Season 3 Discussion

[fishcakes]

1 hour ago, Quickbeam said:

I was schooled on it pretty vividly. It was interpreted as a provocative and hostile act.  This was 1972; maybe not so much any more?

I think this might be a 70s thing. I was in grade school at the time and my school was pretty evenly divided among black, white, and Asian kids. "Hair flipping," wasn't considered hostile, but it was seen as conceited. And, as you said, it wasn't even a flip; it was just ... your hair is falling forward and you push it behind your shoulder. But I remember at least a couple of times where another girl would get in my face and accuse me of flipping my hair and thinking I was cute.

[Quickbeam]

5 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

Locked in a closet? My goodness. Can I start the hashtag #NotAllBlackPeople? I flip my hair like Willow Smith all the time. Hopefully it stopped in 1972. 

Nah. It's all good. I got an amazing theater gig through my dorm mates. Overall, it was an excellent learning experience for a barely 17 year old farm girl! 

[pivot]

I am indifferent to the back door pilot but Zoe's clothes in this episode were AMAZING. Seriously, I love the characters style. 

[peeayebee]

She's gorgeous. Although she was just fine in a supporting role (or part of an ensemble), I don't think she has the star quality to be a show's lead.

[Black Knight]

I think Yara Shahidi could carry a show; it's the Zoe character that can't. Ironically, this backdoor pilot showed a lot of the reasons why Zoe doesn't work as a lead, the biggest being that the character is too low-affect.

But there are a couple of ways the writers could fix that - they could change Zoe's personality somewhat (with the excuse that it's college, and people can change a lot in college), or they could shift the focus to another character who works better. I didn't see someone suitable in this week's backdoor pilot, but we only really met two other students, which is too small a number for a college show. I would expect more student characters should the spin-off be a go, so there's still opportunity to add a real lead (as well as making other tweaks). As such, I will give the show a chance.

Charlie was hilarious, per usual. But I do think they're smart not to make him a lead. His blend of crazy and stupid is not sustainable in large amounts of screentime.

[Johnny Dollar]

Well that was unfunny. They need better writers and secondary characters for this to work as a spin-off. 

I guess since they're going to make the college out to be some kind of a clusterfuck, the real UCLA must have threatened a lawsuit, hence the new CULA. With choices like NYU and Vanderbilt, it seems ridiculous to make her choice look like the second coming of Faber College. 

[Perfect Xero]

The school administration is basically the same set up as Dre's job. He works at a seemingly successful advertising agency, yet everyone he works with/for is a complete idiot.

[Nalan]

I don't even know why shows do backdoor pilots like these.  The Golden Girls tried one, and it was one of the worst-rated episodes ever (even though the show that ended up coming from it was very successful).  The Nanny also tried one, but it didn't even get off the ground!

Anyone else know of any shows that tried this method?

Edited May 8, 2017 by Nalan

[Aileen]

46 minutes ago, Nalan said:

I don't even know shows do backdoor pilots like these.  The Golden Girls tried one, and it was one of the worst-rated episodes ever (even though the show that ended up coming from it was very successful).  The Nanny also tried one, but it didn't even get off the ground!

Anyone else know of any shows that tried this method?

You must have missed the horrific backdoor pilot on The Office that was about the beet farm. One of the worst things I've ever seen on tv.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Aileen

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 5/4/2017 at 10:19 AM, RedHawk said:

I also vote for a Charlie spinoff. International Man of Mystery and adjunct college professor who teaches kickboxing on the side? Bring it. Also, we might once again see Eustace!

I loved the scenes of Charlie teaching his class so I'm all for an International Man of Mystery spinoff with Charlie just doing Charlie things like teaching night business classes to prostitutes and kickboxing in the park!

On 5/4/2017 at 8:39 AM, charmed1 said:

I wonder if this is the same fictional California University that the kids from West Beverly went to. If so, beware of John Sears.

Don't forget that the kids on Saved by the Bell attended CU at the same time as 90210 kids! Weird how they never ran into each other even once.

1 hour ago, Nalan said:

I don't even know why shows do backdoor pilots like these.  The Golden Girls tried one, and it was one of the worst-rated episodes ever (even though the show that ended up coming from it was very successful).  The Nanny also tried one, but it didn't even get off the ground!

Anyone else know of any shows that tried this method?

