S01.E01: P-I-LOT

[Big Mother]

What did you think? I am absolutely tickled pink that there is a bona fide disabled actor who is doing an amazing job acting his part. But Minnie Driver drives me insane (pardon the pun). She is worse than a warrior mom; she's over the top. I am a mom of a disabled child and I also fight to get my child services but I am so respectful; I would never piss off the people who need to help me.  Plus  - how did she not know about the ramp situation, nor who the 'voice' would be, before she uprooted her family? You usually look into these things BEFORE you change your kids' lives again.

Additionally, Ray's plight really tugged at my heart. This is an issue I face daily; my older, non-disabled son is very resentful of all the attention that gets heaped on my disabled son and he acts out all the time. I would NEVER up and move my family around  a million times just to find the perfect school for my disabled son. and c'mon, is it that hard to find a 1:1 para for the kid? They had to move to a crappy house for that? My son - who is autistic - really needs to live in a suburban area; he needs the outdoors and grass and trees and space to move and a large house. But the needs of my other children are just as valid. I wouldn't uproot my other kids from their friends and family to improve my middle son's life. Instead we make sure that he gets plenty of time in parks, goes away to summer camp, goes to the suburbs for weekends, etc. I felt so sorry for the poor brother, who is always sidelined, and when he brings it up, his mom shoots him down! Whatever; I'm just curious, especially from other moms of disabled children, what you think of the pilot and the issues that were raised?

[auntiemel]

On 9/11/2016 at 1:01 PM, Big Mother said:

What did you think? I am absolutely tickled pink that there is a bona fide disabled actor who is doing an amazing job acting his part. But Minnie Driver drives me insane (pardon the pun). She is worse than a warrior mom; she's over the top. I am a mom of a disabled child and I also fight to get my child services but I am so respectful; I would never piss off the people who need to help me. 

I loved the pilot, I thought it was hilarious! I loved the part when Ray and his dad were watching the cars bottom out at the foot of the hill.

As to Minnie Driver's character, I think she's an extreme and demanding personality in many respects of her life. The opening segment with the crazy driving to make it to the restaurant in three minutes instead of ten set that up right out of the gate, and it was bookended by the short segment at the end where she and the daughter are yelling at the fair ride operator to make the ride bounce more. I think that the way she advocates for her son is an extension of her own over-the-top personality!

[alexvillage]

Elated that a disabled actor is playing a disabled character.

I like Minnie Driver and the actress seems to understand the part of a mother who fights for the disabled child's rights without being the disabled child's voice (as in making all the decisions, speaking for the child instead of translating or reading what he types/writes)

I think that the balance that is needed concerning the attention each child needs will be part of the development of the story. And I hope, really hope, JJ will be the lead on this conversation. He has tweeted that the producers have reached out to him for input so, YAY!

I agree that parents would not ignore things like ramps and aides. But that's part of the comedy/message. How come, in 2016, disabled people are still an after thought? (Sadly, the truth). How come there are so much inspiration porn (the para in the school, and the "diffability" type of talk)? And the move is, imo, a message: if you live in a upscale neighborhood, you are probably going to have the supports, if you don't, you are on your own. Then the irony of not have all in place even if you are in the best neighborhood, leaving in a house that is not the best, because - again - disabled people are not valued.

I am very hopeful that this show will be done properly

[Indy]

I just watched the pilot on abc.go and found it entertaining. I think it has a lot of potential. It is a little odd to hear John Ross Bowie not sound like Barry Kripke, though.  

[BubblingKettle]

I think the show has potential, and I am thrilled to see a person with a disability not being portrayed as someone to be pitied. I am a bit put-off about his Augmentative and Alternative Communication device not having a voice (as it would in reality, especially with his terrific head control with the pointer). Sure, it gives the para a job, and it lets a human 'deliver' those lines, but it makes him appear totally dependent on people to communicate for him. They could have given his AAC a decent, not-too-robotic voice and shown that as a (realistic) part of his life that gives him some independence. I also hope that the mother doesn't have a consistent fishwife personality. She was giving off a little bit of a Deborah Barone vibe, which I could live without. I really enjoyed Kenneth -- I think that actor always has great comedic timing. I'll watch another episode and see how it goes.

