remember leaving a house I'd stayed at on the Dingle Peninsula in SW Ireland, headed up to Galway. It was well over an hour before I saw another car on the road, in either direction. Sheep? Some. But no cars between 6 and 7 am.

So glad the show's renewed. The characters did a lot of changing in six episodes, lots of groundwork done for future episodes.

[SlackerInc]

OMG, I laughed 'til my sides hurt at the scene in the second episode when the sister's boyfriend turned to leave and the condom fell off his jacket...then he covered it with his foot and dragged it along with him very awkwardly.  I had no idea this show could make me laugh like that!

[ichbin]

When I heard about this show I wasn't interested because I figured it would just be another preachy, uplifting saga about the disability du jour.   While watching something on Sundance recently I saw some ads for series 2 and my interest was piqued.   I found the first series on Amazon and am now up to date (by US/Sundance standards).   I really like it.  Being the parent of an atypical child I related to so much of what the family went through.  Interesting to see so many negative comments about the mother.  I see her differently.    Dealing with a child who doesn't fit the "normal" mold is a constant process, much of it, particularly in the beginning, being overhwelming, scary, and can totally possess your every waking moment.   I think the show got so much right about that. 

[Misslindsey]

I did not mind Alison in the first season. She did have a lot of tunnel vision going on where Joe was concerned which I thought was understandable. One thing I liked about this show was that I may not like a character's actions, but I could understand why they were doing it. I really liked all of the main cast. 

So did season two do an almost two year time jump? I was confused for a moment there.

[ichbin]

6 hours ago, Misslindsey said:

So did season two do an almost two year time jump? I was confused for a moment there.

Joe was 5 in the first series and there was a mention in the first episode of the second series that he was seven.  Between that and the baby I figured it to be about a two year jump too.

[penguinnj]

Nicola can do so much better and I hate seeing her beg her ex to come back.  

Overall, I really enjoy this show and as the mother of a son on the spectrum I love the way the issue is handled.  I can identify with so much of the roller coaster like life you have.  

I don't really need to see Eccleston's girlfriend's cancer battle- I would like a little more focus on Joe and the core family.

[Misslindsey]

52 minutes ago, penguinnj said:

I don't really need to see Eccleston's girlfriend's cancer battle- I would like a little more focus on Joe and the core family.

I concur. I would rather the focus on Joe and the family. I would rather see Eccleston interact with his girlfriend's son that got a job at the restaurant. I find that more interesting than her cancer battle.

I wish Rebecca would ditch her boyfriend. I did understand his point how so much revolves around Joe, but I understood her reasoning as well. I just cannot warm up to his character. I miss Rebecca's snarky friend that she used to hang out at the bus stop with.

I do like the whole Joe in a new school storyline. 

[penguinnj]

On 11/21/2017 at 5:59 PM, Misslindsey said:

I miss Rebecca's snarky friend that she used to hang out at the bus stop with.

He's back!!!  He is so much better than broody boyfriend.

[Misslindsey]

Tom! I forgot his name was Tom. He gets some of the best lines.

I was glad Rebecca's annoying boyfriend left. I hope he stays gone.

I wondered the other week if they were going to go there with Paul and waitress lady that has an autistic son as well. I really hope they do not act on their "moment" though.

It looks like Joe is doing well at his new school.

[penguinnj]

I really do not understand Nicola's attraction to Eddie.  From Episode 1 we know she cheated on him but for the entire run of the series she wants to make it work.  He can't forgive her- which he is entitled to do.  But, by this point from everything we know about her character I find it shocking that she hasn't moved on.  She must see that he will never forgive her and will continue to passive aggressively punish when they are a "couple."  She also does not strike me as the type that needs to be with Emily's father for her sake.  Just shake my head at this one. Would love to see her hook up with her boss- he is hilarious and would give him more screen time.

 

I can see both sides of the Paul/Allison conflict.  He has checked out emotionally- the cause still seems undefined- but at least he is honest about it.  I consider him weak, but I respect the fact that he was willing to leave.  I understand Allison's confusion- I share it!  I still don't know where this is coming from- but she knows she is in her marriage alone and wants a decision either way, which I like.  I am leaning towards hoping they do not work it out- I think they need a break from one another and it would make better viewing.

 

Still love Maurice but hate his sub plot with his on again, off again, maybe dying, maybe engaged, girlfriend.  It is just too much and I am not invested enough to care.  Stop making it so complicated- it's not central in any way to what I want to see.  I wouldn't even mind if they were together, but all the drama sucks time away from relationships I want to see.  I hate that all of his conversations with the family are about his love life.  If there is another time jump- if they do another season- would love to see Rebecca back- a bit more grounded from her travels- and with a bit more focus.

 

And aww Joe.  Love Joe.  Just more Joe.

