S01.E02: The Interim

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

Ginny tries to fit in with the team despite the resurfacing of a sexist comment made by Al. Meanwhile, Mike copes with the end of his marriage and mortality of his career; and Blip faces the fallout of Evelyn defending him to the media.

[mtlchick]

Good news: I am really liking this show for the actors.

Bad news: maybe because it's the venue, but Ginny spilling everything on Kimmel on all places? Eh.  

I normally give 3 episodes to new shows...I'm pretty likely to stick with this one for as long as it's on the air as the debut numbers were pretty weak. 

[Primetimer]

Ranking the second episode from moments with heft to Ginn-spirational garbage.

View the full article

[Shaynaa]

Not really a fan of directing of the cut to flashbacks.  It keeps making me dizzy.

[SimoneS]

The writers are dropping hints all over. Yep, they are going there with Lawson and Ginny. 

[EarlGreyTea]

I take back what I said. I ship Ginny and Mike. I don't REALLY want it to happen, particularly this season, but their scenes are magic. The whole dynamic reminds me of Jimmy and Dottie from A League of Their Own, and thankfully those two never hooked up, which was part of the appeal. Didn't think a bearded Mark-Paul would work for me, but damn it, he does.

I'm intrigued by the dynamic of Ginny and her brother. He wasn't in the pilot so I assume something went wrong there after she signed with Ali Larter. They continue to knock it out of the park with casting Ginny's family. Their scenes were great.

Was that JoAnna Garcia Swisher playing the TV anchor/Mike's ex-wife? If so, nice casting there. She's married to a MLB player. Total mindfuck that she went from some random anchor to being his ex-wife. That was a nice scene she and Mark-Paul shared. It led nicely to Mike's rant in the locker room about how life has disappointed him.

Don't give a fig about Mark Consuelos' storyline, but a GM is extremely important to the dynamics of a team, so we're stuck with him.

Please don't fire Jack Arnold - er, the manager. Dan Lauria is a treasure.

Ali Larter's backstory was a bit ham-fisted.

Edited September 30, 2016 by EarlGreyTea

[jennifer6973]

@EarlGreyTea

 

Yes it was her.

[vibeology]

8 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

The writers are dropping hints all over. Yep, they are going there with Lawson and Ginny. 

Oh, yeah. He's got it bad for Ginny. He called her pretty, he ate food off her plate, tried to impress her at the gym and all the stuff at the bar at the end.... He's got it bad for her. I kind of ship it. I shouldn't. The age difference, the fact they they're teammates, that he's still got ex issues are all reasons not to ship them but the chemistry is spectacular and MPG is selling the fact that Lawson is into Ginny. 

[Lady Calypso]

Of course they're going there with Ginny/Mike. Well, we'll see how it goes.

I love the actors, and I like some of the storylines, at least. I'm not fond of Oscar or other guy trying to get out Al. 

I love Joanna Garcia-Swisher so seeing her was a treat. Her scene with Mike was actually very nice. It's good to see that her character isn't some evil ex of his. 

Ginny's brother Will was great. I wonder why he's not around now. I wonder what happened there. There's hints here, but the fact that he's not around in the present says a lot.

They really have gone all out on the real life references. Now they got Jimmy Kimmel to make an appearance. Honestly, it looks like they've spent a lot of money on endorsements like that alone.

[Sweets McGee]

I'm still in, but thought this episode was pretty meh, especially the Blip subplot. I like the actor but he has no chemistry with his wife. Maybe she should really go for Mike Trout. :-P

[Danielg342]

What was the statement made by the manager that got himself into so much hot water? I missed the first half because my cable box was wonky, so I won't rate it. Love to comment on it, but I missed it.

Enjoyed the last half hour where Mark Lawson went on his tirade and inspired the team, even if the show only had the Padres winning one lopsided game against the Dodgers (the producers are aware there are other NL teams, right?). Liked seeing a bit of Amelia's backstory and Ginny standing up to her.

The whole Kimmel thing threw me for a loop...unless it was just Amelia who discussed the segment with Kimmel, I'm pretty sure Ginny would approve of the segment beforehand, unless she just had a change of heart. I'd also wonder why Kimmel would do a segment that I'm sure a lot of people would find sexist anyway (yeah, assume the "girl on the team" knows about redecorating). I don't know...something about it didn't ring true.

I think I'm still in for the future but I'm not sure this effort was all that great.

[miracole]

Good show, I hope they let it stick around. Love the actor playing Ginny and the Ginny character. I think they've hit a good note so far with her wanting to just be a ball player but also learning to navigate her instant stardom and some of the things that comes with this. I'm glad they showed her brother this week but I hope that's not it, hope he shows back up. All the characters have really good chemistry and this show could be really cheesy but it's refreshingly not. I'm loving MPG he embraced his "old man" role very well. His frustration was played very well. Also I really, really want  Mario Lopez(who still looks 23 by the way) to show up on this show as a player from another team he can't stand. 

[CabotCove]

Quote

The writers are dropping hints all over. Yep, they are going there with Lawson and Ginny. 

Really? Seem like Mike will date Ali Larter's character, the agent. 

Quote

I'd also wonder why Kimmel would do a segment that I'm sure a lot of people would find sexist anyway (yeah, assume the "girl on the team" knows about redecorating). I don't know...something about it didn't ring true.

Maybe that was the point, to show how the media can be sexist.

