Divorce - General Discussion

[luna1122]

I think it's more likely it was some old folgers container they keep nails and bolts and stuff in in the garage. I can't see them drinking it either. Or, hey, maybe it's one reason she hates him now. He likes Folgers.

I understand her seeking out someone else, tho it's always a pretty nasty thing to do to a marriage, cheating. I always said I have never ever been lonely, except when I was married to my ex, so I get it, how lonely marriage can be. But for a 50 year old woman to really believe that her side guy is a good, or even a likely, choice for her once she's out of the marriage...that's where my exasperation comes in.  It's, like, fairy tale stuff, except it's rooted in sordidness and duplicity. Rarely the stuff of dreams. And for her to then immediately run back to the husband she can clearly barely stand anymore, if she ever could--she was out, she'd said the hard, ugly stuff to him, it was over--but once she realized the side guy wasn't a real thing, she tucked tail and ran back home to him. I know it's terribly realistic, but it's so--pathetic and sad. Which can make for compelling tv, of course. We'll see.

[NutMeg]

Quote

But for a 50 year old woman to really believe that her side guy is a good, or even a likely, choice for her once she's out of the marriage...that's where my exasperation comes in.  It's, like, fairy tale stuff, except it's rooted in sordidness and duplicity. Rarely the stuff of dreams. And for her to then immediately run back to the husband she can clearly barely stand anymore, if she ever could--she was out, she'd said the hard, ugly stuff to him, it was over--but once she realized the side guy wasn't a real thing, she tucked tail and ran back home to him. I know it's terribly realistic, but it's so--pathetic and sad. Which can make for compelling tv, of course. We'll see.

If you replace "woman" with "man", you get a story that's all too realistic and has been played numerous times on film and in real life. It's pathetic, it's sad, but it smells real. It's interesting to me that this time it's a woman rather than a man that's the trigger. We'll see where it leads. It could get ugly, in fact I expect it to get ugly. I'm in.  

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, NutMeg said:

If you replace "woman" with "man", you get a story that's all too realistic and has been played numerous times on film and in real life. It's pathetic, it's sad, but it smells real.

Except that in that scenario, the man's side piece is often eager to become the next wife, especially if the man has money.

[cpcathy]

I have to say, I liked this, a bunch. It was like Girls, but with grown women, still imperfect, and I don't mind characters like that. I also had empathy for Robert, Thomas Haden Church just brings that out in a character. What I liked the least though, unsurprisingly, was SJP. She really only has the same notes over and over in her acting. She's always surrounded by good actors and she just seems to always play Carrie Bradshaw. Still enjoyed the show, and I'm in 100%.

[luna1122]

Yeah, I tend to think men won’t fall so into the notion of their side chick being ‘the one’ and leaving their marriage expecting her to last forever. Not that any scenario isn’t possible, it is. I hate stereotyping, especially about women, but still, probably more women somehow believe that an affair that they are involved in will lead to true love than men. Which I guess also happens, but not often. Beginning a relationship based on betrayal and lies is rarely a good foundation for anything. Frances seemed to just WANT to believe she was in love with her Flight of the conchord guy  more than actually believing it tho.

I don’t get Carrie from Frances, not yet, anyway. Carrie was always so girlish and girly, even in her frequent angst. Frances is a woman beaten down by her marriage and life and whatever else, there's no girlishness left in her. I guess Carrie might have wound up that way, but tho I do think SJP is a limited actress, I also think she can be a good one. I don’t think she’s merely one note.

[cpcathy]

She wouldn't have been on TV for many years if she was a bad actress, so perhaps I should correct my criticism of her. I just feel that, like a lot of other actors, she doesn't disappear into a role. I always see SJP being SJP or a version of Carrie.

[scrb]

I haven't seen Church in any roles other than on Wings so maybe that's coloring my perception but I think Robert is going to be set up as kind of a tool.

First the mustache, then him walking in when there's gunfire and then him puking.

Then when Frances says he was gone for the Holidays one year, he talks about some salmon that he was fishing for.

Then the claim about the Folger can and then showing his asshole side.