[alexvillage]

9 hours ago, CoolWhipLite said:

I think the show has potential, and I am thrilled to see a person with a disability not being portrayed as someone to be pitied. I am a bit put-off about his Augmentative and Alternative Communication device not having a voice (as it would in reality, especially with his terrific head control with the pointer). Sure, it gives the para a job, and it lets a human 'deliver' those lines, but it makes him appear totally dependent on people to communicate for him. They could have given his AAC a decent, not-too-robotic voice and shown that as a (realistic) part of his life that gives him some independence. I also hope that the mother doesn't have a consistent fishwife personality. She was giving off a little bit of a Deborah Barone vibe, which I could live without. I really enjoyed Kenneth -- I think that actor always has great comedic timing. I'll watch another episode and see how it goes.

Yes, I was initially also disappointed with the AAC - having a roommate who uses a text to speech one - but I read somewhere else about an upcoming interview where this is explained.

I also think that there is a valid argument to be made when it comes to AAC (not in this case specifically, but in general) about accessibility. iPads and electronic devices are not something that all disabled kids can afford. Many can't. A letter board is as augmentative as an electronic keyboard. In fact, some people who do have access to iPads prefer a simple letter board, at least some of the time.

[alexvillage]

I mentioned that this article would be out this week and that it would explain the AAC not being text-to-speech. It does. It is a very good article with quotes from Micah Fowler and the show creator

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/09/speechless-review-abc/500444/

Edited September 21, 2016 by alexvillage

[Primetimer]

ABC's new sitcom revolves around a family trying not to let a teen's disability limit his opportunities. There's no question it's important -- but is it funny?

View the full article

[alexvillage]

1 hour ago, PreviouslyTV said:

ABC's new sitcom revolves around a family trying not to let a teen's disability limit his opportunities. There's no question it's important -- but is it funny?

View the full article

Actually, this is not the description the creator of the show gave. It is not about "not to let a teen's disability limit his opportunities". That is called inspiration porn. The disabled person giving "life lessons". The disabled person and the "very special episode" type of thinking. Everyone is sooooooo inspired by the disabled person. Ugh!

This is everything the show does not want to be about. It is - concerning the disabled character - about seeing a disabled person as a complex human being.

This is what happens when a non-disabled person writes about the reasons for a disability themed show/character/storyline. Assumptions. Wrong ones. 

[swimmyfish]

I watched this online over the weekend, and was very pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing out loud a number of times. Driver's character did seem a little, let's say 'strong' here and there - more than once, I felt like I was attending a lecture, rather than watching tv. But, overall, as a pilot this was really good, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

[reggiejax]

I have always found Minnie Driver to be an acquired taste. The thought of her playing a pushy and obnoxious character, even if she is that way for a good reason, just makes me pass on this show. And while this article praises the guy I only know as Kripke from TBBT, once again, I only know him as Kripke. So just add that to the negative pile. Then again, Cedric Yarborough is a major plus for the show, but I sincerely doubt he is enough to make me watch.

Edited September 22, 2016 by reggiejax

[mtlchick]

I didn't hear much about the show until I read this article about "in season stacking" for streaming and this show was a hot item among the networks. 

 

http://deadline.com/2016/05/speechless-comedy-series-last-man-standing-renewed-season-6-1201755344/

 

I do think this show fits into the ABC of the 'outside of the box' family comedy.  Driver IS over the top to the point she can grate.  I do think Micah can do with just a stare though.  It has potential. 

[dungeonwriter]

I like how overwhelming Driver's character of Maya is, because it feels authentic. I get the feeling Maya was always obnoxious and argumentative, but her son's disability gave her outlet to do it without getting called on it. She's a amazing character, she's a woman who is bossy and over the top, and still loved for who she is, a loving mother who is deeply flawed. 

I also found JJ written with humor, the actor did an amazing job. 

[Dilandau]

It was all right, but the ending with that kid kissing the girl after she wasn't interested in being kissed earlier  annoyed me a lot.  That shit isn't cute or romantic.

Edited September 22, 2016 by Dilandau

[Crs97]

We laughed hard and are sad it's only 30 minutes.  Maya may be OTT at times, but I sense she will get to say what we all have wanted to at times.  (Yes, I once had to explain on a train ride at the zoo that my son in a wheelchair shouldn't be referred to as luggage).  I loved the shower conversation; hubby and I check in with each other all the time on how we handled something.  I loved everything about the pilot!  

"Crippled?"

"Oh, Kevin.  Sweet Kevin."

still chuckling and hope it can hold up

[Silver Raven]

I want more of the annoying next door neighbor that the middle son left behind.  He was hilarious in a small dosage.

The daughter is a young version of her mother, isn't she?