Edited September 30, 2016 by DCLeague

[SimoneS]

I loved Ginny's final scene with her brother. The fact that he is not around means something bad went down with him.

I think that Lawson only wanted his ex-wife back because he was trying to push away his feelings for Ginny so the ex had a lucky escape by getting engaged. It isn't going to end well for any woman who gets involved with him as long as he has it bad for Ginny. I am glad that she is oblivious to his feelings as it would only make things complicated just as she needs his support in the locker room and on the mound.

I can't believe that Dan Luria is going anywhere. However, I chuckled when the owner said that he never invited the GM for dinner so he could fire him. Talk about waving a red flag.

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Good news: I am really liking this show for the actors.

Bad news: maybe because it's the venue, but Ginny spilling everything on Kimmel on all places? Eh. 

I totally agree with you about the actors and the Jimmy Kimmel bit.  That felt very...awkward.  I can buy that they didn't plan this ahead of time because it seems like her decision to say something was a last minute decision.  I can even buy that she'd want to say something but I really kind of hate how shows/movies tend to write these scenes where they're in a fun interview and then the interviewee suddenly gets serious and says "I want to get serious for a minute....etc."  It doesn't feel real to me.

And to top it off, they had her address the rape case.  Up to that point, I really loved what they had been doing when it comes to expectations and her desire to fit in with her team, be a role model and then be asked about all issues related to sexism/gender.  I kind of would have preferred if she maybe didn't say anything about that case.  Not because it's not a worthy thing to talk about but to show her establishing boundaries for herself and being deliberate in what she will and will not address. 

1 hour ago, Danielg342 said:

What was the statement made by the manager that got himself into so much hot water? I missed the first half because my cable box was wonky, so I won't rate it. Love to comment on it, but I missed it.

He said that she was pretty and said that he thought a lot of guys would be happy to have her in their locker room.  The way it was phrased made it seem like her value to a locker room was to beautify it rather than being a teammate.  This too was a nicely done bit of writing, I think.  He thought he was being complimentary but in doing so, he focused on her looks rather than her talent.  It's the kind of subtle sexism that isn't intentionally meant to be degrading but kind of is.  And it happens a lot.  But it can also be forgiveable.

1 hour ago, vibeology said:

Oh, yeah. He's got it bad for Ginny. He called her pretty, he ate food off her plate, tried to impress her at the gym and all the stuff at the bar at the end.... He's got it bad for her. I kind of ship it. I shouldn't. The age difference, the fact they they're teammates, that he's still got ex issues are all reasons not to ship them but the chemistry is spectacular and MPG is selling the fact that Lawson is into Ginny. 

The funny thing is that I ship it but I didn't really see this episode as dropping major hints.  I think he called her pretty because of the comments the manager made.  I think he ate food off of her plate because that just seems like the kind of thing a cocky guy like him would do.  And the gym stuff just felt like two competitive people being competitive.  Maybe there's an attraction there on his part but I don't think it's really driving anything he does.  Otherwise I don't think he would have slinked up to her agent.

Another scene whose writing and acting I like was the scene between Mike and his ex.  I actually do believe he's feeling the end of his career and is looking for meaning.  I also do believe he misses her and wants her back.  But I loved the little bit at the end where he is talking about wanting a life with her after he calls it a career and says "maybe at the end of this season...or next."  The "or next" was the awesome part because the "or next" is really a "..."  He's feeling the end of his career but if he still plays well next season, it'd be "just one more year."  I do kind of wonder about her, though. She married a ball player.  What surprised her about his life that suddenly became unacceptable?

I loved the agent tonight but I hated her backstory.  All this over her man leaving her after she couldn't conceive a child?  Yuck.   I don't know why the show had to give us flashbacks of all these pasts.  I'd rather have Ginny's brother come into the present as I did like BJ Britt and have the show 86 all of these flashbacks.  Tell us their past by reflecting it in their present.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Irlandesa

[In2You]

1 hour ago, Sweets McGee said:

I'm still in, but thought this episode was pretty meh, especially the Blip subplot. I like the actor but he has no chemistry with his wife. Maybe she should really go for Mike Trout. :-P

ITA this episode bored more and I kept changing the channel to go watch actual baseball.  The whole team whinin and fighting about her presence got old real quick. 

 

And I don't understand why they had MPG gain weight and a burly beard for this role like catchers can't be clean cut and slim. Especially when it's feels like they got a little inspired by Derek Jeter for this role.  They painted his character as popular mainstream and dating supermodels and having big sponsors while being a great player and respected captain. Yet they don't have him looking the part of that super star athlete.

And they brought in the ex wife who had an affair to make him sympathetic.I'd find it more believable if he was the one who had the affair knowing how athletes are.

[Danielg342]

3 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I totally agree with you about the actors and the Jimmy Kimmel bit.  That felt very...awkward.  I can buy that they didn't plan this ahead of time because it seems like her decision to say something was a last minute decision.  I can even buy that she'd want to say something but I really kind of hate how shows/movies tend to write these scenes where they're in a fun interview and then the interviewee suddenly gets serious and says "I want to get serious for a minute....etc."  It doesn't feel real to me.