The Originals did a backdoor pilot on the fourth season of The Vampire Diaries and it's now in its fourth season (and I'd argue that it's better than TVD which went off the rails in its later years). There wasn't a backdoor pilot for Angel, but everyone knew that the character of Angel was leaving Buffy the Vampire Slayer (heh, both the show and the character) for his own spinoff (which was successful and lasted five seasons) so when he turned and walked away from her at the end of the S3 finale, that was the extent of his backdoor pilot. Weirdly, there have been a lot of successful spinoffs that just had a one shot guest appearance on the original show (as opposed to a backdoor pilot for a longrunning character on the original): Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy both got their spinoffs from Happy Days that way, as did Melrose Place (from 90210) and Models inc (from Melrose Place). To be fair, there are spin off series for series regulars that were successful too (off the top of my head: Frasier, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, and Private Practice_.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

6 hours ago, Aileen said:

 

6 hours ago, Aileen said:

7 hours ago, Nalan said:

I don't even know shows do backdoor pilots like these.  The Golden Girls tried one, and it was one of the worst-rated episodes ever (even though the show that ended up coming from it was very successful).  The Nanny also tried one, but it didn't even get off the ground!

Anyone else know of any shows that tried this method?

You must have missed the horrific backdoor pilot on The Office that was about the beet farm. One of the worst things I've ever seen on tv.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/61621/15-backdoor-pilots-never-became-tv-shows

Edited May 8, 2017 by ItCouldBeWorse

[qtpye]

16 hours ago, Black Knight said:

I think Yara Shahidi could carry a show; it's the Zoe character that can't. Ironically, this backdoor pilot showed a lot of the reasons why Zoe doesn't work as a lead, the biggest being that the character is too low-affect.

But there are a couple of ways the writers could fix that - they could change Zoe's personality somewhat (with the excuse that it's college, and people can change a lot in college), or they could shift the focus to another character who works better. I didn't see someone suitable in this week's backdoor pilot, but we only really met two other students, which is too small a number for a college show. I would expect more student characters should the spin-off be a go, so there's still opportunity to add a real lead (as well as making other tweaks). As such, I will give the show a chance.

Charlie was hilarious, per usual. But I do think they're smart not to make him a lead. His blend of crazy and stupid is not sustainable in large amounts of screentime.

 

On ‎5‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 2:16 AM, pivot said:

I am indifferent to the back door pilot but Zoe's clothes in this episode were AMAZING. Seriously, I love the characters style. 

Zoe's style gives me life.  I think she is one of the best dressed teenagers on television. 

That said, I remember when they changed Denise Huxtable's character when she went to college on a "Different World".  Cosby show Denise was a smart girl with good grades who had sort of an funky cutting edge sense of style, when compared to the rest of the family.  College Denise was a ditz, who seemed to never heard of things such as proof reading one's paper before turning it in.  I hope if they change Zoe, it seems more organic, rather then we are trying really hard to make the character quirky.

[Black Knight]

12 hours ago, qtpye said:

 

Zoe's style gives me life.  I think she is one of the best dressed teenagers on television. 

That said, I remember when they changed Denise Huxtable's character when she went to college on a "Different World".  Cosby show Denise was a smart girl with good grades who had sort of an funky cutting edge sense of style, when compared to the rest of the family.  College Denise was a ditz, who seemed to never heard of things such as proof reading one's paper before turning it in.  I hope if they change Zoe, it seems more organic, rather then we are trying really hard to make the character quirky.

Heh - I was thinking of that show, but for the second scenario I posited above, that of adding other characters who are better suited to be leads. Even before Denise left, Whitley and Dwayne were clearly the breakout characters, and it was no surprise that they quickly became the leads. It would've happened even if Denise had continued on the show.

But, for the first scenario, I agree I wouldn't want Zoe to be made a ditz. Very much the reverse, really - I think to be a really viable lead, she would need to become less shallow and more driven, which I think could be done in an organic way since it would build off the intelligence she's already been shown to have. She basically floats through life, and that's all she wants, and it's hard to build storyline arcs befitting a lead on such a trait. But it works well for a supporting character reacting to the madness around her, as on this show.

Edited May 9, 2017 by Black Knight

[SanDiegoInExile]

On 5/7/2017 at 2:50 PM, Black Knight said:

I think Yara Shahidi could carry a show; it's the Zoe character that can't. Ironically, this backdoor pilot showed a lot of the reasons why Zoe doesn't work as a lead, the biggest being that the character is too low-affect.

But there are a couple of ways the writers could fix that - they could change Zoe's personality somewhat (with the excuse that it's college, and people can change a lot in college), or they could shift the focus to another character who works better. I didn't see someone suitable in this week's backdoor pilot, but we only really met two other students, which is too small a number for a college show. I would expect more student characters should the spin-off be a go, so there's still opportunity to add a real lead (as well as making other tweaks)......

