Unpopular Opinions Thread

[SWLinPHX]

Quote

This is interesting.  I initially started watching This is Us because of Sterling K. Brown's nuanced, smoldering, barely-contained rage/passion when he played Chris Darden in the OJ Simpson mini-series.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him whenever he was onscreen.  He had a scene with the actress playing Marcia Clark that nearly set my television on fire.  His performance was incredible, and I was all -- sign me up for this new show!  But you're right - in this show, he's not attractive.  Same guy, different looks?  Well, no - but the way his character is written - as a know-it-all, entitled smugman, he's definitely not attractive.  SKB is hot, but I can't stand Randall Pearson.

Definitely.  He was excellent has Darden as far as acting and eerie physical resemblance too.  He won Emmy.

On 11/21/2017 at 9:45 PM, Amethyst said:

I hated Toby's "I'm a big and powerful man" speech.  I get that he was in grief and we saw a similar scene later with Rebecca.  But in Toby's case, what would have happened had the guy said "get lost"?  Would Toby have beat him up?  Yelled at him or gotten him fired?  That whole scene didn't sit right because it felt like Toby was taking advantage of a clearly smaller guy.  And the guy was just a service rep, we're not talking about a manager or anything.

My thoughts exactly.  How stupid.  In no way could or would anyone let someone come and take a package if they didn't have proof they were the intended recipient or made prior arrangements.  And I was thinking too, what's he gonna do, beat him up?  ...Toby, the "nice guy"?

[leighdear]

I googled "Swedish Baby Bathtub" and the results all looked too large for a newborn, were meant for a sink or could be bought at Target.  Nothing so amazing it would have to be ordered, that I could see.  

What a stupid plot point.  But I don't know why I'm surprised something so ridiculous in real life would take on epic proportions in this show.  

[Katekate]

That’s a really good point re: the Swedish baby bath ⬆️.

”Fits  most tubs.” If it doesn’t fit your tub, wouldn’t it be too big for a newborn?

The  packaging was huge.

And  why would you buy it 8 months ahead of the baby? Buying something for the pregnancy would have made more sense. Like headphones you put on the belly. 

I feel like the writers of this show could really benefit from having one or two regular people (non writers ) in the writing room. To be like “hey! That doesn’t make any sense.”

I really want to like Kate, but I don’t get her. I don’t relate to her and for the life of me, I don’t understand what the f*ck her problem is. She had a dad that adored her. Her mom loves her and 2 awesome brothers she’s close with. 

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, Katekate said:

That’s a really good point re: the Swedish baby bath ⬆️.

”Fits  most tubs.” If it doesn’t fit your tub, wouldn’t it be too big for a newborn?

The  packaging was huge.

And  why would you buy it 8 months ahead of the baby? Buying something for the pregnancy would have made more sense. Like headphones you put on the belly. 

I feel like the writers of this show could really benefit from having one or two regular people (non writers ) in the writing room. To be like “hey! That doesn’t make any sense.”

I really want to like Kate, but I don’t get her. I don’t relate to her and for the life of me, I don’t understand what the f*ck her problem is. She had a dad that adored her. Her mom loves her and 2 awesome brothers she’s close with. 

Because she couldn't prance around in her Care Bear bikini without getting made fun of or wearing size small sweaters like her mother. That is pretty much where it all starts from...

[ChromaKelly]

15 hours ago, leighdear said:

I googled "Swedish Baby Bathtub" and the results all looked too large for a newborn, were meant for a sink or could be bought at Target.  Nothing so amazing it would have to be ordered, that I could see.  

What a stupid plot point.  But I don't know why I'm surprised something so ridiculous in real life would take on epic proportions in this show.  

I'm such a horrible person, I was trying to picture how Kate would kneel or bend over at a bathtub to bathe a baby. I'm going to hell.
I bathed my babies in those little tubs that either sit on a counter or can fit in the sink.

[Kata01]

My opinion after watching Number 2 is that the Pearsons & their extended Pearson-ages (like Toby) are awful, horrible, incorrigible people. Events happen in their lives and they take it out on innocent, unsuspecting bystanders around them, like the delivery man or the woman in the grocery store. I find these Pearson histrionic tantrums and the endless speeches in public spaces appalling. They don’t give the people on the receiving end a chance to show empathy or compassion for their given situation before flipping out like loons. 

Cue next week’s episode where Randall imposes his own judgement on Deja’s mother’s fitness as a parent after meeting her, what, once? After knowing Deja all of a month (?) and his extent of getting to know her is how her story relates to his own. He knows nothing of Deja or her mother. Let the self-righteous speeches flow, #3, you got this! 