And to top it off, they had her address the rape case.  Up to that point, I really loved what they had been doing when it comes to expectations and her desire to fit in with her team, be a role model and then be asked about all issues related to sexism/gender.  I kind of would have preferred if she maybe didn't say anything about that case.  Not because it's not a worthy thing to talk about but to show her establishing boundaries for herself and being deliberate in what she will and will not address. 

He said that she was pretty and said that he thought a lot of guys would be happy to have her in their locker room.  The way it was phrased made it seem like her value to a locker room was to beautify it rather than being a teammate.  This too was a nicely done bit of writing, I think.  He thought he was being complimentary but in doing so, he focused on her looks rather than her talent.  It's the kind of subtle sexism that isn't intentionally meant to be degrading but kind of is.  And it happens a lot.  But it can also be forgiveable.

Thanks for the manager bit. Yeah, it does sound like something the "laptop activists" would work themselves up into a lather about before everyone realizes it was just a bad slip of the tongue. Scary realistic that the manager would be in danger of losing his job over it- entertainment properties are already highly sensitive about this kind of stuff, and it's even worse now that the media essentially creates controversies by quoting (or misquoting) a few people on Twitter.

I didn't know she went on Kimmel to talk about Brock Turner. I must have missed it somehow. I'll agree, it sounds kind of forced- Turner's story obviously is troubling, but why would Ginny Baker feel like bringing it up? To establish some kind of "feminist street cred"? I'll be honest, if they go that route with her, I'll take a pass. Not because Baker being a feminist is a bad thing, but because if they turn Baker into some kind of activist it'll feel very heavy handed to me, as if FOX is trying to win some "progressive points" by having a character that panders to the Gawkers of the world who get too much attention to begin with.

No, please show- don't make Baker some kind of "feminist mouthpiece" that has to give an opinion on whatever "sexism of the week" that happens in the real world. Her being the first female baseball player in the Majors should be more than enough to make her a feminist icon.

[Artsda]

I think they're totally selling Lawson and Ginny. They are pretty great in their scenes together, good chem.

I kept trying to figure out where I knew Will from and I realized he was the NFL player lead on UnReal. Good casting, I bet we'll see him again.

[Irlandesa]

On 9/29/2016 at 11:34 PM, Danielg342 said:

Thanks for the manager bit. Yeah, it does sound like something the "laptop activists" would work themselves up into a lather about before everyone realizes it was just a bad slip of the tongue.

I'm going to go all "armchair activist" on you but I wouldn't call it a "slip of the tongue."  I would call it the same kind of unconscious sexism that leads women to be told to "smile."

 

On 9/29/2016 at 11:34 PM, Danielg342 said:

Scary realistic that the manager would be in danger of losing his job over it

He wasn't in danger of losing his job over this.  He was already on the hot seat but the GM got a reprieve for him until the end of the season.  The owner was done with the manager not after the initial comments came out but after he held a press conference to make it better and made the same mistake with his "Can't we just go back to talking about how pretty Ginny is?"  Seriously?  Not talented but pretty?  That's when the owner decided he was done.  And if I were 90% close to firing an employee and they made another costly blunder, I would probably pull the trigger too.  Don't get me wrong, I like Al and hope he stays but I get the owner's position too.

On 9/29/2016 at 11:34 PM, Danielg342 said:

I didn't know she went on Kimmel to talk about Brock Turner.

She didn't.  She had been asked about the fictional rape case in this episode.  Pundits do as pundits do when discussing the rape case and wondered what Ginny would think of it. So when Ginny was on Kimmel and talked about Al, she also talked about how walking into the wrong locker room doesn't mean a girl should be raped. 

On 9/29/2016 at 11:30 PM, In2You said:

And I don't understand why they had MPG gain weight and a burly beard for this role like catchers can't be clean cut and slim.

Maybe to separate him from his Zach Morris look.  And to reflect his "broken" state. It is a baseball look and it does separate him from his Saved By The Bell look.  It looks like he was clean cut in his wedding photos. 

Edited October 1, 2016 by Irlandesa

[Jediknight]

I don't think they're going to do Mike and Ginny, they're setting up Mike and Ginny's agent.  You had the scene at the end, the 2 of them both being divorced (introducing it this episode was no coincidence), and they're both mentoring Ginny.

Ginny did what her agent wanted.  She didn't want Ginny to issue a statement, she wanted Ginny to stand up herself and say it.  That smile sealed it, she completely wanted Ginny to blow off the decorating skit, and take a stand for her manager.

The acting continues to be fantastic, and I loved the Jerry Maguire reference.

[twoods]

I still love this show. Love the actors and all the character interactions. I cried during the Ginny-Will scenes and am wondering why he's not around to support her now. I think Ginny is a fantastic character- she is so likable. 

I don't mind the backstory with the agent and her ex husband- it justifies why she's so obsessed with Ginny. I am not looking forward to a relationship with her and Lawson, if they are going there.

[In2You]

16 minutes ago, Jediknight said:

I don't think they're going to do Mike and Ginny, they're setting up Mike and Ginny's agent.  You had the scene at the end, the 2 of them both being divorced (introducing it this episode was no coincidence), and they're both mentoring Ginny.

Ginny did what her agent wanted.  She didn't want Ginny to issue a statement, she wanted Ginny to stand up herself and say it.  That smile sealed it, she completely wanted Ginny to blow off the decorating skit, and take a stand for her manager.

The acting continues to be fantastic, and I loved the Jerry Maguire reference.