This is Lisa Bonet 2.0.  She was a less than memorable character on The Cosby Show.  And she failed miserably as the lead on A Different World.  I have a feeling that the spinoff won't happen anyway.  But if it does, the white girl sidekick is headed for an Oscar.  Marisa Tomei played Lisa Bonet's bestie in Year One and then went on to win the statuette within five years.

[Dee]

I don't think Yara's a bad actress or Zoey a bad character but the misogyny of Kenya and his writers room has stifled the potential of both the character and the actress which will jeopardize the success of the spinoff imo.

[qtpye]

9 hours ago, Black Knight said:

But, for the first scenario, I agree I wouldn't want Zoe to be made a ditz. Very much the reverse, really - I think to be a really viable lead, she would need to become less shallow and more driven, which I think could be done in an organic way since it would build off the intelligence she's already been shown to have. She basically floats through life, and that's all she wants, and it's hard to build storyline arcs befitting a lead on such a trait. But it works well for a supporting character reacting to the madness around her, as on this show.

It could work.  However, they made the same excuse for Denise.  They said Denise sailed through high school without any effort and was stumped by college.  However, Zoey is not Denise...so you never know.

[Driad]

They could have shown how bright and responsible Zoe is supposed to be. She should know how "dependable" her dad is, but she didn't make sure he had sent in the housing application?  Of course, if she had, they wouldn't have a sitcom plot.

[jhlipton]

On 5/4/2017 at 1:54 AM, wales260 said:

It's also super-weird to watch this a whole 4 days after binging on Dear White People, which took huge amounts of time to discuss things like the existence of a black dorm in a mixed campus. I'm not sure how many colleges are really hemming about 1 dorm that skews toward one affinity, but I went to a tech school; all we got was Real Genius.

I'm in the middle of binging Dear White People, and the comparison is obvs (as Sam or Coo would say), and not favorable for the spin-off. This show hit a lot of the same notes -- affinity housing, colorism (especially for Women of Color), 1st crushes...  But Sam is a force of nature, and her friends (and not-so-friends) are strong characters, which makes it fun to watch.  Zoe... not so much.

On 5/4/2017 at 10:35 AM, luna1122 said:

learning the correct pronouns to use for the girl who was trans/queer/bi/pan etc. 

All the shows hitting this are being really stupid about it.  No one is going to say "Hi, my name is [x] and I am

1. ."  The point of LBGT/QUILTBAG/ [whatever ACRONYM -- right, Charlie?] is to make people aware that there a multitude of gender affiliation and expression, not that one has to pick from a menu.  One hand, it's good to see that shows are acknowledging These multitudes, but they could be a lot less condescending about ti.  

On 5/8/2017 at 3:12 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

To be fair, there are spin off series for series regulars that were successful too (off the top of my head: ... The Jeffersons, ...

All in the Family holds the record for the most spin-off from a single show:  Maude, [Good Times is not considered a spin-off], The Jeffersons, Checking In, Gloria, Archie Bunker's Place and 704 Hauser.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Just as I'm laughing and truly enjoying Pops and how he totally ignores what Dre has asked him not to do (and I'm saying, 'Never change, Pops!) the show made me cry, dammit! For a moment, when I didn't hear the baby cry when the doctor delivered him, I thought for sure that he didn't make it.

I ???when after Dre told Pops to make sure no one touched the cupcakes, Pops assured him he wouldn't and then proceeded to eat them!

All the adults did a great job. I loved how Ruby tried to cover her fear, called Bow her daughter and kissed her forehead.

Diane: "Charles."

Charlie: "Diane. I thought  I felt a cold presence."

Me: ??

Charlie provided the needed laughter, insisting that his mother's soul would be going into D'vante.

Edited May 11, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule

[mtlchick]

After losing my dad recently, I just about lost it when Ruby called Bow her "daughter"...then played it off as a hallucination.

And of COURSE Charlie would 1) find a friend in Jonah and 2) give his mom a bathtub shark.  

Good episode.  It was an even season though.  Stellar moments ("Lemons" needs ALL the Emmys!) to Meh (trip to Disney) to "who hates us that much to do this?" (rhymes with Bhris Crown.) 

[Traveller519]

For as emotional as this episode was, it sure delivered some excellent comedy. The sign of a show that really has its hooks in me.