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, ChromaKelly said:

I'm such a horrible person, I was trying to picture how Kate would kneel or bend over at a bathtub to bathe a baby. I'm going to hell.

I'm a horrible person too, because when Rebecca offered to run Kate a bath, my immediate thought was that there is no way Kate would fit into a regular bathtub, and if she tried, her bulk would displace all the water. I'm not a fat basher, but the mechanics of that scenario were so ridiculous that my mind immediately went there.

[Katekate]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

I'm a horrible person too, because when Rebecca offered to run Kate a bath, my immediate thought was that there is no way Kate would fit into a regular bathtub, and if she tried, her bulk would displace all the water. I'm not a fat basher, but the mechanics of that scenario were so ridiculous that my mind immediately went there.

Excellent point. I was wondering how she even fits in the shower.

[leighdear]

None of us are horrible, just realistic and aware of how WE fit in regular showers and tubs.  She is morbidly obese, and I agree she couldn't kneel beside a tub long enough to bathe a baby. 

The writers are simply idiots.  

[SunnyBeBe]

15 hours ago, leighdear said:

None of us are horrible, just realistic and aware of how WE fit in regular showers and tubs.  She is morbidly obese, and I agree she couldn't kneel beside a tub long enough to bathe a baby. 

The writers are simply idiots.  

I inferred the same thing about Kate using a tub further upthead.  It's just so unrealistic and thoughtless of the writers to pretend that Kate is like ayone else, just larger.  And, I think it's equally confusing how the show tends to want the viewer to believe that Kate and Toby have a great sex life.  Just recently, Toby and Kate referred to just having sex the other night, like it was a common occurrence.(Toby even thinks they can do it on his office desk. BS.)  I just don't think that is realistic, based on what I see with practically all the super obese persons who air on documentaries.  They have huge mobility problems. Their feet, knees and back hurt a lot.  They can barely walk.  And for Kate to casually say the other night that she went for a long walk as if it was a walk in the park.......?  No way, I don't buy it.  Maybe, the show will get honest and show why Kate is so miserable.  Her body is likely is in pain, her joints ache, she likely has terrible rashes from the folds of skin that rub together, and it's almost impossible for them to attend to their own bathroom hygiene cleanup.  I mean...their arms do not reach that far.  But, hey, I don't think they will go there. It's just too unpleasant. 

[Katy M]

If all this stuff is true--Kate can't kneel long enough to give a baby a bath, they can't have good sex, they can't have sex on a desk--maybe Chrissie should say something.

[Wings]

TV and movies require viewers to suspend reality.  That is easy to do with Men in Black but more difficult in dramas aiming to replicate real life.  Got that, but this show pushes it too far. 

Kate and the bathtub, long walk and sex on a desk (plan) etc, is cringe worthy.  All of this takes you out of the story line to imagine how Kate (Chrissy too) can do these things. 

Chrissy has a boyfriend who is a crew member.  I have forgotten his job, I want to say cameraman but not sure.  So she manages to do all of these things so there is that.   She must have a shower head with a wand attachment.  I will stop now.  :^) 

[Kata01]

They lost me with the shower curtain thing. I’m assuming it was supposed to have some sort of emotional resonance throwing it away and then placing it back by the end of the episode. I’m 100% sure I was supposed to cry over it. I was more “Ewww, picking a shower curtain out of the trash. Skeevy.” 

[leighdear]

At least now we know the trajectory of the next bout of Kate & Toby drama, frustration, freak-outs and angst: deliberately trying to get her pregnant. 

That story line is going to be SO uplifting and delightful because I'm sure that whole "project" is going to go smooth as silk and she'll be knocked up after one attempt.  But they'll be going through more pee sticks than the Duggar family within 2 episodes. 

/sarcasm

Edited November 25, 2017 by leighdear

[laurakaye]

 

Here are two Juilliard-trained stage actors discussing the subtext of William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest."

Oh, wait...it's just Kate and Toby, Pearson-'splaining the deep, meaningful symbolism from "Number Two" (hee).

Thoughts?

[NutMeg]

They really don't know how to write interesting stuff for an overweight person, do they? Too bad, I was actually interested in this new type of character when the show started.

[SunnyBeBe]

19 minutes ago, NutMeg said:

They really don't know how to write interesting stuff for an overweight person, do they? Too bad, I was actually interested in this new type of character when the show started.