They had him eying her up multiple times during this episode including those gym scenes where he was checking out her butt

[Danielg342]

23 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I'm going to go all "armchair activist" on you but I wouldn't call it a "slip of the tongue."  I would call it the same kind of unconscious sexism that leads women to be told to "smile."

He wasn't in danger of losing his job over this.  He was already on the hot seat but the GM got a reprieve for him until the end of the season.  The owner was done with the manager not after the initial comments came out but after he held a press conference to make it better and made the same mistake with his "Can't we just go back to talking about how pretty Ginny is?"  Seriously?  Not talented but pretty?  That's when the owner decided he was done.  And if I were 90% close to firing an employee and they made another costly blunder, I would probably pull the trigger too.  Don't get me wrong, I like Al and hope he stays but I get the owner's position too.

She didn't.  She had been asked about the fictional rape case in this episode.  Pundits do as pundits do when discussion the rape case and wondered what Ginny would think of it. So when Ginny was on Kimmel and talked about Al, she also talked about how walking into the wrong locker room doesn't mean a girl should be raped.  

What I mean is that it's more of an indicator of a cultural problem than a real reflection on the speaker's character. It should be one of those things where "I'm sorry, I didn't realize what I had said" should be enough.

...and yeah, given that he was almost gone, it'd put someone over the edge.

Thanks for the updates. I did miss half the episode, so I got some parts wrong. They just talked about the fictitious case, they didn't "show" the incident, did they?

Edited September 30, 2016 by Danielg342

[Irlandesa]

23 minutes ago, twoods said:

I don't mind the backstory with the agent and her ex husband- it justifies why she's so obsessed with Ginny.

What's the line you think they drew?  Or were trying to draw?  I think I can come up with reasons but I felt it was weak so I'd love the perspective from someone who feels they got it.

Until they revealed that bit of backstory, I was happy to think that she's just an ambitious agent, good at her job, who felt she wanted to get on board with a woman who could be as popular as Serena Williams. I liked the idea that she did it because it was good financially and inspiring for women. 

17 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

Thanks for the updates. I did miss half the episode, so I got some parts wrong. They just talked about the fictitious case, they didn't "show" the incident, did they?

That makes sense.  No, we didn't see it.  We just heard talking heads, like Katie Nolan and Mike's ex (who is a reporter), talk about the case of a girl who was assaulted  when she walked into the wrong locker room. They were on TVs in the background and Mike's ex even showed up at the stadium to ask her about the case.

[Dusty]

2 hours ago, twoods said:

I still love this show. Love the actors and all the character interactions. I cried during the Ginny-Will scenes and am wondering why he's not around to support her now. I think Ginny is a fantastic character- she is so likable.

I know that there will probably be some drama about why Will is around right now but I'm really hoping that it's because he's finally able to figure out what it is that he wants to do because he doesn't have to be her agent.  It's wishful thinking but that's what I hope for Will considering all he had to go through growing up as second fiddle and punching boy to their dad.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I so loved several moments in this ep.  Aaaaaaah.

"Uber."  What a great "baseball" moment!  Costner could have delivered that line.

The scene where the brother let her go and admitted he simply was not able/equipped to do what she needed done.  Man, that slayed me as the oldest brother who has a gifted younger sister and pretty much did the same thing years ago.  She has done ridiculously well and we have a great relationship.  Anyway, the sentiments were dead on as far as I am concerned and I totally bought that they were family with the deepest imaginable bonds.  Well done all around.

The light bulb moment for Ginny when the manager explained his feelings and beliefs about his daughter was just marvelous.  She freakin' got it.  She didn't like what he said and likely his inability to get past appearance and women.  But, crucially, she felt the paternalism which she had mistrusted was actually gallantry.  That man would have her back.  All the way.  She was able to get past the surface and saw the person.  Fabulous.

The last awesome moment for me was that agent witch did the opposite of the manager.  She refused to bare her soul.  She blatantly lied about the catalyst/impulse she had on a human level, which was very important to Ginny.  The one who on the surface was Ginny's biggest supporter, certainly more than the eeeeeeevil male manager, was revealed to be the snake she always was.   I am pleased that she is gonna be the love interest for Lawson, who himself is craving a genuine/real relationship.   He isn't gonna get it.  Good draaaaama on the way!

It was very nice to see the pitching coach, who is being tabbed to take over the team, gave his friend and boss, a direct heads-up about being fired.  Again, a very "baseball" moment.

During the Lawson valedictory, my brain started playing, "You Gotta Have Heart."  Great song from a great musical.  I hope never to hear it on this show. 

And I haven't so much as mentioned anything to do with an actual game.    

Edited September 30, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[romantic idiot]

8 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

Ranking the second episode from moments with heft to Ginn-spirational garbage.

View the full article

I see this but it's so weird. From the scene, I somehow assumed that he was barren, not her. 

6 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

but why would Ginny Baker feel like bringing it up? To establish some kind of "feminist street cred"? I'll be honest, if they go that route with her, I'll take a pass. Not because Baker being a feminist is a bad thing, but because if they turn Baker into some kind of activist it'll feel very heavy handed to me, as if FOX is trying to win some "progressive points" by having a character that panders to the Gawkers of the world who get too much attention to begin with.

No, please show- don't make Baker some kind of "feminist mouthpiece" that has to give an opinion on whatever "sexism of the week" that happens in the real world. Her being the first female baseball player in the Majors should be more than enough to make her a feminist icon.

