S01.E10: The Jacket

[radishcake]

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Yo last night was 10 crazy. I bout lost my mind, Quita lost her phone, and this fool Earn lost his jacket smh. Who cares tho (laugh-crying emoji).

[Amethyst]

In the end, I appreciate the slow burn Hangover vibe of this episode.  I'm so used to season finales ending on some giant cliffhanger, so I was expecting Earn to get robbed or kidnapped after he left Van's apartment.  I'm pleasantly surprised that none of that happened, because that's such a tired gimmick at this point.  Sure, there are some hanging storylines, but they'll be picked up next season, and I will be watching.  

That shootout was intense.  Especially with the guy's girlfriend and baby nearby.  No one should have to see the aftermath of that.  But Earn, you shouldn't be asking the cops about the pockets.  Not the time, man.  I'm guessing the locker key was in the jacket pocket?

This ep got a thumbs up for featuring Erykah Badu's "Otherside of the Game."  Such an underrated jam, and it fit the scene perfectly.

Nice to see Earn getting some real respect (and money!) from Alfred.  It mirrors back to the pilot with the conversation between Earn's father and Alfred; how Earn is trying to make his way like everyone else, but he usually gets to where he needs to go.

The one thing I can't get with is Van getting back together with Earn so easily.  They still care about each other and it's good that Earn is finally providing for Lottie, but that doesn't mean he and Van work as a couple.  Especially with Earn hooking up with some random girl the same morning of the Juneteenth party.  If they really are going that route, then I hope Earn continues to show maturity and not do dumb shit.

Strong season.  One of the best new shows this year.

[BunnyBlueBrown]

I hope this gets a second season. Solid finale. 

9 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

The one thing I can't get with is Van getting back together with Earn so easily.  They still care about each other and it's good that Earn is finally providing for Lottie, but that doesn't mean he and Van work as a couple.  Especially with Earn hooking up with some random girl the same morning of the Juneteenth party.  If they really are going that route, then I hope Earn continues to show maturity and not do dumb shit.

I didn't view it as Van feeling like it was permanent...more like in the moment type of vibe for me

[Dee]

Awesome end to a pretty fantastic season overall.

Elevators was an inspired choice for the final scene.

[Amethyst]

1 hour ago, DOBABYR said:

I didn't view it as Van feeling like it was permanent...more like in the moment type of vibe for me

The drunken hookup from last week felt like they were caught in the moment, but her inviting Earn to stay over in tonight's episode did not.

[BunnyBlueBrown]

11 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

The drunken hookup from last week felt like they were caught in the moment, but her inviting Earn to stay over in tonight's episode did not.

I hope she snaps out of it

[Amethyst]

Again, if Earn is serious about the relationship and not hooking up with whatever random girl he meets at the club, then I'm ok with him and Van getting back together.  The way they did it this week just felt unearned.

The show has been renewed for season 2 (10 episodes), but it hasn't been given a premiere date.  And Glover being cast the in next Star Wars movie could mess with the filming schedule.  I do not want this show to suffer the sophomore slump, so here's hoping they work things out.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Amethyst

[BunnyBlueBrown]

Agreed @Amethyst.  Glad the show will get a chance though. 

If they are back together it would be realistic for her to rush back to him (in turns of everyday not so smart decisions women may make concerning guys they have feelings for)

I guess I took it as temporary because I enjoyed the dynamics of them being apart but accepting each other's actions, since they are not together.

[withanaich]

I don't really think Van and Earn are together-together. We've seen them come together and fall apart more than once over the course of the season, but they clearly don't have an official, solid, exclusive relationship. I think Van enjoys Earn's company, cares about him a lot, and she can see that he is trying now ... so she was feeling warm toward him and offered him a place to stay. I do like their dynamic (as ridiculous as I find it personally and as much as I would never put up with shit like that), because they have their own separate lives, yet they can still hook up and even be loving without having petty blow-ups whenever they're apart and jealousy rears its ugly head. Earn wasn't freaking out over Van going out with other dudes, which was so refreshing because how often do you see that on TV? And I'm sure Van was unhappy that Earn just rolled out of someone else's bed (so so gross), but she didn't make a big production out of it. I honestly found the hookup last week harder to buy than her inviting him to stay in the finale. 