They should be able to write it.  They could watch a few episodes of My 600 Pound Life.  There are plenty of documentaries about obese persons who are struggling to function.  And there are MANY morbidly obese people in society.  They come from all socio-economic groups, all education backgrounds, etc.  

I recently read a great piece on why Gabourey Sidibe got bariatric surgery.  Not that surgery is the answer, but, it just explained how when she got Type II diabetes, she realized just how this would impact her.

http://madamenoire.com/802947/gabourey-sidibe-weight-loss/

[Neurochick]

On November 22, 2017 at 10:03 AM, Katy M said:

I should certainly hope not.  Even if the courts decide to sever her mother's parental custody (which I doubt they would do) Deja would hate Randall and Beth forever for being the ones that fought for that. She clearly loves her mother.  There has been no abuse as far as we've been told.  Her mother just needs to make better life choices.  Heck, if Randall wanted to be a really stand up guy, he'd invite Deja and her mother to come live with them after the mom gets custody back.  But, no, he just wants to steal someone else's kid in order to feed his hero complex.

So Deja is better off with a mother who's been in and out of jail?  Nope, I don't think so.  And inviting Deja's mom to come live with them makes zero sense to me; what Randall could do is try to get Deja's mother in a program, one that teaches real life skills.  Does Deja's mother have substance abuse issues?  Then she'll need a program for that as well.  Just taking Deja and hoping things magically get better isn't going to cut it.

Steal someone's child?  I guess you don't believe in adoption.

My UO is that I feel Kate has been fleshed out.  The scene that got to me was when she was sitting in the all you can eat restaurant with all that food in front of her.  She realized that all that food wasn't going to make her feel any better about the miscarriage.  That was a HUGE breakthrough.  Many addicts relapse after years sober because they still believe that a drink/drug will make it better.  Kate realized that food would NOT make anything better, so she walked away.  I think Kate is the only one of the three who is dealing, or attempting to deal with her issues.  Kevin hasn't dealt with Jack's death and Randall hasn't dealt with his anxiety.  IMO, the reason I don't think Randall and Beth should get Deja is because Deja is a person and not someone to help Randall with his issues, if that makes any sense.

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

 

 

Here are two Juilliard-trained stage actors discussing the subtext of William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest."

Oh, wait...it's just Kate and Toby, Pearson-'splaining the deep, meaningful symbolism from "Number Two" (hee).

Thoughts?

My thoughts are far away from their deep discussion. I don't really wonder about them having sex because I just figure it's from the back, and I thought maybe the tub was a roomier  garden tub, but here's what I notice and feel mean about noticing.  Chrissy is much shorter than the others but, last year, when they all set down she was the tallest on the sofa.  This year, she either sits in a different, presumably lower, chair or, on sofa scenes, I think they remove the cushion before she sits beside Toby, or whoever, so she wont be noticeably taller.

[SunnyBeBe]

Chrissy really is beautiful in that clip.  It's just that I didn't care for that storyline.  Isn't it wonderful how they explain it all though.  lol 

Edited November 25, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[CleoCaesar]

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

It's just so unrealistic and thoughtless of the writers to pretend that Kate is like anyone else, just larger.

It's the path of least resistance for the writers. If they so much as imply that life for someone who weighs 500 lbs. is significantly different than for someone who weighs 150 lbs., they will be destroyed by the fat activist crowd and called "fatphobic" and smeared on social media. Blogs like ThisIsThinPrivilege show how deranged these people are; the Fat Acceptance movement is all for normalizing obesity in popular culture and I'm not surprised a mid-brow network soap opera is catering to that.

As for Kate's storylines, I'm torn. On the one hand, it'd be great if they could come up with something that doesn't have to do with her weight, but on the other as I said above, not focusing on her weight challenges is unrealistic. Weight aside, she's such a miserable, bitter wet blanket all the time that I wonder why anyone even puts up with her.

[Wings]

2 hours ago, NutMeg said:

They really don't know how to write interesting stuff for an overweight person, do they? Too bad, I was actually interested in this new type of character when the show started.

Me too.  I thought she was going to lose weight over time and it would be part of the story line in a casual yet realistic way.  

1 hour ago, JudyObscure said:

My thoughts are far away from their deep discussion. I don't really wonder about them having sex because I just figure it's from the back, and I thought maybe the tub was a roomier  garden tub, but here's what I notice and feel mean about noticing.  Chrissy is much shorter than the others but, last year, when they all set down she was the tallest on the sofa.  This year, she either sits in a different, presumably lower, chair or, on sofa scenes, I think they remove the cushion before she sits beside Toby, or whoever, so she wont be noticeably taller.