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I wasn't sure if I should watch this, as someone freshly going through the divorce process after my husband left with the excuse of "I'm not happy and I'm not in love with you" only for me to find out it was really "I'm screwing the millennial at work."

But I did watch it, and I liked it enough to keep trying it for a few more episode. I have zero sympathy for the SJP character and applaud THC's character for changing the locks. I wish I had been that strong instead of being a simpering idiot, begging him to come back.

I was reminded of the depth of my emotions on this topic when the joy of the appearance of Jemaine Clement (MY FAVORITE FOREVER AND ALWAYS) was immediately squelched by the realization that he was the willing sidepiece. Boohoo. 

[luna1122]

19 minutes ago, goodbyeglittergirl said:

I wasn't sure if I should watch this, as someone freshly going through the divorce process after my husband left with the excuse of "I'm not happy and I'm not in love with you" only for me to find out it was really "I'm screwing the millennial at work."

But I did watch it, and I liked it enough to keep trying it for a few more episode. I have zero sympathy for the SJP character and applaud THC's character for changing the locks. I wish I had been that strong instead of being a simpering idiot, begging him to come back.

I was reminded of the depth of my emotions on this topic when the joy of the appearance of Jemaine Clement (MY FAVORITE FOREVER AND ALWAYS) was immediately squelched by the realization that he was the willing sidepiece. Boohoo. 

My divorce was long ago, and the best thing that ever happened to me, but it took awhile to get there, for sure. It will for you too. And ugh, why can't they just SAY 'I'm fucking someone else' instead of that soul/ego shattering 'I don't love you anymore' stuff? So self serving, even if true. Just rip off the band aid and come clean about it all, instead of making you the bad guy who just can't fulfill them.  Even nearly 20 years later, I can remember that time clearly, and it sucked. So, yeah, it made me have much less sympathy for SJP's character than I'm perhaps supposed to have, because she's been cheating and lying for a full year, thinks she might love the jerky sidepiece, and pulls the 'I don't love you' card at a party, no less. Ugh. Tho I can't really root for Robert either. Thomas Haden Church actually can have considerable charm, but not here,  so far, and the whole 'making the kids hate you' thing is so wrong. I'm assuming he'll back off from that once the shock has worn off.

Don't let this show kill your Jemaine crush, tho.

Do we know what Frances does for a living yet?

[chocolatine]

I have no problem separating Frances from Carrie, because this would never have been Carrie's life. Carrie would never have moved into the suburbs, and she didn't want children (the children thing was left ambiguous on the show, but it was explicitly addressed in the second movie). 

31 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

Do we know what Frances does for a living yet?

I was wondering about that too, since she just blew off the day's meetings to go meet her boy toy. She must be either self-employed or at senior management level, since that behavior wouldn't fly for most people who have a boss.

[cpcathy]

I missed something then, did she blow off work or did she meet him after the workday was over?

[chocolatine]

15 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

I missed something then, did she blow off work or did she meet him after the workday was over?

She called someone to cancel the day's meetings for "personal reasons", then got snippy when the person on the other end apparently asked for the specific reason. 

[cpcathy]

Oh wow, I did miss that! I was snuggling with my cat at the same time, his purring was too loud!

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Should You Try To Make Things Work With Divorce?

Sarah Jessica Parker returns to the network that made her famous for a new sitcom about the acrimonious end of a marriage. Will you love (honour and obey) it?

[Chas411]

I liked it. I'll try it again... Didn't like Molly Shannon or her husband.

[atomationage]

I've always liked Thomas Haden Church, and  I don't like the guy from The Flight of the Conchords.  I hope Molly Shannon is not in more episodes.  Mostly I don't like the cast, but I think the show is interesting enough to give another try.

[atomationage]

I'll watch another one for THC.  I liked the episode, but not most of the cast.  I hope Molly Shannon isn't a regular.  SJP and THC both look pretty haggard.  I suppose it's deliberate.  I don't see where they're going with the show from the pilot episode.  I imagine the next one will be completely different, and I'll decide from there whether or not to watch it. 