Oh, man, the principal is annoying.  The whole school is pretty over the top.

"Eat a bag of ..."  Love JJ! It's nice that they make him a typical teenager.

What did the license plate say, I missed it?

Hey, might as well kiss her, the boyfriend is going to beat him up anyway.

Love it, I'm in.

[Crs97]

I think the license plate said "she nutz"

[JasmineFlower]

Thought Minnie was definitely way over the top and that needs to come down quickly to make this work. I'm going to assume it will and it was overdone for the pilot to set the stage. If she stays this way, it will be entirely too much to be this overbearing. I've found Minnie entertaining in many things, so I'm hoping she'll settle in.

I thought the actor playing JJ did a great job. However, I'm not crazy about half of JJ's characterization thus far, which I'm sure will be an unpopular opinion on here, but it's the truth. I found him written rudely and that stood out more to me than the perceived funnier parts with him and his family (though the parts with Cedric were great and are what I want them to build on). I hope the show doesn't use his disability to make it seem like it's okay to be extremely rude to people or curse at adults. Telling a teacher to "eat a bag of shit" which I believe was about to be said before getting cut off or saying to his dad in full front of the woman making her read the insult to herself "I hate this lady's voice" and mocking the woman's voice constantly are not something that most people would be just perfectly okay with from other teens, and for me, it's not excused for him either. And the former would almost always get you sent to the principal's office. I understand and appreciate the distinctions they are showing here. But some boundaries and not giving license is my preference for his character. I would have loved for him to dress down the class and the teacher to embarrass their condescending behavior, but using better language.

I really loved the dad and liked almost everything about Ray, and I'm glad he spoke up for himself with his mom. I like the hot mess of a home. I'm not sure if the sister will be a plus or a non-entity. From this episode, felt like she'll be a unbothersome non-entity. I'm a Reno 911 fan, so any time I can see Cedric, I'm quite happy. This could be good and I liked enough here to return for the next couple of episodes. But I hope it comes along sooner than later. It's not in an ideal time slot for me, so this needs to hook me quickly to make it a priority.

[OnceSane]

The license plate said "she nutz".  And it's not a vanity plate, the DMV just gave it to her.  That killed me.  I really liked this show and the casting has me excited.  

[Maharincess]

@JasmineFlower,  the correct phrase is "eat a bag of dicks" not shit and I thought it was funny as hell. 

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, JasmineFlower said:

Thought Minnie was definitely way over the top and that needs to come down quickly to make this work. I'm going to assume it will and it was overdone for the pilot to set the stage. If she stays this way, it will be entirely too much to be this overbearing. I've found Minnie entertaining in many things, so I'm hoping she'll settle in.

This 100%. I was very excited about this show since the subject matter is close to my heart, but Minnie/Maya is way over the top. I need her to take it down several notches for the show to be watchable, and it wouldn't hurt if her husband took a more active role. In many families with a special needs child, both parents are active caregivers and advocates. Kripke (I'm going to call him that until I memorize his name on this show) is too "yes dear", contributing to the cliche of overbearing wife/mother and passive husband/father.

I do like the actors who play JJ and Ray. I'll give the show another episode or two before I decide whether I'm in or out.

Edited September 22, 2016 by chocolatine

[possibilities]

I was so afraid to watch this. I was so afraid it was going to be pure tripe and demoralize me even more than I already am about the media representation of disability. It did make me cringe a bit, but I also cheered at times.

I know Mama Bear is abrasive, but her speech about "trash? or person?" is really not that far from the way a lot of people do need to be spoken to, sometimes. There's a real need for people to be shaken out of their indifference, condescension, and aggressive ignorance.

RE how JJ speaks: My best friend (RIP) had CP which impacted her speech. Even though I loved her and spent a lot of time with her in conversation, I often had to concentrate to understand what she was saying (worth it, though). She found that many people did not even bother to try, so she got in the habit of uttering non-sequitors to see if people were paying attention, and saying the most outrageous things sometimes, just out of frustration. She was not rude or obnoxious unless extremely provoked, but when people were obviously not listening, she would sometimes say hilarious or shocking things to amuse herself and her friends, while the obnoxious person blathered on talking about her as though she was an inanimate object.

I suspect that not being used to being heard, JJ feels a kind of freedom to vent his frustration without being diplomatic, since he's used to people generally not paying attention. Also, his mom and his sister are the same way, so he may have learned some of it from them. It's also possible that his family has "translated" what he says in an edited form, and now that he's getting actual literal translations that might affect the way he interacts as people start to actually hear him. Also, there is a tendency to see disabled people as "angelic dummies" and sometimes a bit of profanity is helpful in dissipating the patronizing haze. He did try "But you don't know me!" in addition to the more profane option.