Junior's memo to himself killed me, "I will break the cycle!" It works so well because of how they've built up the Andre and junior dynamic, then following it up with pops taking it out on Andre added to it.

"You're going to be my mom's new uncle."

"I get that"

I do too gents, that's how we wound up with Denise Faria reincarnated as the Royal Baby.

[charmed1]

Did I spy real-life wife Gina Torres being hit on by Pops? Other than Charlie and the return of my girl, Ruby, I found this episode super boring. I see that it was directed by Eva Longoria. I hope it's her last.

[Dee]

Tonight was Tracee & Anthony's Emmy reels.

[MadyGirl1987]

Did I hear right at the end? Did they say Black-ish will be back next season? They did announce Modern Family getting a two year renewal today...

Really enjoyed the episode. Highlights were Pops and Charlie. Thought they handled the drama well... A good balance.

[kitticup]

I really liked the episode.  They did an excellent job blending in the comedy with the drama.  Charlie and johan are my new Brotp.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved when Charlie popped up behind Dre with the new baby and said, "It's not weird." Any time you have to tell someone that something isn't weird, IT IS WEIRD. But if this means Charlie is going to be showing up at Dre's house at random times to visit with his mother in Dre's son, I'm all for it.

Even though Pops refuses to follow Dre's orders, at least he took the kids to the gift shop. I thought he would just pocket the money and have them walk around the hospital.

I didn't see the nurse's face but from the back she looked too short to be Gina Torres.

[Driad]

Did that baby look like a preemie to anyone? (I've been watching Call the Midwife, which at least shows actual newborns.) 

[anna0852]

No. Unless they used a doll, there is no way to realistically show a premature baby. They are just too tiny to be on set. I'm fine with handwaving the baby's size.

[BoogieBurns]

1 hour ago, anna0852 said:

No. Unless they used a doll, there is no way to realistically show a premature baby. They are just too tiny to be on set. I'm fine with handwaving the baby's size.

They would have had to audition pregnant women who were positive they'd be delivering a preemie. It's not worth it. That was a small baby, so I bet he was a preemie who was at least 6 weeks old. Making the baby standard-newborn sized and healthy. That's the new trend in getting babies to look small who are also "old enough" to be outside of the house.

[BoogieBurns]

@mtlchick broke the tentative news on the media thread, but now it's confirmed. The spinoff was picked up by ABC's sister network with the terrible name Freeform.

So, Zoey won't be back-to-back with her family on ABC, but she's definitely going off to college. 

[MadyGirl1987]

15 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

They would have had to audition pregnant women who were positive they'd be delivering a preemie. It's not worth it. That was a small baby, so I bet he was a preemie who was at least 6 weeks old. Making the baby standard-newborn sized and healthy. That's the new trend in getting babies to look small who are also "old enough" to be outside of the house.

That seems kind of exploitive... What do they do? Go to parents whose kid is just out of NICU and say "we want to use your baby on our show?" I doubt many parents would not say no even if they were uncomfortable with it because the care of a premature baby is costly.

Edited May 11, 2017 by MadyGirl1987

[BoogieBurns]

2 minutes ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

That seems kind of exploitive... What do they do? Go to parents whose kid is just out of NICU and say "we want to use your baby on our show?" I doubt many parents would not say no even if they were uncomfortable with it because the care of a premature baby is costly.

I don't know exactly how it works, but of course the parents are the ones who sign their children up. I learned about it on a commentary from The Office when they were casting Jim and Pam's baby. Then I learned through a discussion on this site that most babies are 6 week old preemies these days. 

I much prefer a fat 3 month old as a newborn than someone auditioning dilated cervixes. But, they don't ever ask my opinion!

[Driad]

I would have been fine with a glimpse of a doll.  Using a big real baby seemed like a lot of trouble for a not very realistic effect.

[BoogieBurns]

3 minutes ago, Driad said:

I would have been fine with a glimpse of a doll.  Using a big real baby seemed like a lot of trouble for a not very realistic effect.

That baby did make me cry. I think the emotion of seeing him got to me. So, I am contradicting myself! I cried the whole episode though. 

[anna0852]

24 minutes ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

That seems kind of exploitive... What do they do? Go to parents whose kid is just out of NICU and say "we want to use your baby on our show?" I doubt many parents would not say no even if they were uncomfortable with it because the care of a premature baby is costly.

Call the Midwife needs newborns all the time. They have notices up in OB/GYN offices for mom's that deliver (full term and healthy, they don't work with preemies) during the shoot dates and are interesting in letting their babies appear. Mom is on set the whole time, with very limited camera time for the baby and a fully trained nurse-midwife just out of camera range.