I'm so glad I watch this show with the closed captioning on, because otherwise you miss so much. My favorite part of this episode is probably when Al and Darius were talking about sunflower seeds while Earn was on the phone with the Uber guy. So random and so funny. 

What I guess I just don't understand is why Earn is living in a storage locker. Those aren't free; surely he could find SOME other arrangement? I found myself thinking, "Earn, you big dummy" as he settled in for the night. This is not how you prove you're a responsible adult who doesn't need to lean on anyone else. 

[Deanie87]

1 hour ago, withanaich said:

I don't really think Van and Earn are together-together. We've seen them come together and fall apart more than once over the course of the season, but they clearly don't have an official, solid, exclusive relationship. I think Van enjoys Earn's company, cares about him a lot, and she can see that he is trying now ... so she was feeling warm toward him and offered him a place to stay. I do like their dynamic (as ridiculous as I find it personally and as much as I would never put up with shit like that), because they have their own separate lives, yet they can still hook up and even be loving without having petty blow-ups whenever they're apart and jealousy rears its ugly head. Earn wasn't freaking out over Van going out with other dudes, which was so refreshing because how often do you see that on TV? And I'm sure Van was unhappy that Earn just rolled out of someone else's bed (so so gross), but she didn't make a big production out of it. I honestly found the hookup last week harder to buy than her inviting him to stay in the finale. 

Yeah, like the party host said, "They're together, but like, they're not really together, know what I'm saying?" LOL!  It seems to be their pattern, and while I wouldn't say it necessarily works for them, I understand it.  But they're going to have to get their shit together as Lottie gets older, because that kind of relationship isn't really fair to her, not knowing if her parents are together or not, its just too confusing.

I thought this was a great season finale, and not only because I knew more than one song! ("Ride wit Me" IS Beyonce's best song!)  I loved the Chik Fil A (?) inspired cows walking around for Free Chicken Sandwich Day, but how did Earn get one with no costume?  No fair!  And as always, Darius is the idiot savant that we all need in our lives. "How do they catch the curry goats?"  

And one thing is clear, I don't spend near enough time hanging out on a couch in the middle of a field.  Paper Boi is hit or miss for me, but I liked him in this episode.  From the washcloth on his head during the couch time to his secret spidey sense that something was about to go down at the Uber driver's house.  I am not really sure how to take all of the non-reactions to the guy getting shot in the back.  Either by the cops or by Earn and friends.  

[withanaich]

I'm guessing when you see violence all the time (either because you're a cop or because you live in a neighborhood where shit goes down a lot), you get desensitized to some extent. I don't think I would be as cavalier about seeing someone getting shot right in front of me, but I've been in enough shitty neighborhoods that the sound of gunfire doesn't faze me anymore. Now that I think about it, there have been times that someone could have very well been getting killed while I was watching TV but my only thought was, "Is it close? Do I need to get away from the windows? No? Okay, then."

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Yeah, like the party host said, "They're together, but like, they're not really together, know what I'm saying?"

This reminded me of one of my other favorite bits from the episode, when the host's (I think his name was Joe?) girlfriend is basically like, "When are we getting food?" which was everyone's cue that it was really time for Earn to get the hell out, jacket or not. Such a throwaway kind of interaction, but I loved it because A) it's such a careful, realistic detail in a show sometimes packed with insanity, and B) that has totally been me on more than one occasion: "Why the hell are these people still in my house and when are they leaving so I can eat?"

[Deanie87]

28 minutes ago, withanaich said:

 

I'm guessing when you see violence all the time (either because you're a cop or because you live in a neighborhood where shit goes down a lot), you get desensitized to some extent.

 

That makes sense, but does Earn see it all the time?  I always get the impression that he (and Van) are a little more...sheltered, I guess is the right word?  Like he knows of that world, and he knows of people in that world, but that he himself isn't of that world.  I thought that his parents' house looked generally middle class, not rich, but not a violence-prone neighborhood either.  I guess it was that they kind of laughed about it later, maybe it was shock.  They didn't know the guy, but still.