Saying he doesn't like the woman's voice struck me as pretty reasonable. Most teenage boys would not want to have their words delivered in a female voice. Imagine it as a movie plot: if he was an able-bodied football player, and his voice was dubbed in a woman's voice, that would be at best a snafu, more likely a comedic gambit, and possibly a turn of events that destroyed the character's life. But for JJ it's his actual life, not just a movie, and he hates it.

Edited September 22, 2016 by possibilities

[JasmineFlower]

1 hour ago, Maharincess said:

@JasmineFlower,  the correct phrase is "eat a bag of dicks" not shit and I thought it was funny as hell. 

The exact wording changes nothing. Glad you thought it was funny.  In another setting, I might agree. But a teenager addressing a teacher in a classroom? I'm not a fan of brats like this and that doesn't change because of his disability.

And I think a lot of excuses are being made that otherwise wouldn't be. Profanity is helpful for teenagers to use in classrooms? Since when? It's a wonder anyone becomes a teacher if that's what people find acceptable. And I'm not asking JJ to want a woman to be his voice translator. Not preferring a woman as a teenage boy and insulting her to her face about how terrible her voice is are two very different things.

[Maharincess]

1 minute ago, JasmineFlower said:

The exact wording changes nothing. Glad you thought it was funny.  In another setting, I might agree. But a teenager addressing a teacher in a classroom? I'm not a fan of brats like this and that doesn't change because of his disability.

And I think a lot of excuses are being made that otherwise wouldn't be. Profanity is helpful for teenagers to use in classrooms? Since when? It's a wonder anyone becomes a teacher if that's what people find acceptable. And I'm not asking JJ to want a woman to be his voice translator. Not preferring a woman as a teenage boy and insulting her to her face about how terrible her voice is are two very different things.

I did find it hilarious because I just can't get so worked up over a fictional TV sitcom.  That's how teenage boys speak.  

[Racj82]

I love that JJ is a prick. Because the alternative would be the safe thing to do. He's just a teenager at the end of the day. I also appreciate that he saw his brother was in trouble even when that wasn't the focus of his scene. He had his own thing going on but he looked out for his brother. The only thing that bugged me was when Ray asked for back up and blew him off and made a joke about it. He didn't seem to care how this stuff affected his brother but I'm glad he actually cares about him.

[Silver Raven]

1 hour ago, JasmineFlower said:

Telling a teacher to "eat a bag of shit"

I think it was probably "eat a bag of dicks", and wasn't that aimed at the kid holding the "JJ for President" sign?

[bros402]

I enjoyed the pilot.

I have mild CP and a bunch of other disabilities (dysgraphia, fine and gross motor dysfunction, and underdeveloped muscles to name a few) and I liked the portrayal of JJ. I knew a guy in HS who was similar to JJ, but he used a walker with leg braces. Reminded me of him.

JJ's AAC was interesting, definitely seems more durable than an iPad.

One thing I kept asking the whole episode: Why wasn't the school providing the para? Why did they have to get the woman from a (i'm assuming) private organization? If the school is wealthy enough to have a planetarium, they can spend the 45k on salary + benefits for a para for JJ.

 

I'm wondering how they'll (or if they will) portray some of the other aspects of special education - like an IEP meeting. IEP meetings can be hellish, i'd imagine they'd be rather annoying in a district that greets a student who is wheelchair bound and nonverbal like that. Unless by Minnie Driver's character saying "No more special ed, JJ!" meant he'd no longer have an IEP - but then they wouldn't be able to get him a para through the district. Though if his last district couldn't provide LRE for him, then the old district would've had to have paid for tuition in either a private school of their choice or local public school. But, this super fancy sheltered district probably wouldn't have accepted a student like JJ, they wouldn't want risk their stats, despite not knowing the student.

[chocolatine]

46 minutes ago, JasmineFlower said:

And I think a lot of excuses are being made that otherwise wouldn't be.

 

37 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

I love that JJ is a prick. Because the alternative would be the safe thing to do. He's just a teenager at the end of the day. 

I think it's exaggerated for comedic effect on this show, but in real life there are many parents who give their special needs children a pass for behavior that they wouldn't let an abled child get away with. Seeing as neither parent checked JJ when he kept insulting the aide at home right in front of them, Maya and Kripke are *those* parents.