I think she commented because she should. Everyone should comment and condemn something like that. The fact that she wasn't felt like her playing politics. 

[Danielg342]

6 minutes ago, romantic idiot said:

I think she commented because she should. Everyone should comment and condemn something like that. The fact that she wasn't felt like her playing politics. 

I missed half the episode, and when I wrote the post, I thought she was actually talking about Turner (based on a comment up thread).

[vibeology]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

The funny thing is that I ship it but I didn't really see this episode as dropping major hints.  I think he called her pretty because of the comments the manager made.  I think he ate food off of her plate because that just seems like the kind of thing a cocky guy like him would do.  And the gym stuff just felt like two competitive people being competitive.  Maybe there's an attraction there on his part but I don't think it's really driving anything he does.  Otherwise I don't think he would have slinked up to her agent.

I don't think Lawson knows he's got it bad for her, but I think he does. Any one of those thing on its own, I could write off, but all of it in the span of two days or so points to him feeling something for Ginny that isn't just team camaraderie. Yes, he definitely went off to hook up with Amelia at the end of the night, but that was just about two lonely people deciding they don't want to be alone. Lawson and Amelia haven't even spoken to each other yet. That's not an emotional connection and we know that's what Lawson really is after.

It seems pretty clear that he doesn't spend much time with women. He has his hookups, but those all seem to be one and done. The last time he probably connected with a woman was his ex and now he's got Ginny is his life and she isn't startstuck, she pushes back, she's an equal and he's clearly drawn to that. And yes, she's pretty and yes he checked out her ass because she is hot. On some level, I think it's why he didn't go dance and left the bar instead. I don't think he knows what he's doing or what he's feeling but he knew he needed to get out of there and he knew that he didn't want to be alone and literally hooked up with the next woman he saw.

On some level I don't want to ship it. I think its a very bad idea for so many reasons (you want to talk disruption in the lockerroom...) but I can't pretend that I don't see something on his side.

[CabotCove]

Quote

He said that she was pretty and said that he thought a lot of guys would be happy to have her in their locker room.  The way it was phrased made it seem like her value to a locker room was to beautify it rather than being a teammate.

That too and the statement had a sexual implication.

Quote

I don't think they're going to do Mike and Ginny, they're setting up Mike and Ginny's agent.  You had the scene at the end, the 2 of them both being divorced (introducing it this episode was no coincidence), and they're both mentoring Ginny.

Exactly, the show mirrored their stories throughout the episode and in the end brought together. Those two are at the same place in life, it makes much more sense than him dating Ginny.

 I dont see Mike checking Ginny's butt at all, and Im pretty clued in with subtext. Looks to me that it was the camera focused on her body during training. She is the catcher he is the pitcher, she is a rookie he is the captain, I dont think their every scene, look, word should be scrutinized for romance. It just undermines the working relationship  and team chemistry they are trying to establish here. IMO. 

 

Quote

Lawson and Amelia haven't even spoken to each other yet. That's not an emotional connection and we know that's what Lawson really is after.

Every journey begins with a single step.....

Edited September 30, 2016 by DCLeague

[Enero]

40 minutes ago, DCLeague said:

Exactly, the show mirrored their stories throughout the episode and in the end brought together. Those two are at the same place in life, it makes much more sense than him dating Ginny.

 I dont see Mike checking Ginny's butt at all, and Im pretty clued in with subtext. Looks to me that it was the camera focused on her body during training. She is the catcher he is the pitcher, she is a rookie he is the captain, I dont think their every scene should be scrutinized for romance. It just undermines the working relationship  and team chemistry they are trying to establish here. IMO.

 

Every journey begins with a single step.....

I completely agree with all of this. I think Ginny and Mike have wonderful chemistry, but I'm just not see the show building a romantic connection between them. If the show lasts past this season,  MAYBE they'll go there, but I'm just not seeing it right now.

That said, I totally see Mike and Amelia going there. As you stated, their lives were parallel throughout the episode, reflecting on the past, feeling uncertain about the future, feeling somewhat left out in the present.  Yep they'll go there. Whether it'll be true love or just a fling to get them through this point in their lives remains to be seen.

I thought this was a descent episode, not great but descent. I really enjoy all of the characters and think KB is fantastic. I nearly cried when Ginny's brother told her to hire Amelia as her manager. I'm also curious about what happened to him. With him flunking out of college and not being at her first game I wonder if they eventually grew apart. Like her father, his life looked to have revolved around Ginny's career. He did say he was along for the ride. Once that ride was over and he was no longer her manager I could easily see his life veering off in a direction that alienated him from Ginny.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Enero

[Slider]

I'm starting to wonder with all the Lawson's bad knees and age talk that he might be set up to be the new manager.

[mtlchick]

Quote

I'm starting to wonder with all the Lawson's bad knees and age talk that he might be set up to be the new manager.

The way they were driving that point home makes me wonder if he's going to get injured sooner rather than later.  I don't know about team manager but maybe an on field coach?

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I think Ginny and Mike have wonderful chemistry, but I'm just not see the show building a romantic connection between them. If the show lasts past this season,  MAYBE they'll go there, but I'm just not seeing it right now.