[Drumpf1737]

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What I guess I just don't understand is why Earn is living in a storage locker. Those aren't free; surely he could find SOME other arrangement? I found myself thinking, "Earn, you big dummy" as he settled in for the night. This is not how you prove you're a responsible adult who doesn't need to lean on anyone else. 

Rent on a storage locker can be as low as $1 for your first couple months then $200 for the remaining time you rent it so in a way he is being prudent with money. You must experience true poverty to understand the incredible sacrifices and compromises you make to survive. The man from the movie "Pursuit of Happiness" really lived in a public restroom. I watched Earn turn off the lights and I just wanted to hug him and offer him my leftovers.

I love how black this show is! The language, customs and small nuances remind me of the place that formed me.

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I always get the impression that he (and Van) are a little more...sheltered, I guess is the right word?  Like he knows of that world, and he knows of people in that world, but that he himself isn't of that world.  I thought that his parents' house looked generally middle class, not rich, but not a violence-prone neighborhood either. 

I think Earn's family was working class. Even if you are more sheltered, as a black person in this world you have to learn to navigate all spaces to survive--codeswitching can save your life. Earn and the fellas reacting to the police shooting that Uber driver could have had dire consequences for them. I like that we slipped into the surreal with Earn asking if they checked the pockets. I'm exhausted and a bit shell shocked at the focus over the last few years on black pain with no solution/resolution forthcoming.

I think too much focus is being placed on the realities of Van and Earn's relationship instead of small moments. This show has demonstrated that it operates in a surreal environment and I'm willing to ignore the reality of Lottie needing a strong parental unit, remaining confident that Van knows that if she and her daughter are going to make it Earn might not be "The One".

Also I can't believe someone as smart as Van isn't on birth control so the hookup last episode didn't worry me.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Drumpf1737

[Ohwell]

I had given up on this show a few episodes ago, but I s-l-o-w-l-y started creeping back in to watch.  Anyway, I'm glad that Earn turned down Van's offer to sleep over.  It would have been easy to take the easy way out and lay over at her place, but he realizes that he's got to think about getting his shit together, he needs to be alone and if he doesn't mind sleeping in a storage locker, then I don't mind either.  I say, good for him.

I loved Paper Boi's spidey sense that something wasn't right.

[BunnyBlueBrown]

6 hours ago, withanaich said:

I'm so glad I watch this show with the closed captioning on, because otherwise you miss so much

Me too! & I am from the south but still need the CC.

[withanaich]

I had the same sense as Paperboi. "It's quiet ... TOO quiet." I love that he was listening to that sixth sense, and trying to escape

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Rent on a storage locker can be as low as $1 for your first couple months then $200 for the remaining time you rent it so in a way he is being prudent with money. 

I had no idea that storage lockers could be that cheap. (I wonder how much they charge to replace the key?) And I get doing what you have to do to survive when you have NO other options. But Earn has options. He's shown himself time and again to be the sort of guy who wants to do what's easier or what seems easier in the short term. He has family and friends offering him a place to crash, which a lot of real homeless people DO NOT have, which is why they are sleeping in public restrooms, and he's turning that down for what? His pride? I'm sure Van would rather know he was safe, even if he was just sleeping on her couch or on a pallet on the floor, than risk the father of her child (and someone she cares about) getting arrested or hurt for sleeping in a storage locker. And Earn should care enough about himself (not to mention his child's father) to take someone up on their genuinely offered hospitality. That part of it is pretty sad. 

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Also I can't believe someone as smart as Van isn't on birth control 

She's smart, but Lottie exists, so we know she's not smart enough to always do the smart thing.

[JenE4]

I'm glad I checked my TV listings and saw this was on until 10:38 because I could have reasonably turned off my TV promptly at 10:30, during the seemingly fitting ending when Earn walked away from Van's apartment. But, ugh, that was heartbreaking seeing how he Earn was so intent on finding his jacket because he needed to find the storage locker key for his "new home."