[NutMeg]

I've had a soft spot for Sarah Jessica Parker since Hocus Pocus - which I haven't seen in years, maybe I'll revisit, it's the season, ain't it? (I just rewatched the first Scream, after all, which I hadn't seen since way back then, it was fun to introduce a new generation to the grandfather of meta horror movies).

But apart from her acting abilities, and her willingness to play anything the scrip demands even when it's not flattering, another thing I really like about her is that she is aging normally and doesn't shy from showing us what a real 50 year old woman looks like. And she looks great, and I can relate, because I'm close to her age, and it's a relief to see what a normal 50 looks like instead of a Hollywood 50, to contemplate what a future with no fillers, plastic surgery, etc. can be, and to feel, well yes, I'm down and ok with it!  

So for this, and for all the fun I had watching Sex and the City, thank you, Sarah Jessica Parker :)

[cpcathy]

THC always looks like that!

[AllyB]

I quite liked it. I'm hitting the point in my life were the marriages in my social circle are showing serious cracks. I'm separated and the only way I won't be divorced in the next decade is if I'm widowed (husband is an alcoholic so either is possible). My closest friend is desperate to make her marriage work but not sure she can cope with the reality of their constant explosive arguments. Another friend is basically getting her ducks in a row and then planning to leave her husband as he is quite useless and she is very unhappy with him. A different friend is attempting to rebuild her marriage after his emotional abuse led to her having an emotional affair and the husband has promised to change so they can try again. She's willing to work at it but only because of the children. And I've just found out that another woman I know is having a really seedy sounding affair and is planning to leave her husband for him. (Tbh I couldn't help thinking about her during Frances' arc on this.) We're all only in our 30s with very young children but it's fascinating to realise just how bad marriage already is for so many of us. So I could connect to how the characters feel and I'm interested in seeing how it goes.
 

[sasha206]

18 hours ago, AllyB said:

I quite liked it. I'm hitting the point in my life were the marriages in my social circle are showing serious cracks. I'm separated and the only way I won't be divorced in the next decade is if I'm widowed (husband is an alcoholic so either is possible). My closest friend is desperate to make her marriage work but not sure she can cope with the reality of their constant explosive arguments. Another friend is basically getting her ducks in a row and then planning to leave her husband as he is quite useless and she is very unhappy with him. A different friend is attempting to rebuild her marriage after his emotional abuse led to her having an emotional affair and the husband has promised to change so they can try again. She's willing to work at it but only because of the children. And I've just found out that another woman I know is having a really seedy sounding affair and is planning to leave her husband for him. (Tbh I couldn't help thinking about her during Frances' arc on this.) We're all only in our 30s with very young children but it's fascinating to realise just how bad marriage already is for so many of us. So I could connect to how the characters feel and I'm interested in seeing how it goes.

 

I loved it as well.

I'm 49 and it resonated with me a bit even though I'm not in the process of getting divorced/separated (but I am dealing with a hubby w/stage IV cancer so the uncertainty and thoughts of new but forced beginnings creep up).

It resonated with me because this is the age in which you really question your relationships, your happiness.  I thought it was a great twist that she convinced herself that her side piece was in love with her as well and it turns out it was just a sexy hot fuck that is too scary for him if she's available.  And then when that hit home, she suddenly decides to give her marriage another shot.   You find yourself wanting to do new things but worried you're too old to do new things.  It's a strange age when you are likely your most successful through work but most restless as well.

All very human emotions, as self-absorbed as they could be.  

And then THC brings it home for me.  He is a tremendously skilled actor (see Sideways for example).  He brings humor, vulnerability, fear, and hate.  

I'm also happy that Talia Balsam is on the show; hope to see more from her.  

[revbfc]

I'm a week late to the party, but I really loved this.  Though I do see how the men are painted sympathetically, I also get how the two guys we do meet would be considered insufferable to their spouses.  Robert is needy, passive aggressive and has some quirks (his off-time humming with music for example) that are difficult to tolerate.  The other guy talks smack about his wife in front of everybody and chooses a new dog as a present (everyone, just let your loved one pick out a pet).  These are not very sympathetic people without their spouses upping the ante.