I feel the same.  I think Ginny knows he has too many hangups in his own life to begin with and trying to start a relationship him now when most of her teammates still don't like her is the LAST thing she needs or wants right now.  Right now he's the only one outside of her minor league teammate (I'm forgetting the name) that will back her.  And to me, he sees her as a woman who isn't basking in his awesomeness and hotness, but is a female sounding board within him team.  Which is what HE needs right now.

 

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With him flunking out of college and not being at her first game I wonder if they eventually grew apart. Like her father, his life looked to have revolved around Ginny's career. He did say he was along for the ride. Once that ride was over and he was no longer her manager I could easily see his life veering off in a direction that alienated him from Ginny.

It made me think about last week when her dad called Will out and slapped him to force Ginny to pitch better.  I don't think Will was having his life revolve around Ginny as opposed to he had to do it as a sense of obligation when their dad died and did the best he could.  But when Amelia proved her own case, he realized that he couldn't be the one to take her to the majors and bowed out "gracefully" (because I do think it's more to it.)   I somehow missed the part that he's been out of her life since then so I am interested to see how that plays out.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I also did not get (or missed) the fact that Will was out of Ginny's life completely, just that he ceded his role as her protector/agent/whatever to Amelia. I hope he's not out of her life. I love BJ Britt. Did not like UnReal, so glad to see him in something I DO like.

[WordFreak]

This show was a nice bit of escapism last night when my Blue Jays were slowly killing their playoff chances in a horrible game. I got to thinking they could use a motivational speech along the lines of the one Lawson gave the team in this episode.

That said, I'm still really enjoying this show. I liked the insights we got into Lawson's failed marriage and his fears that his career is coming to an end. Perhaps that explains his bravado a little bit; projecting a bit of a cocky attitude to distract from his insecurities. I thought his scene with his ex-wife was nice, and showed a very real side to his character.

Yes, the scenes with Kimmel were a bit weird, but I think having Ginny speak out on the rape case was a good way to show her struggle to fit in with the guys while at the same time recognizing that young girls are looking up to her, as an example of a strong female. 

Add me to the list of Dan Lauria fans. He's such a great actor, and I think he's well cast on this show. He just looks like someone who's been managing a baseball team for years!

[In2You]

3 hours ago, DCLeague said:

That too and the statement had a sexual implication.

Exactly, the show mirrored their stories throughout the episode and in the end brought together. Those two are at the same place in life, it makes much more sense than him dating Ginny.

 I dont see Mike checking Ginny's butt at all, and Im pretty clued in with subtext. Looks to me that it was the camera focused on her body during training. She is the catcher he is the pitcher, she is a rookie he is the captain, I dont think their every scene, look, word should be scrutinized for romance. It just undermines the working relationship  and team chemistry they are trying to establish here. IMO. 

 

Every journey begins with a single step.....

I think the wide shots scanning over her ass while she worked out and Mike looked over his shoulder were pretty self explanitory.

[Maximum Taco]

Finally got around to watching this one, was busy with real life baseball yesterday.

Good Stuff

- Ginny didn't play! I don't mean that the way it might sound, obviously this show is about Ginny as a ball player and we will focus on her a lot, but it's nice to see that we can have an episode where she doesn't get in a game and the episode hums along, maybe even better then the pilot.

- Ginny's brother. Nice to meet her brother, although I feel they might have missed some drama opportunities. He doesn't seem to hold a grudge against his dad, and they have a nice sibling bond. Not saying there's anything wrong with that, but it's a little boring is all. But I really bought the chemistry between the two, hopefully we see more of him.

- Lawson's marital issues. Nice to see us expand on characters other then Ginny, again, acknowledging she's the main piece is fine, but we need to buy all of her supporting players, the most important of which is probably Lawson. We got a lot of depth to his character in this episode.

- Lawson/Amelia. I like this pairing, at least temporarily. It'll cause some friction in the dressing room, and with Ginny's biggest ally. They're also both broken people, so I can see why they might be attracted to each other. I buy it.

- Interim Manager - While I hope they keep Dan Lauria around, because he's awesome, I like the idea of this storyline. Clash between management and ownership, and the players (even Ginny) obviously backing Luongo. Great opportunity for some great storylines.

Bad Stuff

- Mixed Messages - Ginny is both being sold as "the boss" (her brother encourages her to shake off both catchers and her agent), but also as someone who needs to learn to rely on others (conversation with Lawson about her shaking off his signals.) Not saying both can't be true, but it's a little confusing to have both, seemingly contrary, messages in the same episode. Also she maintains she's not a spokeswoman, but an athlete, and then proceeds to make a statement on the rape case anyway. I don't know I wasn't a fan. She seems like she's flip flopping a lot; she seems like a people pleaser, but she also seems like a strong independent person. It's confusing, they need to get a little more firm with how they want her character to be.

- Blip and Mrs. Blip - Alright, I get the need for a little bit of light heartedness in a show, and I can see why Blip's search for his lucky T-shirt might have seemed like a good idea when pitched in a writers meeting. But was I the only one sitting around like "who cares?" whenever Blip came on this episode? Can't have just been me. Maybe they should've saved this storyline for later on when we do care more about Blip, and the team needs him to produce to get a playoff spot, and it's not just about him getting a spot in the All Star Game. 

- Lawson/Ginny - Yeah I see where this is going. I'm not a fan, as she said in this very episode she shouldn't be hooking up with team mates. It's a bad idea, and while I acknowledge the amount of drama it would cause, it's extremely low hanging fruit, and I'm not a fan of the writers going down this path. Hopefully I'm wrong about the obvious tension that we saw this episode.