[Dee]

Rainbow's family not being at the hospital was a glaring omission.

[tennisgurl]

Oh man, they got me. I was legitimately worried about the baby near the end of this, and I actually got a little teary a few times, like when Bow admitted she was scared, or the scenes with Ruby, where she hugged Dre, then she called Bow her daughter (even if she blamed it on the drugs)and kissed her on the forehead. I mean, I'm not looking forward to have a baby on the show, but I certainly didn't want the baby to die!

But they still managed to add in some humor, like Junior wanting to break the cycle of men in their family being unable to show affection, or Zoë's annoyance at sucking at sewing (stay in your lane Zoe!), and, my favorite, Charlie meeting Johan and the two of them immediately hitting it off. Please tell me get more of them hanging out next season! I just love how they both started saying all their usual weird stuff, only for them both to react like "Yes, that sounds completely reasonable to me. Soul Sharing is totally my jam."

And suddenly, a wild Biz Marke appears! His appearance automatically bumps this episode up too points, and it was a strong episode to start with. Good way to end the season!

[Shermie]

It was an adequate episode, and they did a good job with a serious issue on a sitcom. It was also a nice twist on the standard "giving birth" episode.

However, in what universe do people throw their own baby shower? Is that a thing? I've never seen that and would be kinda pissed; seems like a gift grab, like Ruby said. Showers are supposed to be thrown by a friend or relative, never by the recipient.

[MadyGirl1987]

28 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

Call the Midwife needs newborns all the time. They have notices up in OB/GYN offices for mom's that deliver (full term and healthy, they don't work with preemies) during the shoot dates and are interesting in letting their babies appear. Mom is on set the whole time, with very limited camera time for the baby and a fully trained nurse-midwife just out of camera range.

That's good to hear! I don't have a problem with using babies, per say, but I think preemies shouldn't be used. 

19 minutes ago, Dee said:

Rainbow's family not being at the hospital was a glaring omission.

Johan was there. Also, don't her parents live out of state? They wouldn't have had time to come as her having the baby that day was not expected.

[BoogieBurns]

16 minutes ago, Shermie said:

However, in what universe do people throw their own baby shower? Is that a thing?

People definitely throw their own showers! Especially for their 5th child. Friends and family only want to throw the first baby shower, and after that it's on mom and dad to decide if they want to host guests for gifts. Because of the huge age gap between the littles and the baby, it's not crazy to have a shower. They wouldn't still have baby stuff leftover. 

[Dee]

I know Johan was there, but it was weird to have such a serious issue happen, with little to no mention of Bow's relatives, after focusing so much on them fairly recently. A small line from Johan, or Earl and Ruby, about contacting the rest of Bow's immediate family would've done the trick imo.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Dee

[MadyGirl1987]

2 minutes ago, Dee said:

I know Johan was there, but it was weird to have such a serious issue happen, with little to no mention of Bow's family, after focusing so much on them fairly recently. A small line from Johan, or Earl and Ruby about contacting the rest of Bow's immediate family would've done the trick imo.

Yeah, they could have done that.

[Mountainair]

I cried the whole episode. But I cry easily- really easily. I had to watch this morning while getting dressed with my own one year old "helping" me. I delivered her four weeks early and my middle son three weeks early due to high blood pressure. I know it's TV land and every pregnancy is different, blah, blah, blah but in my experience it seems like if Bow had Pre E she would have been far sicker than just a headache that won't go away. I never had Pre E but just with my high blood pressure issues I was sick as a damn dog. Lethargy, swollen limbs, headache, vomiting. Even then the dr monitored me and the baby for a while with non stress tests, urine analysis daily, bed rest etc. for a week or so before deciding to induce. I also was not at an "advanced maternal age" so  I suppose that's the reason for inducing Bow so early.

Because I really hate the baby story line I feel the need to nit pick I guess. I just think Bow should have apperead a bit more under the weather than she did for me to believe the urgency to deliver the baby two months early. 

I did enjoy all the other interactions at the hospital though!

Edited May 11, 2017 by Mountainair

[Shermie]

22 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

People definitely throw their own showers! Especially for their 5th child. Friends and family only want to throw the first baby shower, and after that it's on mom and dad to decide if they want to host guests for gifts. Because of the huge age gap between the littles and the baby, it's not crazy to have a shower. They wouldn't still have baby stuff leftover. 

I get needing stuff for the baby, esp with the big age gap. But it's not required that other people get that stuff for you. I buy a bigger house, do I expect gifts to help furnish it? Of course not. Your life choices, your expenses.