As for the other cliffhanger about Earn and Van's relationship, I don't think their possibly getting back together seemed too easy in this episode. All along--or mainly since the episode with $27 soup dinner date--I've felt that the only reason they're "together but not really together" (shout-out to Deanie87's callback to the party host) is because Van thinks Earn isn't the responsible breadwinner that she feels that she and Lottie need and/or deserve. But other than that, I think she feels that Earn is there for both her and Lottie emotionally. He's a good dad to Lottie--always going over there to take care of her while Van goes out. And he's supportive to Van, too, such as with pretending to be married to her and play up his Princeton pedigree at that Juneteenth party. This episode had him cooking dinner for the girls; he was at least taking the food out of the pan and serving them as they all smiled up at him adoringly. And then he was having a sweet cuddly time watching TV with Van even before he gave her the money. But once he whipped out that wad of cash, it was probably like the stars aligned to Van and he was suddenly everything she's been wanting him to be. I don't mean that to imply that I think she's a gold-digger or anything. I think it's perfectly reasonable to want your partner and father to your child to be able to provide a basic income for the family and for that to be the deal-breaker if he doesn't. Until that point, Earn didn't seem motivated to live up to his potential, as that's quite a disparity between a Princeton-trajectory-career-potential and barely signing up people for credit cards at the airport--and then even quitting that job for an until-then-yet-unpaid position hanging around his cousin. If Earn CAN earn money what he's doing, after playing the perfect dad/husband role all night, I could see why Van would have hearts in her eyes over him again. They've obviously never stopped loving each other--even when they have been going out with other people. When the guy who delivered the key asked whether it would be weird if he asked out Van when they break up, Earn seemed a bit possessive of "his woman," and I didn't see either one of them piping up that well, technically we're not in a relationship anymore. I think that scene plus the goodbye at the door with Van telling him he could stay was sort of the unspoken agreement that they both want to be together. But maybe Earn felt like he's still not there yet with what he needs to provide for/prove to Van, and he's going to give her his all (minus $200) and go live this humble life in order to sacrifice for them. I think the choice of his character's name as Earn is fitting because he feels that he needs to earn his place back in Van's world; additionally, Earnest is, indeed, earnest in this journey.

[BunnyBlueBrown]

My biggest gripe about the storage unit is the heat. I have had storage units. They are hell hot! If it is 69-73 degrees outside..imagine the temperature in a storage unit. Mines was just like Earn. No climate control. I was only willing to pay $100 monthly...climate control was $125 monthly...heck no haha! 

 

The shooting scene..to be honest I hollered laughing...it was just the way they set the scene up & I thought oh no Earn's jacket is filled with holes now. Of course after I actually thought about the scene and when Paper Boi state 'did ya'll really need all those bullets' I was thinking geez overkill. I think that scene was meant to mix comedy with real issues. 

[Ohwell]

9 minutes ago, DOBABYR said:

The shooting scene..to be honest I hollered laughing...it was just the way they set the scene up & I thought oh no Earn's jacket is filled with holes now. Of course after I actually thought about the scene and when Paper Boi state 'did ya'll really need all those bullets' I was thinking geez overkill. I think that scene was meant to mix comedy with real issues. 

I'm ashamed to say that I hollered laughing, too.  First thing I thought about was Earn's jacket.  Then I shamefully looked around to see if anyone was looking, even though I was alone.  It was weird. 

[Drumpf1737]

23 hours ago, withanaich said:

But Earn has options.

Didn't his father ban him from the house? I don't think he can go home. I haven't seen Earn take the easy way out. I have seen him make bad choices that always come back to bite him. I see him choosing to live in a storage space instead of being the lazy guy on the couch taking up resources at Van's. 

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She's smart, but Lottie exists, so we know she's not smart enough to always do the smart thing.

 I think a post pregnancy Van wouldn't initiate sex unless there was some birth control on board.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Drumpf1737

[JenE4]

1 minute ago, Drumpf1737 said:

How old is Lottie 6-ish? That means Van and Earn were in college or younger even so I think a post pregnancy Van wouldn't initiate sex unless there was some birth control on board.