You fire a gun and cause a heart attack in front of your friends, you suck.  You cheat on your husband, you suck.  MS and SJP have absolutely lost this part of the PR war in their break-ups, but I'm absolutely certain the men will overplay their hands very soon (because they also suck).

I'm in.  Can't wait for tonight.

 

Just wanted to add that today is me and my SO's sixth anniversary.  We watched this together, laughed and held hands lovingly for most of the show.

Edited October 16, 2016 by revbfc

[candall]

I like THC, period.  I dislike Molly Shannon, same.  I think it's too bad SJP didn't have a director more determined to smack the Carrie Bradshaw out of her performance, which I've seen happen, in The Family Stone.

The only part I really disliked was all the faux rending of clothes and tearing of hair when she came home after her Conchordian wake up call.  She was blunt and candid when she told her husband she wanted a divorce, not all overwrought and whiney.  I think they mean her to be a character who would be smart enough to walk that situation back in the same way.  What I said about divorce?  Forget it, I was in a really bad place.  But we have problems to work out, so let's get on that.

 

I liked it well enough to stick, although I'll generally watch any HBO 30-minute show.  (Unless I just can't stand it:  Ballers. Gag.)  Network sit-coms are so hampered by chopping their 22 minutes into brief inter-advertising arcs and PG language.  I appreciate a half-hour show with adult dialogue and themes.

[Armchair Critic]

I am rooting for both SJP and her husband (hope he doesn't burn her with the kids but I don't blame him for being upset) yet I can see they would be better off divorced. I am sticking with the show because it is hard to find shows made for adults (I am in their age range and can relate), I like a half hour format, and I like the actors.

[tenativelyyours]

I found this really bad and think this is it for me.  What I clearly saw as the writers and actors thinking were homeruns humor wise were clunky and awkward and just unfunny.  The husband is really poorly written -- the hospital scene was cringeworthy and the style of acting that is brought to Robert by Thomas make him seem ludicrous and not humorous in any way.  And the exchange about whether it was the same dog.  It reminded me of when a person who is not funny tells an anecdote he thinks is hilarious and keeps laughing as he tries to tell it.  Making it even more painful to listen to. 

[chocolatine]

28 minutes ago, tenativelyyours said:

I found this really bad and think this is it for me.  What I clearly saw as the writers and actors thinking were homeruns humor wise were clunky and awkward and just unfunny.

I completely agree. From Fran getting into a foul-mouthed fight with Robert over the phone at her neighbor's house (here's an idea, call the locksmith), to the scenes at the hospital, to Fran's uneasy interactions with her own children, the show just doesn't do it for me. The only good thing about the episode was the realtor who called Fran out for being a selfish jerk.

[scrb]

Robert uses some harsh language, kind of slut-shaming Frances.  

There really were some zingers in both seasons of Catastrophe.  But in light of current political events, I wonder if Horgan regrets some of Robert's putdowns.

Frances talked about how her heart sank at the prospect of seeing him and in the next episode, will call him a monster.  But she hasn't resorted to vulgar lines.

Robert is the "aggrieved party," the sap who was cuckolded.  But he's being portrayed as kind of an asshole.  Did he used to put her down before she started cheating too?  Or is it all a reaction to being betrayed?

[BusyOctober]

I know SJP is the star and she is Exec Producing this so I expect the show to be pro-Frances.  However in 2 episodes they've made the Robert character ridiculously cartoonish.  He's written as a dumb idiot and makes me think how/why did Frances get involved with him in the first place?  He's completely unlikable.  I get that the show's POV is from the woman's side of these issues and I like the idea, but I wish they'd dial back the imbecile factor for THC's part a wee bit.  I like the actors a lot and I know they are both capable of comedic & dramatic roles.  But if I wanted to see THC bumble around like a doofus I'd watch "Wings" reruns (although, Lloyd was an endearing bumbling doofus.  Robert is just unlikable in almost every way).  I'll stick with this show a bit more to see where it goes. 

[DrivingSideways]

This show is very angry and tense, and no character is particularly likable.  It's hard for me to get invested in a show when it's written and acted like a room you just want to get out of.  And I thought the premise was that they decide they are better off apart so they don't end up like Molly Shannon... I guess we are building to that point.  Will continue to watch but so far, this is kind of depressing.