Now if people want to give a gift, and that always happens when someone has a baby whether it's the first or the fifth, that's different. You visit sometime after it's born to see the new baby, and give the gift.

But to host a shower for yourself is gauche. You're saying, come to my house and bring a present.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

44 minutes ago, Mountainair said:

I know it's TV land and every pregnancy is different, blah, blah, blah but in my experience it seems like if Bow had Pre E she would have been far sicker than just a headache that won't go away. I never had Pre E but just with my high blood pressure issues I was sick as a damn dog. Lethargy, swollen limbs, headache, vomiting. Even then the dr monitored me and the baby for a while with non stress tests, urine analysis daily, bed rest etc. for a week or so before deciding to induce.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Downton Abbey.  Preeclampsia played a major role there.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

or Zoë's annoyance at sucking at sewing (stay in your lane Zoe!)

It was knitting she sucked at; not sewing.?

[Dee]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

And suddenly, a wild Biz Marke appears! His appearance automatically bumps this episode up too points, and it was a strong episode to start with. Good way to end the season!

First Empire, now Black-ish. Biz is getting paid!

[BoogieBurns]

6 hours ago, Shermie said:

But to host a shower for yourself is gauche. You're saying, come to my house and bring a present.

Oh, I agree. I have taken to the Carrie Bradshaw method where I start registering for gifts too whenever my friends have another kid or wedding. I want free stuff too.

Hosting a baby shower for a 5th kid is just something people do, and I RSVP no. 

Edited May 12, 2017 by BoogieBurns

[fishcakes]

I think the baby was a combination of animatronic doll and CGI, not a real baby. The cast credits listed "Davonte arm" played by one person (I assume a baby), and "Davonte body" by another. I saw on a soap opera where they used only an animatronic and it was fairly creepy, but combined with CGI based on real baby video, it comes off pretty believable. I even let out an, "awwww!" when he started sucking his thumb. (I think that's how Davonte was spelled in the credits; it went by fast. IMDb doesn't have the full credits up yet, so I couldn't check it.)

This was a good episode; the only real jarring note was the OB/Gyn being so damned insensitive with the, "in cases like this if something goes wrong, it's hospital policy to try to save the mother. Does she have a DNR?" while flipping through Bow's medical record. Of course she had to prepare him for a bad outcome, but damn. Try to exhibit some human feelings for 30 seconds. Taking care of two elderly parents, I've been around more than my share of doctors and they are occasionally more brusque and businesslike than I would prefer, but Bow's doctor was downright cold-blooded.

[peeayebee]

Good ep. Funny, poignant, sweet. 

 

17 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Diane: "Charles."

Charlie: "Diane. I thought  I felt a cold presence."

So awesome. At first when he told Dre his mother was on her last legs, I thought it was going to be something about his mom having artificial legs and getting new ones. I'm glad I was wrong. I hope to see Charlie from time to time talking to the baby as if he's Charlie's mother.

Charlie: Why did I think a bathtub shark was a good idea? Why?
(The way he added the final 'Why' was just hilarious.)

Also, it was great seeing Johan and Charlie hit it off. I think this might be the first ep where I thought Johan was kind of funny. Kind of.

 

10 minutes ago, fishcakes said:

This was a good episode; the only real jarring note was the OB/Gyn being so damned insensitive with the, "in cases like this if something goes wrong, it's hospital policy to try to save the mother. Does she have a DNR?" while flipping through Bow's medical record. Of course she had to prepare him for a bad outcome, but damn. Try to exhibit some human feelings for 30 seconds. Taking care of two elderly parents, I've been around more than my share of doctors and they are occasionally more brusque and businesslike than I would prefer, but Bow's doctor was downright cold-blooded.

Yeah, but I'm going to fanwank it: Dre narrated that he didn't hear anything, and the only part he remembered was this. So I'm saying that he's remembering it as harsh and scary whereas in reality the doctor was gentle and caring. And I'm sticking to it.

Pops was so funny. I LOL'd when he said, "A grown man, eating out of a diaper," and then *whack!* with the magazine. I also liked how he couldn't lie to anyone (except Ruby), and just bluntly told the family about the crisis. 

When Ruby yelled, "Somebody get my daughter a blanket!" -- Terms of Endearment reference -- I teared up. 

I loved the line in the OR when Bow asked Dre to look at the baby, and he said, "Please don't make me look on the other side. It's like Fallujah over there."

The kids were great. Fantastic season finale.