In my family we made it a point early on not to let my autistic brother get away with any rudeness, and he grew into the most polite teenage boy anyone's ever met (and still is now as a young adult). It had nothing to do with being "safe"; it's a standard in our family to treat others with respect, and my brother wasn't exempt from that. He still got to express his feelings and frustrations, he just had to find a way to do it without insulting others.

Edited September 22, 2016 by chocolatine

[Maharincess]

Who is Kripke?

[LekoBoy]

I liked G. Gordon-Leavitt in the planetarium, but isn't he too old to be dating a highschool boy?  He was a teen years ago on 30 Rock.

[JasmineFlower]

1 minute ago, Maharincess said:

I did find it hilarious because I just can't get so worked up over a fictional TV sitcom.  That's how teenage boys speak.  

None that I know would pull that and they aren't angels, but they know enough not to pull crap like that. And I'm not remotely worked up. I just didn't find those parts entertaining. I'm merely saying like many others have what I did and didn't like about this premiere.

3 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I think it's exaggerated for comedic effect on this show, but in real life there are many parents who give their special needs children a pass for behavior that they wouldn't let an abled child get away with. Seeing as neither parent checked JJ when he kept insulting the aide at home right in front of them, Maya and Kripke are *those* parents.

In my family we made it a point early on not to let my autistic brother get away with any rudeness, and he grew into the most polite teenage boy anyone's ever met (and still is now as a young adult). It had nothing to do with being "safe"; it's a standard in our family to treat others with respect, and my brother wasn't exempt from that. He still got to express his feelings and frustrations, he just had to find a way to do it without insulting others.

I agree completely with this, I do think it's realistic though exaggerated and I definitely know "those parents", but I just also don't like it then either. And it's been the same in my family, being disrespectful in the manner shown here wouldn't be acceptable, no one was exempt.

@Silver Raven, the teacher and student were standing there, so I took it as being directed at them both.

[alexvillage]

I had watched the pilot and I really liked except for one thing that made me very, very annoyed

 "he's all there upstairs"

The usual ableism. As if there is a hierarchy that must grade who are the "best" disabled people. 

"All there upstairs" is code for "not intellectually disabled", as if intellectually disabled people are not funny, reliable, smart, caring, worthy.

[greekmom]

6 hours ago, Maharincess said:

Who is Kripke?

The actor John Ross Bowie (Jimmy DeM) occasionally plays Barry Kripke on Big Bang Theory. 

[Racj82]

7 hours ago, chocolatine said:

 

7 hours ago, chocolatine said:

 

Edited September 22, 2016 by Racj82
Random double post.

[Empress1]

The teenage boys I know would use the phrase "eat a bag of dicks" (I think we have Louis CK to thank for that phrase) but not to the person's face, and if they said it to an adult in front of their parents, the parents I know would have NONE of that. They'd say it to their friends afterward ("she can eat a bag of dicks").

Minnie Driver is great, and this is a rare age-appropriate part - you don't have to invent a back story that she got pregnant at 17. She's 46, her eldest is 16. (I'm also glad she's not doing an American accent; the times I've heard her do one haven't been very successful.) I also like that a disabled person is playing a disabled person, although I believe the actor can speak IRL. I do need Minnie Driver to calm down a little though - being a fierce advocate is one thing but WOW, she would be exhausting. Not just with people in authority but for everyone, including her family. Although given that her license plate says "she nutz," I'm assuming the attitude is here to stay.

I fell out when the daughter (who I hope is developed more) yelled "Not amazing! You're slow!" about the girl's slow time.

[emma675]

I really liked it! I kept seeing commercials for this show last week and they grabbed me enough to dvr the pilot and I'm glad I did. It's definitely getting a season pass on my dvr.

I figured Minnie Driver's character was a little more over the top than she might actually be since pilot episodes seem to always be a little exaggerated and then settle into a rhythm. Either way, she was hysterical and I loved the little side bit about the older cop who refused to let his partner pull her over. 

I loved the kids, the family dynamic, the husband and the husband/wife's relationship. It was fun, funny and touching. 

[camom]

As the parent of a disabled person, I was a little leery of this show.  I'm thrilled that they are using an actor who actually is disabled and I think he's really good.  The mom is over the top, but I've actually known moms like that.  Unfortunately, they make enemies instead of working with those who can help their children.  Hopefully that character will be toned down in the future.  I was bugged by some things -- like moving to a better school district, apparently without first checking out the accessibility of the school, talking with the principal, etc.  When our local school district didn't have an appropriate placement for my daughter, she went to a neighboring school district for a few years.  There are options.  