[DearEvette]

Oh, man, I had no idea this was back for S2.  So glad, I enjoyed this so much last year.

I've only just watched the first episode and like how they've moved the characters in the two year since the show ended.

After spending much of the first season being so exasperated and sometimes downright disliking Alison, I am totally loving her in this this episode.  I can see the growth in her attitude wrt to Joe's diagnosis.  Meanwhile Paul seems to have regressed.  I'm interested to see how far they take it.

Oh man, I thought the cracks in Nicola and Eddie's marriage were realistically shown last season.  Somewhat surprised (and honestly glad) to see they decided to do the smart thing and divorce.  But here again, it seems that one has seemingly grown -  Eddie - while Nicola seems to have regressed. It doesn't seem like the Nicola from last season would have been the type of character to insist on pretending her marriage for her parents.  I am glad that plot point got resolved in this episode I'd hate for something like this to drag on.  I love her mother, though.  So salty!  Their daughter is dead cute and I love the smallish glimpse we get of Joe's relationship with the baby.

Ok, Rebecca's sullen bf.  Hot yeah, but dude-- lighten up!

Anyway, so glad I have something to binge at the start of my two week Christmas vacay.

[Misslindsey]

I enjoyed this season. This is one of the shows where I like all the main characters. I may not like all their actions, but I can see their reasoning behind them.

On 12/15/2017 at 0:09 AM, penguinnj said:

Would love to see her hook up with her boss- he is hilarious and would give him more screen time.

Nicola's boss is hilarious. I would not mind her hooking up with him. I like the relationship that Nicola and Eddie have this season. I do not know if I would call it coparenting or friendship, but there is an ease there. It does not mean I want them to get back together, but I do like the character's interactions.

I can see both sides of the Paul and Allison conflict as well. I am not sure where Paul's issues are coming from, whether it is from living apart, the moment with Sophie, or even seeing a bit of Joe in Mark. I would like them to ultimately be together, but if not I am fine with that also. I did like the scene with Paul and Mark in the last episode.

I enjoyed the conversation between Rebecca and Allison. Rebecca stating that she knows and has always known that she will have to take care of Joe in the future. It was a nice sibling perspective.

I was not fond of Maurice's storyline this season. I do not mind Louise, but would have rather seen Maurice have a storyline that was not about his love life. I liked the scene in the previous episode with Maurice packing up his wife's stuff on the shelf and then putting it all back when Louise turned him down.

Love Joe as always. This show has some great casting. I enjoy all the main characters, but love the side characters like Tom, Ralph, Mark, and Ramesh.

[shksabelle]

Hello. I have a question. Let me begin by saying that I honestly know nothing about autism other than what I have seen portrayed in movies and on TV. I hope that my question does not come off as disrespectful in any way because that is certainly not my intent. 

What I am wondering is:  it seems that everyone around Joe indulges all his behaviors without regard to how they might affect anyone else. For example, at the show, they had the audience wait while the entire family was brought onstage, and then Joe turned his back on the audience to perform. Putting aside Maurice’s collapse, that situation would have been the most memorable thing about the show, and would overshadow all the other kids’ performances. 

Also, I don’t understand how not trying to modify Joe’s behaviors is going to help him as he grows up and has to be able to function at some level in “normal” society. 

Again, I hope I have not offended anyone. My questions arise purely out of curiosity and my ignorance. 

[DearEvette]

I just finished episode 2.3 and thought this was a really good, strong episode.  It was also very funny in places --like how Nicola's advice to Rebecca of what to do after a break up came back to her from her own father.  That particular game of telephone was fun to see.  Alison's reaction to Eddie's new gf, and Alison's 'notes' while she was sitting in on Eddie's lecture.  And basically everything out of Nicola's boss' mouth.

I agree with everyone about Maurice's storyline with his gf's cancer is the weakest link and it infuriates me that he simply won't respect her wishes.  I loved her talk to Alison about it being her cancer and she needing to manage it her way, but overall the show would have missed a beat if they had done without it, but then I guess they would need to have come up with something for Maurice.

Not sorry to see Nicola's dad leave, but his being there added to what I liked the most about this episode and that is the entire family interaction with each other.  No matter their issues this is a warm and likable family.  Like, Rebecca going to Nicola for advice, ditto Paul  going to Eddie, Eddie allowing Alison and Joe to stay at his place, Nicola's dad giving Rebecca driving lessons (she is right he is patient teacher!)  and he then working so tirelessly on fixing up that bike for Joe, Joe's sweet reliance on baby Emily being one of his familiar anchors, and Maurice getting Joe that goat.  My favorite scene was of Nicola walking baby Emily, while Eddie was walking the goat as they trailed along behind Rebecca giving Joe his bike riding lessons. 

And finally, Joe's goldfish are named Kim and Kanye.  Ha!