[luna1122]

My problem is, at this point, that I have no idea why Frances is trying to salvage her marriage. She appears to despise Robert--with good reason or not. THC and SJP continue to seem as if they are on different shows. Robert is so broadly portrayed, so sitcommy and weird, I can't tell if we are supposed to loathe him as much as she seems to or not. She apparently is at least fairly financially secure. The kids are not tiny--no kids like divorce, but they're old enough to handle this stuff to some degree. She has nothing, it appears, but contempt for her husband. Why is she trying to save the marriage? It's virtually inexplicable at this point.

Also, why do cheating spouses tell their partners that the person they slept with 'meant nothing' to them? Does that ever make anyone feel better? "Hey, I torpedoed our marriage and devastated you for someone I care nothing at all about'. Oh, okay, then. And of course, she's lying, as she told her friend that she might be in love with Conchord guy.

[Colagirl]

Quote

He's written as a dumb idiot and makes me think how/why did Frances get involved with him in the first place?  He's completely unlikable. 

Quote

 

 

Yes! I think THC was really badly mis-cast in this. I cannot see the two of them together at all, at any point in their lives. Someone like Alec Baldwin would have been a much better choice - could have played for humor but also would have come across as a person who at least was attractive/interesting once. I was really excited for this show and so far have been disappointed.

[iMonrey]

Quote

My problem is, at this point, that I have no idea why Frances is trying to salvage her marriage. 

I don't get it either. If I'm playing armchair psychiatrist, I would guess that her lover's rejection of her sort of dispelled this fantasy she had of leaving her husband and moving on with this new guy, the granola guy. She has security and children with Robert and she was willing to throw it all away for something that didn't really exist, as it turned out. 

I probably shouldn't have to work that hard to understand her actions though. Bottom line, she doesn't love Robert anymore, she needs to move on.

[bagatelle]

I couldn't believe she kept walking out the door. Surely she would figure out he would lock the door behind her. Is this supposed to be broad comedy?

[cardigirl]

I think that anyone who has been having an affair tries to minimize it to the betrayed party.  Part of the selfishness of the act, in my opinion.

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but it sums up my feelings about the second episode far more eloquently than I could.

Edited October 17, 2016 by cardigirl

[luna1122]

I love Thomas Haden church. I loved Lowell. I LOVED Ned, and there he was an acerbic smartass with a great sense of style (so his sartorial choices and pornstache seem even worse by comparison). I loved him in 'sideways', and that movie he did with Dennis quaid and SJP years ago 'smart people'. He is capable of some subtlety and gravitas, he's a fine actor  

Which is why I can't figure out why he and SJP seem so mismatched, not just as a couple, but as co-stars here. I'm not sure what's not working. I'd have sympathy for Robert automatically, being the cheated on partner, who she treats with so much contempt, but he just seems so weird and kind of creepy. But actually, everyone on this show kind of is. 

Edited October 17, 2016 by luna1122

[tenativelyyours]

1 hour ago, bagatelle said:

I couldn't believe she kept walking out the door. Surely she would figure out he would lock the door behind her. Is this supposed to be broad comedy?

 Yeah but then you wouldn't have had the over and over again hilarity of watching Frances try to learn how locks work.  And fail.  Over and over again.  Hee...Lar...Eee...Us. 

[Maysie]

Honestly, I don't even know what I'm watching at this point. It was pretty clear in the first episode that Frances doesn't just not love Robert any more, but she seemed to disdain him, like the sight and sound of him made her skin crawl. But her plan didn't quite work out so she loves him after all?? (And the more I think about her plan from last week, I have to wonder about that. Was she planning on walking out on her kids and moving in with not-Jermaine and seeing the kids whenever it worked for her or was she delusional enough that she thought the kids would go with her?)