I thought she was like 2--possibly only like 1.5. Haven't we seen Earn and Van changing her diaper? One of us is way off, though, lol.

[withanaich]

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The shooting scene..to be honest I hollered laughing...it was just the way they set the scene up & I thought oh no Earn's jacket is filled with holes now. Of course after I actually thought about the scene and when Paper Boi state 'did ya'll really need all those bullets' I was thinking geez overkill. I think that scene was meant to mix comedy with real issues. 

I took it the same way. Because it was pretty funny the way the guy came tearing around the corner wearing a jacket that didn't belong to him and he'd said he was going to give back. I literally thought, "Oh, shit! Earn's jacket!" Because I knew he was thinking the same thing. And then the cops shot it full of holes, as well as the man wearing it, which was sad on so many levels, as it was completely unnecessary and wasteful (of both property and human life). And then Earn asking about a damn secret pocket -- come on, that's funny. And then looking at the dead guy's girlfriend (I'm assuming) mourning him, and we're right back to tragedy. But then I couldn't help but notice somebody hopping around in the background, way off in the distance past Darius and Paperboi, and I'm sorry, but that was pretty funny too, in a different way, because no matter how tragic something is, there's always some jackass looky-loo dancing around to see exactly what happened. There was a lot packed into that scene. 

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I thought she was like 2--possibly only like 1.5. Haven't we seen Earn and Van changing her diaper? One of us is way off, though, lol.

She's definitely in diapers. Remember Van MacGuyvering herself some clean piss for the drug test? So she can't be any more than two or three, I guess.

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Didn't his father ban him from the house? I don't think he can go home. I haven't seen Earn take the easy way out. I have seen him make bad choices that always come back to bite him. I see him choosing to live in a storage space instead of being the lazy guy on the couch taking up resources at Van's. 

His parents definitely banned him, but Van offered him a place to stay. Paperboi asked him if he was staying, and not in that way that means, "Please say no." Earn dropped out of Princeton, and we still don't know if it was for legitimate reasons, or because he didn't feel like putting up with people's bullshit anymore, which sorry to say, he's probably going to have to do more of without an Ivy League degree. I believe there was a scene where Van offered to put him in touch with someone who could get him a legit job, but he'd rather "manage" Paperboi's career (and let's face it, Earn's heart may be in the right place but other than hustling to get that song on the radio, he's not the greatest manager). It seems more like he wants to hang out and dream big and be "into his music" because that's a lot easier than having a boring 9 to 5. Or at least, it seems easier right now. The payoff might be bigger down the road but he has a child who needs him right now, not to mention the fact that he himself needs an actual place to live right now. I just don't think he's doing Van or Lottie any favors by living in a storage locker. Actually, he'd be saving Van a lot more "resources" by staying at home with his child so Van can save money on day care. And his parents have proven they're willing to pitch in when he needs them to, if he does get a line on a job or even a music gig. 

Edited November 2, 2016 by withanaich

[Deanie87]

21 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm ashamed to say that I hollered laughing, too.  First thing I thought about was Earn's jacket.  Then I shamefully looked around to see if anyone was looking, even though I was alone.  It was weird. 

Okay then, I do admit to laughing when Earn came back and said, "there is a tiny hidden pocket!"  To be honest, I was surprised that the cop agreed to dig through the pockets at all, but he apparently draws the line at secret, hidden pockets!

[BunnyBlueBrown]

Okay good I am glad I am not the only one! On another board about this show they were talking about it so seriously & all I could think about how hard I laughed but shouldn't. I also noticed the neighbor in the background ?

[Dee]

From what Zazie has said in interviews, Van and Earn were casual friends who never had a chance to date and/or be in a real relationship before Van got pregnant with Lottie.

Which, to me, is the key to their whole relationship.

They're affectionate Friends With Benefits who have yet to iron out their significant boundary issues beyond committing to doing what's best for Lottie.

[ridethemaverick]

15 hours ago, Deanie87 said:

Okay then, I do admit to laughing when Earn came back and said, "there is a tiny hidden pocket!"  To be honest, I was surprised that the cop agreed to dig through the pockets at all, but he apparently draws the line at secret, hidden pockets!