Did they say the ages of the kids?  They all appeared to be about the same age and go to the same school.  I felt sorry for them and the way the entire family revolves around JJ (his mom's fault, not his).  Overall, I liked it and the fact that someone with a disability is shown as a "real" person and not an inspiration.

[possibilities]

Why are people more upset about JJ's rudeness than about his sister's rudeness? She yelled at the motorist whose car broke down when the family was speeding for no good reason (and her parents celebrated her for that) and she was mean and rude to her classmate who was not a fast runner. I can accept an opinion that JJ is rude, and shouldn't be (even though it doesn't bother me the way it bothers some other people), but I think it's a double standard if the sister is not considered just as bad.

I think JJ may find there are consequences for his rudeness once people actually pay attention to what he says, but I see no reason for the show to write him as being more polite and respectful than the rest of his family, and I think it's likely that he's developed a style of behavior based on no one hearing anything he says anyway, more than because he thinks he can get away with it if they do hear him. It's like when people speak a foreign language or mutter under their breath. Obviously that's rude, and with someone voicing his speech and others listening, he will find things that used to get a pass do not. But it's not necessarily about being spoiled as much as about being ignored.

I agree that ranking "all there upstairs" vs other people who "aren't" is a bad idea, but I also know that people often treat disabled people as though they are not aware of what's going on around them when they are, and that's also bad. My friend I was talking about earlier had a masters in linguistics and people routinely talked to her like she was either a sack of potatoes or possibly had the intellect of the average toddler. I don't have any speech issues and people have spoken to me in the goo goo baby voice at times, or spoken to my companion about me instead of to me, so I took the mom's comment as "he understands what you are saying" rather than as a slam against others, but I agree it wasn't worded the best way. I wonder if they will ever introduce other disabled characters to give her a bit of a comeuppance about things like that-- it could be great to expand the universe of the show and humble her like that at the same time.

RE "no more SpEd" -- that got to me, also. I think they were implying that JJ had been kept in a segregated classroom instead of being mainstreamed, which is super-illegal at this point.  I don't doubt that some places try to do it anyway, but with the kind of advocate his mom is, it seems like something that would have been litigated long ago.

RE paying for the aide when they can afford a planetarium, I think this also applies to the "garbage ramp"-- they went out of their way to show the district has all the money it could possibly need, so that won't be an excuse. At the same time, I didn't think the aide would be with them at home after school. JJ doesn't need her for communication at home with his family, does he? Or does she do other things besides reading his words? They really didn't address his other assistance needs, like transfers or help with meals. I am waiting for the usual bathroom and cafeteria dramas-- I wonder if they are going to go there, or if they are going to pretend the only issues involve his voice.

[Hanahope]

8 hours ago, bros402 said:

I'm wondering how they'll (or if they will) portray some of the other aspects of special education - like an IEP meeting. IEP meetings can be hellish, i'd imagine they'd be rather annoying in a district that greets a student who is wheelchair bound and nonverbal like that. Unless by Minnie Driver's character saying "No more special ed, JJ!" meant he'd no longer have an IEP - but then they wouldn't be able to get him a para through the district. Though if his last district couldn't provide LRE for him, then the old district would've had to have paid for tuition in either a private school of their choice or local public school. But, this super fancy sheltered district probably wouldn't have accepted a student like JJ, they wouldn't want risk their stats, despite not knowing the student.

My impression is that Minnie's character wanted JJ to be in standard classrooms in the public school.  She found a district that was rich enough that through public school funding, they could get the personal aide who could speak on JJ's behalf so he could participate in regular classrooms and not have to be in a separate room that may include other types of disabled students, particularly mentally disabled students.  Since JJ was not mentally disabled, he could keep up intellectually with non-disabled students, he just had difficulties communicating verbally, the aide solves that problem.  Of course, my question is how does he take written tests, perhaps we'll see an episode about that.  Anyway, I believe he still has an IEP that's unique to his situation (which perhaps may include accomodations for written tests, for example).

Sure Minnie's character is a bit over the top, probably because of it being a comedy, but parents of disabled children do need to adequately assert themselves quite often on behalf of their kids, a bit more so than parents of non-disabled kids, as more accomodation is needed.