I know we're only two episodes in, but this is pretty disappointing. In my opinion, the writing is weak - about the only context/history I get out of the whole relationship is the stuff with the dog. We have no idea if Frances and Robert were ever happy together. We have no sense of how they used to interact together and with their kids. There are few throwaway lines that give us any idea of history, nor are there even any pans across the room to show us pictures of a happier time for everyone or just pictures of the kids everywhere (to imply that it's pretty much all about the kids). Nothing. So I have no idea if Robert is always this much of a dick nor do I know if Frances' self-absorption is part of whatever unhappiness/mid-life crisis she's experiencing. And the acting, for me, just isn't strong enough to save the uneven writing. It feels like they're trying to make a drama into a half hour sitcom (watch Frances get the dog . . . again! watch Frances get locked out . . . again! watch Frances walk her kids to the bus . . . again!)

I may try one more episode, but it's not anything I'm going to make room in my schedule for.

[iMonrey]

Maybe the premise was rushed. It might have worked better if they'd given us a few episodes to get to know the characters instead of stampeding right into a fight and a request for a divorce. I'm still not clear on what Frances does and why she's renting a gallery.

And I must agree with those who note that there is a fundamental difference between the way SJP is playing this and the way THC is. There was something a little off about their chemistry and rhythm I couldn't put my finger on until I saw it articulated here. It's like they're on 2 different shows.

[Maysie]

43 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Maybe the premise was rushed. It might have worked better if they'd given us a few episodes to get to know the characters instead of stampeding right into a fight and a request for a divorce. I'm still not clear on what Frances does and why she's renting a gallery.

Just an episode or two to kind of lay the groundwork . . . something to give us a sense of who these people were before the whole "I don't love you and want a divorce" started. It's like parachuting into someone's home and trying to figure out the who what when where how of their daily lives. Given enough time, you start to get it, but it's really just a still shot out of a whole life. Between the acting, writing, characters, etc., there don't seem to be enough compelling reasons to stick it out to make sense out of it.

[formerlyfreedom]

Robert and Frances attend couples therapy in an effort to see if their marriage is salvageable. Frances gets advice from Dallas, while Robert vents at work. At home, tensions mount as Frances and Robert try to maintain a facade of normalcy for the children. Frances arrives at an epiphany.

 

[MCMLXXVII]

On 10/11/2016 at 8:47 AM, Rickster said:

Reviews confirmed it was Westchester, I was trying to figure out what part. I wasn't implying they would drive out for coffee, only that these days, Folgers would be unlikely to be in an upper middle class household like this one.

At least part of it was filmed in my home Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. That's the train station Frances walks down the hill to, though somehow I totally missed the filming of this. Their house looks to be here too, but could be a few towns north or south, going by the view of The Palisades.

[EdnasEdibles]

Yes, I don't get why Frances still wants to save her marriage. Her husband seems cartoonishly terrible and I couldn't see any sort of human emotion in him until he googled Jermaine. And then you could see that he is kind of jealous and hurt. That felt honest to me. 

But otherwise, he seems like an asshole. I don't know why she wants to stay with him and what they even have in common. And while I can see that Frances likely wasn't planning a second wedding with her affair, he meant SOMETHING to her. She was going to live with him for a bit when she moved out of her home. 

[LilaFowler]

In twelve rounds of a marriage, this show drops viewers into the tenth round of this one.  A little context would have been nice.  However is there ever really a simple explanation as to why people fall out of love with each other?  Life happens, people get older and change and grow apart.  We could see the first ten years of Fran and Robert's marriage and maybe have a better idea of it.  I don't think they exactly understand it themselves at this point.  Maybe it's the actors or the way the characters are written but I can't even tell what drew these two people together in the first place.

I don't think Frances really wants to save her marriage, she's just in a desperate scramble as her former cushy life circles the drain.  She impulsively asked for a divorce without really having a plan first.  Clearly she never talked seriously about the future with Prof. Granola.  She didn't anticipate getting locked out of the house with Robert threatening her about the kids and holding all the cards.  I can't decide if she did it this way because she is that bored with her life so she decided to drop a bomb to get a reaction, or if she was genuinely ready to gnaw her own leg off to get out of the marriage.  She clearly can't stand Robert and will likely continue to hate life if they decide to work it out and stay together.  They've already been to counseling but don't go anymore.  Did they declare themselves "fixed" or...?  I guess we'll find out next week.  While I personally believe that counseling can help a marriage limp along, I also think that things that are meant to last shouldn't be so much trouble.  You can waste a lot of years trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, while you try to convince yourself that you like square pegs.  I speak from experience.