Overall a great second outing.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[Enero]

While it wasn't explicitly shown or stated that Will was out of her life, I got the impression that there is a disconnect there since he wasn't at her first game. Seem like I remember seeing her mother in the audience and wasn't featured in the present during the episode.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Enero

[Dowel Jones]

10 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

The last awesome moment for me was that agent witch did the opposite of the manager...

I don't see Amelia as a witch right now.  Granted, she puts up a very hard face to everyone who wants to get to Ginny, but that's part of her job.  Most any celebrity has a hard case agent, so they can be the nice guy in public.  What she has to do is gain Ginny's trust in a big way, not just in the professional sense.  She erred in booking Ginny onto the Kimmel show with the decorating spiel, because it played down Ginny's playing skill and because she's still caught up in the "You need me" mentality.  Ginny wants to be "the boss", but if she doesn't have someone to guide her along, she will surely make some craptastic decisions along the way.  Amelia has a star client, but unless they have a true partnership, she will find herself jobless in short order.  Right now Ginny is still a bit of a novelty act, and she could disappear from the show in a heartbeat, and there goes Amelia's star as well.

Mrs. Blip should have bought two or three of those tee shirts if they were available.  Never hurts to a have a reliever on staff.

I loved that scene of the manager walking into the visiting manager's office after receiving the bad news.  Completely wordless, but he sold it with just his expression of looking around the place maybe for the last time. 

I think this show is doing a good job of setting up story arcs for a number of characters.  It would be the most boring trope to focus only on the baseball, with Ginny becoming the star of the season a la The Natural. 

1 hour ago, WordFreak said:

...my Blue Jays were slowly killing their playoff chances in a horrible game.

Speaking of horrible games, that sequence they used for the Padres game was just cringeworthy, their play was so bad.  I replayed it just for the thrill of seeing that.  Not that I'm anti-Dan Diego, it was just hilarious to watch.

[CabotCove]

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I think the wide shots scanning over her ass while she worked out and Mike looked over his shoulder were pretty self explanitory.

You could chose to see it that way or you could see it as that he was just checking out his competition. We saw the training montage where they were one upping each other.  The scene is here: 

 

When he saw that she was doing weights, he began to do weights as well. Even if there is ship intent here, I dont think its the main intent  or focus of the shot.  This  a sport themed drama, I would like to think the writers will always put that first. Ginny's training body shot, shouldnt be so that a teammate can look at her assets, especially not this early in the show. Yes he is a straight man, she is a straight woman (presumably) some looks or comments are going to look awkward or inappropriate, but guess what its just pretty much the same thing with her coach (Al), who is old enough to be her grandfather. Its early days, the whole situation is awkward for everyone to navigate through.  Not every look, moment , talk Ginny will share with a male teammate is romantic/sexual allusion.   JMO¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Edited September 30, 2016 by DCLeague

[piequinn35]

I think yeah they are going to the path of Ginny/Mike, maybe after the half to the end of the season.

Going with Amelia is Mike's way of getting rid of his attraction to Ginny but we will see how will it goes.

I think I will choose Ginny/Mike than Amelia/Mike. Yes maybe Mike will not be a catcher soon, and be a coach or manager?

How many episodes in this season?

 

ps. the gym scene was hilarious

Edited September 30, 2016 by piequinn35

[shockermolar]

I want to like this show so much. But each episode throws in something that's so baseball wrong that it jars me right out of the scene. NO MLB (or MiLB) pitcher is going to stand set on the mound for that long. The runners are gonna run on that all day long. She did it last week and again last night in her Missions/Rockhounds game flashback. Then last night the veteran catcher keeps commenting on how she "waved him off." She shook him off. SHOOK not wave.

[Enero]

2 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

Lawson/Ginny - Yeah I see where this is going. I'm not a fan, as she said in this very episode she shouldn't be hooking up with team mates.

All the more reason for it to happen. Oh the irony it would be and what drama it would cause. SMH.

 

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It's a bad idea, and while I acknowledge the amount of drama it would cause, it's extremely low hanging fruit, and I'm not a fan of the writers going down this path.

And wouldn't going with Ginny/Lawson kind of undermine and cheapen the premise of the show? That's exactly what some people would expect to happen if a female recruit made a major league team, for her to get into a sexual relationship with one of her teammates. If they decide to go there, maybe they won't go all the way there because how it would be perceived. Maybe Ginny/Lawson will feel the attraction and some angst will be explored, but ultimately they'll choose to keep their feelings in check. 

Edited September 30, 2016 by Enero

[Aliconehead]

I don't want them to do the Lawson/Ginny thing. I want them to be friends, mentor/mentee, brother/sister thing. I dislike the idea of her getting involved with a teammate. Let's not do a romance for awhile. Let thing evolve. 

FWIW I saw the workout season as two professional athletes being competitive not having an attraction. 

[dargosmydaddy]

I think I'm falling in love with this show!

I think (or maybe it's projection hoping...) that the show is smart enough not to go anywhere with a Ginny/ Lawson relationship in the first season. Maybe down the road, but not this soon. I still think there may be a relationship brewing between Ginny and Elliot, and now we've got something with Lawson/ Amelia.