I do agree that its surprising Minnie didn't know about the school ramp.  It seems like the family lived close enough to the new school that she could have easily driven over to check out the school before they moved, and not just rely on the report that 'yes, the school has a ramp.'

It appears the daughter has learned to be assertive herself, just like her mum.

I chuckled over the older cop ' life's too short, not worth it.'  Clearly Kripke has learned the same thing.  Yeah, dad's need to be assertive too, but he's obviously learned that Minnie covers for both well enough.

[Empress1]

23 minutes ago, camom said:

Did they say the ages of the kids?  They all appeared to be about the same age and go to the same school.  I felt sorry for them and the way the entire family revolves around JJ (his mom's fault, not his).  Overall, I liked it and the fact that someone with a disability is shown as a "real" person and not an inspiration.

Not all the kids but Minnie said something like "[JJ] is 16 now, he doesn't need me to speak for him anymore."

[Hanahope]

I'm assuming 9-12 school and the two younger kids are 14 (girl) and 15 (boy).

[ChicksDigScars]

I missed the very beginning. Is the father figure the dad to all the kids? For some reason, I kept putting him in step-dad mode. 

And yeah, Minnie, take it down a little notch. I enjoy the funny, but Jesus!!

[Maharincess]

8 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

None that I know would pull that and they aren't angels, but they know enough not to pull crap like that.

They may not pull that around you but they do it. 

[StaceyNotStacie]

I liked this more than I thought I would. I liked the younger daughter on the track yelling at the slower runners. While the rundown house was amusing, I'm hoping they will show the house fixed up a bit  

I knew I recognized the younger son, but didn't know where. Turns out he was the creepy younger son in one of the Lifetime remakes of Flowers in the Attic. 

[Lady Calypso]

I had a feeling that I would like this show from the trailers and I'm glad to see that I'm right. I had a few laugh out loud moments, which doesn't happen in comedies very often for me. Plus, I liked all the characters and how each of them are very, very flawed. Minnie Driver and the daughter are very abrasive and borderline rude, but I can see that Minnie Driver's that way because she probably had to endure years of people making fun of JJ and she learned to deal with it, even if it's assumed to be rude and cruel (which it probably is). The daughter learned from her mom and adopted those traits into her everyday life, which makes her look just as rude and maybe even a brat. It's funny because she's clearly competitive but is so judgmental against others. Her freakout about her classmates being slower in gym class makes her seem so noninclusive, even with her disabled brother. It's actually kind of a neat twist there. 

Ray's definitely a great character, as are Kenneth and the dad, Jimmy. I found myself even enjoying the principal. And, of course, JJ, who is definitely more than his disability, which is great. He's just as assertive as his mother and sister and he can definitely be just as rude, but he doesn't put up with anyone, like his classmates who think that treating him like a special case is going to make him feel good. It's very refreshing and I really do love it. Jimmy and Ray are clearly more introverted to balance out the rest of the family.

So many laugh out loud moments too. I couldn't help but giggle at the cop scenes. The tour of the house was hilarious too.

I'm impressed that the school has a planetarium but they can't go for a simple wheelchair ramp. Plus, I think I might miss the aide from the pilot. I wonder if she'll come back from time to time. Obviously there are some issues, like Maya not researching into the school before jumping into it, but in a 22 minute episode to set a story up, I imagine it's very hard, especially for a pilot. Not everything can be perfect. 

Plus, the cover rendition of one of my favourite songs ("The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World) sold the entire show for me. I'm so in this.

3 hours ago, camom said:

Did they say the ages of the kids?  They all appeared to be about the same age and go to the same school.  I felt sorry for them and the way the entire family revolves around JJ (his mom's fault, not his).  Overall, I liked it and the fact that someone with a disability is shown as a "real" person and not an inspiration.

JJ is sixteen; Maya said it in the scene where JJ meets his aide, so he's the eldest. As for Ray and Dylan, I didn't hear their ages. I imagine Ray's supposed to be thirteen/fourteen and Dylan is eleven/twelve. I don't know whether it's a high school (9-12) or a junior high/high school (7-12).  

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Overall I really liked it, but I did have two nitpicks:

1. Kenneth snapping to Maya that he saw the irony in being called intolerant when he was the only Black man in the district. I'm tired of the "I belong to X marginalized group, therefore cannot be intolerant towards Y marginalized group." Calling someone crippled is rude and ableist, you did it, own it. It was similar to the teacher saying the kid with the poster has a Deaf cousin so he gets [special needs], except in the latter case the teacher was treated as wrong and Kenneth was presented as either neutral or right. 