 

I'm sure it's a coincidence that it happened in the show but a popular Atlanta rapper was killed last month in a car accident and the strippers who were in the car with him asked the officers on scene if they could go through his pockets and they allowed it. It made the news and people were shocked. 

That scene in the car waiting for the uber driver made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Then the shooting, the fear for the guys, then laughing at Earn and the pockets, then back to sad when the girlfriend came out. What a scene.

I, too, am amazed at how much they pack into one episode without even having to have dialogue about anything. So many layers.

The music choices at the end were perfect.

I loved the Snapchats. So spot on LOL.

[DearEvette]

I love how low key the finale of this was.  It just did its thing.

Two things stood out to me:

1) the opening monologue by their party host.  OMG, so funny! "It's  like , I know y'all but I don't know y'all. You know?  I mean, we cool, but we ain't cool." and  "It's like,  I fuck with y'all but I don't fuck with y'all" and "someone poured beer i my Britta pitcher."  And the way he pronounced "y'all" was actually "yowl" instead of "yawl".

2) The shooting.  I laughed but then I was so appalled that I stopped and then I started again.  Just the visual of Darius getting out of the car with that big damn straw hat.

Anyway good show and good finale.  If i had to pick and MVP for the series, Imma go with Paper Boi.  As much I liked everyone else -- this cast has been stellar -- I think Paper Boi has to be the most multi-faceted character on the show. 

[withanaich]

Just now, DearEvette said:

"someone poured beer in my Britta pitcher."

How did I miss this?! Oh my god, that house was so trashed. Just ... cups and bottles and god knows what all else on every surface. 

[BunnyBlueBrown]

Another funny line: "How do sunflower seed companies make money?...they only 75 cents a pack" -Darius 

[xaxat]

I want some sushi sunflower seeds. 

On second thought. . . 

I'd bet good money that Britta pitcher line is based on a real life incident.

[7thton]

On 11/3/2016 at 3:20 PM, DOBABYR said:

Another funny line: "How do sunflower seed companies make money?...they only 75 cents a pack" -Darius 

Lol, I missed that. Maybe I should watch TV with headphones....

On 11/2/2016 at 3:00 PM, JenE4 said:

He's a good dad to Lottie--always going over there to take care of her while Van goes out. And he's supportive to Van, too, such as with pretending to be married to her and play up his Princeton pedigree at that Juneteenth party. This episode had him cooking dinner for the girls; he was at least taking the food out of the pan and serving them as they all smiled up at him adoringly. And then he was having a sweet cuddly time watching TV with Van even before he gave her the money. But once he whipped out that wad of cash, it was probably like the stars aligned to Van and he was suddenly everything she's been wanting him to be. I don't mean that to imply that I think she's a gold-digger or anything. I think it's perfectly reasonable to want your partner and father to your child to be able to provide a basic income for the family and for that to be the deal-breaker if he doesn't. Until that point, Earn didn't seem motivated to live up to his potential, as that's quite a disparity between a Princeton-trajectory-career-potential and barely signing up people for credit cards at the airport--and then even quitting that job for an until-then-yet-unpaid position hanging around his cousin. If Earn CAN earn money what he's doing, after playing the perfect dad/husband role all night, I could see why Van would have hearts in her eyes over him again. They've obviously never stopped loving each other--even when they have been going out with other people. When the guy who delivered the key asked whether it would be weird if he asked out Van when they break up, Earn seemed a bit possessive of "his woman," and I didn't see either one of them piping up that well, technically we're not in a relationship anymore. I think that scene plus the goodbye at the door with Van telling him he could stay was sort of the unspoken agreement that they both want to be together. But maybe Earn felt like he's still not there yet with what he needs to provide for/prove to Van, and he's going to give her his all (minus $200) and go live this humble life in order to sacrifice for them. I think the choice of his character's name as Earn is fitting because he feels that he needs to earn his place back in Van's world; additionally, Earnest is, indeed, earnest in this journey.

I agree with all of this. Well done.