17 hours ago, In2You said:

Especially when it's feels like they got a little inspired by Derek Jeter for this role.  

I don't see the Jeter comparison at all, other than the fact that they're both respected captains. Lawson seems pretty un-Jeter-like to me in terms of personality, not just looks.

[tennisgurl]

Great, interesting second episode! I am in the "confusing feelings" camp when it comes to Ginny/Lawson. On the one hand, its a terrible idea, in universe. If it got out that Ginny was dating one of her teammates, it would look very "oh yeah, this is what happens when a girl gets thrown into the mix", and would focus more on her looks and on her being a woman, and less on her as a player. And its just generally cliche to put the main female character with the main male character, it could be more interesting to just focus on them as friends/mentor/mentee. But, on the other hand...they have a ton of chemistry, and maybe after a few seasons of build up, I could get behind it.  

Loved seeing Ariel from Once Upon a Time as Lawsons ex, even though I didn't find her to be a character I want to see much more of. I am sure she means well, but she seemed to be putting Ginny on the spot with her trying to get her on her show to comment on the rape case, and apparently cheating on Lawson and leaving him. I know that being a baseballs players wife is tough, but she must have known what she was getting into. 

I raise my eyebrow at Amelia being alright with that rather sexist Kimmel sketch, but she was all Hell No to Ginny supporting Al. And her backstory was a little bit lame. I would have preferred her to just be a very ambitious woman who saw a superstar on the rise. But I still like Amelia, so I can deal with it. 

I like how they are dealing with Ginny and her desire to be both "one of the guys" while also being a role model to women, which I think she does want to be. It is a hard line to walk, being the first person of any group to do something. You want to use your platform to raise awareness of issues, and you want to be a role model, but you also dont want everything to be about what makes you "different". Ginny just wants to be a great baseball player, not a great female baseball player. Its going to be interesting to see it all play out. 

[rippleintime17]

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 the show only had the Padres winning one lopsided game against the Dodgers (the producers are aware there are other NL teams, right?).

I'm sure they do. The team was in LA for a series, multiple games to be played against the Dodgers before they play somewhere else. Makes total sense that they played them again the day after they lost to them. I wonder if they traveled to any ballparks to film on location. Would be nice to see AT&T Park on the show.

I really liked this episode. I felt myself cheering for Mike and Ginny, because they both were hitting realizations and making themselves heard. They DO have a chemistry but I really hope that it continues to be more of Mike looking out for her and having her back than anything else. I think eventually a romantic angle will be inevitable somewhere but not necessarily there.

I really like Dan Lauria as Al, it is perfect casting as far as MLB managers tend to look. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't remain a part of the mix somehow. 

And I guess unpopular opinion, I really love Blip! His personality reminds me of a few real MLB guys and I looove that they got so deep into the superstition stuff. Ballplayers are kinda ridic when it comes to this! The only thing is... Mike Trout? I guess they felt they had to go with a household name but c'mon Evelyn! He doesn't have a neck! 

[In2You]

6 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I don't see the Jeter comparison at all, other than the fact that they're both respected captains. Lawson seems pretty un-Jeter-like to me in terms of personality, not just looks.

The whole aging player who's body is breaking down, big shot ladies man and well respected captain persona is comparable. These writers did say they were inspired by real life athletes.

Edited October 1, 2016 by In2You

[Danielg342]

4 hours ago, rippleintime17 said:

I'm sure they do. The team was in LA for a series, multiple games to be played against the Dodgers before they play somewhere else. Makes total sense that they played them again the day after they lost to them. I wonder if they traveled to any ballparks to film on location. Would be nice to see AT&T Park on the show. 

If I'm not mistaken, the Dodgers in the Pilot were in San Diego, while in this episode the Padres traveled to L.A.

Anyway, I know how the baseball schedule works...I'm just saying it's a bit repetitive to have, two episodes in a row, the same team featured twice. The writers didn't necessarily have to make that choice but they did.

[EarlGreyTea]

23 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Maybe to separate him from his Zach Morris look.  And to reflect his "broken" state. It is a baseball look and it does separate him from his Saved By The Bell look.  It looks like he was clean cut in his wedding photos. 

Yeah, I think the beard was a clear choice on the part of Mark-Paul and the creators. I didn't see Zack Morris at ALL when I first saw him pop up onscreen, and I was a faithful Saved By The Bell fan as a child. The voice gave him away soon after, but overall he's been able to disappear into this character in a way I haven't seen in some of his other roles.

8 hours ago, Enero said:

And wouldn't going with Ginny/Lawson kind of undermine and cheapen the premise of the show? That's exactly what some people would expect to happen if a female recruit made a major league team, for her to get into a sexual relationship with one of her teammates. If they decide to go there, maybe they won't go all the way there because how it would be perceived. Maybe Ginny/Lawson will feel the attraction and some angst will be explored, but ultimately they'll choose to keep their feelings in check. 

You've articulated exactly why I didn't want Ginny/Lawson in the pilot, and pretty much don't want it now. Yes, I know it's fiction and romance is to be expected in fiction, but I'm okay with it just being angst and/or an attraction for the reasons detailed above. That might actually be more interesting than getting them together. And frankly, with how so-so ratings have been, we probably don't need to worry about it happening farther down the line. On the other hand....the chemistry is off the charts. So I won't be too bummed if they go there.

I am totally in for this show for as long as it goes. Long may she pitch!