2. I know it was for comedic effect, and also it's a network show, but the primary role of JJ's aide is to translate for him. She's not his editor, educator, or authority figure. If he says "eat a bag of dicks", then she says "eat a bag of dicks". She's not allowed to censor or spin what he says to suit her own comfort or opinions, and speaking over him like that was the height of disrespect. 

I know Maya comes off as OTT, but I find her very true to life. Look at how much difficulty the family has navigating for JJ to be accommodated  and the way people treat him. It's 2016 and he's almost an adult. Imagine what she had to deal with in the early aughts with a toddler/preschooler. People with special needs and their families are practically autodidact legal experts and have to be very forceful in order to get what's rightfully theirs. 

[dmmetler]

Rewatched-overall, I like it (and shows generally evolve after the pilot). I have cerebral palsy, although not to JJ's degree.  And parents really can go overboard in advocacy. The characters come off as authentic to family roles, only exaggerated a little for humor. Having known parents who have moved to more expensive school districts to get better services, that premise rings true as well-and yes, it's hard on other family members. 

 

At the same time, it rings SO true that it's hard to laugh at it-because yes (for example) the over enthusiastic aide is funny, but that is the kind of thing that really happens. Same with the ramp being the loading dock on the back of the building. People trying too hard and not treating you like a person, but as a poster child for their commitment to inclusiveness and diversity. It's enough to definitely make you think the kinds of comments JJ says-so as far as I'm concerned, bring on the snarky, eye-rolling JJ!  

[dmmetler]

28 minutes ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

Overall I really liked it, but I did have two nitpicks:

1. Kenneth snapping to Maya that he saw the irony in being called intolerant when he was the only Black man in the district. I'm tired of the "I belong to X marginalized group, therefore cannot be intolerant towards Y marginalized group." Calling someone crippled is rude and ableist, you did it, own it. It was similar to the teacher saying the kid with the poster has a Deaf cousin so he gets [special needs], except in the latter case the teacher was treated as wrong and Kenneth was presented as either neutral or right. 

2. I know it was for comedic effect, and also it's a network show, but the primary role of JJ's aide is to translate for him. She's not his editor, educator, or authority figure. If he says "eat a bag of dicks", then she says "eat a bag of dicks". She's not allowed to censor or spin what he says to suit her own comfort or opinions, and speaking over him like that was the height of disrespect. 

I know Maya comes off as OTT, but I find her very true to life. Look at how much difficulty the family has navigating for JJ to be accommodated  and the way people treat him. It's 2016 and he's almost an adult. Imagine what she had to deal with in the early aughts with a toddler/preschooler. People with special needs and their families are practically autodidact legal experts and have to be very forceful in order to get what's rightfully theirs. 

Those are some of the "so true, it's not really funny"points to me. Kenneth overall being a good, responsive, nice guy but also using dated, no longer acceptable language is something that happens-and that you have to really weigh which battles to fight. And the equating "I'm a minority, so I get it" is also a real world experience that really gets annoying. I'm sure it would if it were reversed, too. It also did a nice job of showing that while Maya had a reasonable point, it was definitely embarrassing to both of her sons. 

The classroom scene was a nice expansion. Again, good intentions, but obviously very upsetting to JJ, and unlike Maya, his ability to rebut is limited by what his aide is willing to say. (very common. Even if the kid has AAC technology, often "bad words" aren't programmed in-although trying to figure out how to get them to come out is definitely a challenge many take up, and they're even more likely to be left out of PECS or a speech board that uses icons.) The "Kevin is allowed, since his cousin is Deaf" comment...again, really true to life.  

[Silver Raven]

7 hours ago, Empress1 said:

The teenage boys I know would use the phrase "eat a bag of dicks" (I think we have Louis CK to thank for that phrase)

It was popularized recently when people were buying bags of gummy dicks and sending them to the people who had taken over the federal facility in Oregon.

14 hours ago, LekoBoy said:

I liked G. Gordon-Leavitt in the planetarium, but isn't he too old to be dating a highschool boy?  He was a teen years ago on 30 Rock.

Who are you talking about?  The son, Ray, played by Mason Cook, was in the planetarium with a girl, Jillian, played by Lukita Maxwell.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

I knew I recognized the younger son, but didn't know where. Turns out he was the creepy younger son in one of the Lifetime remakes of Flowers in the Attic. 

Not according to his imdb page.  He was in several episodes of "The Goldbergs".