Molly Shannon seems to be in a different show altogether.  It's odd.  I don't care about her husband, he was a total jackass. I don't care about her either, she's a jackass, too.  The Dufrane kids seem like brats.

ETA: I'm going to stick with this show simply because I want to see how it ends.  I do enjoy that for once, the cheater was the woman.  That's a real rarity in tv/film/whatever.  I admit that I'll be a bit disappointed if the show concludes with them getting back together to work it out, take more vacations, spend more time together, etc. -- basically tying a big bow over a big mess.  We'll see.

Edited October 18, 2016 by LilaFowler

[NutMeg]

Yes, I forgot what it says, but towards the end of the credits you can read "filmed in xxxx, NY"

[Scrappygrrl]

Yes, it was filmed there, as well as neighboring towns. The school scenes were shot in Elmsford, NY. My son is in several school scenes shot there, and I froze my damn ass off watching him! But I was standing just a few feet to the right of Sharon Horgan during filming, so all internal the fan-girling kept me warm enough.

Clearly I have a vested interest to watch this show ("Is that the back of M's head?") as well as being a fan of Sharon Horgan. The tone is a bit different than I expected; perhaps it comes off better with a British accent as a poster above me stated. But it's only a half-hour, I will definitely give it time!

[candall]

I thought the scene at the gallery space went a long way toward explaining the wife.

She created a fun little fantasy about shaking up her life and moving in with sexy granola, without much thought about the hard stuff--the nuts and bolts like where her children would land.  When that bubble burst, she didn't have the wherewithal to do anything but scamper back to the security of the familiar. 

On her own, she doesn't want to proceed with a messy divorce any more than she wants to pull the trigger on starting her own gallery.

 

SJP's character hasn't done one thing on this show to prove she's not an idiot--the Conchord, the locking door, the new neighbors, the kids.  I don't think that's what they were going for.

(I was sure she was going to break that window by tossing a rock the size of a baseball instead of a pebble.)

[tenativelyyours]

I can't help but suspect that the writers think that they are creating this neutral emotional landscape with Frances and Robert.  That they are showing how complex and profound they are as writers by showing the flaws in both.  And the response to Frances telling her husband he is not something she really wants in her life anymore except what an amicable divorce allows and then does a "whoops! I was wrong." as a response to her lover's reaction is to make Robert a buffoon and a "jerk" really undermines any notion of finding these people even reprehensibly interesting.  

Also I realized that what bothers me about THC's delivery is that it reminds me when actors who work for a long time on a show that films in front of a studio audience.  They learn over the seasons to adjust and know when certain lines or moments are going to draw an audience reaction and they get these artificial pauses and even cadences to their delivery to the point that they almost break the fourth wall.  And with the less skilled ones it becomes a really fumbling tick.  I call it the Tim Allen Acting Method.

[Corgi-ears]

On 17 October 2016 at 2:14 PM, tenativelyyours said:

the hospital scene was cringeworthy

I found Diane's "No. Only the granola" pretty fucking hilarious, though.

[candall]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 2:11 PM, cardigirl said:

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but it sums up my feelings about the second episode far more eloquently than I could.

It was a perfect spot for that link--thanks!  Made me see THC in a different light.

[FemmyV]

On 10/18/2016 at 2:17 PM, candall said:

I thought the scene at the gallery space went a long way toward explaining the wife.

And perhaps, the marriage. From the outside, it's the perfect life: solid breadwinner of a husband (well, maybe ...), on Main St. in Charming Town, good looking kids, etc, etc. Likewise, the retail space has everything she says she wants, but here she is backing away. Midlife crisis.

I felt sorry for Robert until he shook the bird's nest out of the tree. Maybe it's supposed to be comedy, but it did look like one of those 'character' moments that was really not good for him.

Overall I don't like any of the characters, is my trouble. Love the actors, love the writing, but not much sympathy for anyone on the screen atm.