I will pay attention to this now.  Makes sense they would have to compensate for her weight raising her higher in a seated position.  

[NutMeg]

Regarding stories about Kate, when I wrote earlier that the writers don't seem to do with an overweight person, I meant just that. If they were expecting a fat loss story, that's one more pointer to how they have no idea on how to write an obese person, which is ridiculous - she's like everyone living a life that includes the gamut from work to casual relationships to friends, her story shouldn't have to be about weight but should include it - and that's want I was hoping to see. But now I realize I'm a total hypocrite, because no one on this show has consistent work life, or friends, or any life at all except from their life as kids and as teenager, before Jack died. And that's why this "mystery" of How Jack Died is making the characters less and less relatable, because more and more shallow.

[leighdear]

I don't ever watch after shows, reunion shows or any show with the main purpose of explaining what we saw.  Because if I can't figure it out on my own, I have no time for your show.  I'm an intelligent being, and I hate when they feel they have to come back with a  "what we really meant was....."show.  Idiotic. 

[NutMeg]

9 minutes ago, leighdear said:

I don't ever watch after shows, reunion shows or any show with the main purpose of explaining what we saw.  Because if I can't figure it out on my own, I have no time for your show.  I'm an intelligent being, and I hate when they feel they have to come back with a  "what we really meant was....."show.  Idiotic. 

Me neither. Also, I think shows, like any artistic endeavours, should be let free rather than constrained. Some iconic characters from literature of cinema would never have become so iconic without all the contrasting views about them. Pushing for ONE opinion to the detriment of others is actually damaging to any creative endeavour. Sometimes, creators should just put their creation out there, and learn from how its's perceived. 

[AuntiePam]

16 minutes ago, NutMeg said:

Regarding stories about Kate, when I wrote earlier that the writers don't seem to do with an overweight person, I meant just that. If they were expecting a fat loss story, that's one more pointer to how they have no idea on how to write an obese person, which is ridiculous - she's like everyone living a life that includes the gamut from work to casual relationships to friends, her story shouldn't have to be about weight but should include it - and that's want I was hoping to see. But now I realize I'm a total hypocrite, because no one on this show has consistent work life, or friends, or any life at all except from their life as kids and as teenager, before Jack died. And that's why this "mystery" of How Jack Died is making the characters less and less relatable, because more and more shallow.

I'm just the opposite.  I thought Kate's story should focus on her weight.   It seemed realistic to me.  If something is physically "off" or different with us, that's foremost in our minds -- isn't it?  That's been my experience.  When I've been pregnant, or dealing with an unusual health situation, it's my focus.  Oh, I'll still go to work, clean the house, I'll do the usual life-stuff, and I won't bore people with my condition -- but if I have a health concern (even a "normal" one, like a pregnancy), it will affect everything I do, in big ways and small ones.

So I expected Kate's story to be mostly about her weight and how it affects her work, her relationships, etc. 

[NutMeg]

2 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

I'm just the opposite.  I thought Kate's story should focus on her weight.   It seemed realistic to me.  If something is physically "off" or different with us, that's foremost in our minds -- isn't it?  That's been my experience.  When I've been pregnant, or dealing with an unusual health situation, it's my focus.  Oh, I'll still go to work, clean the house, I'll do the usual life-stuff, and I won't bore people with my condition -- but if I have a health concern (even a "normal" one, like a pregnancy), it will affect everything I do, in big ways and small ones.

So I expected Kate's story to be mostly about her weight and how it affects her work, her relationships, etc. 

Yes and no. I was expecting the focus to be on her weight in season 1 - well, they even put the focus there in the very first episode -, but then, when the weight loss story tapered on, or rather evolved into the Toby story, I kept hoping for Kate to have a story about Kate, and not about her weight, because that's not the full sum of her as a person. But alas I don't see the writers moving to writing for Kate, as a very overweight person but still her own person, in any credible way. I really think they don't know how.   

[Kata01]

56 minutes ago, NutMeg said:

Me neither. Also, I think shows, like any artistic endeavours, should be let free rather than constrained. Some iconic characters from literature of cinema would never have become so iconic without all the contrasting views about them. Pushing for ONE opinion to the detriment of others is actually damaging to any creative endeavour. Sometimes, creators should just put their creation out there, and learn from how its's perceived. 

 

1 hour ago, leighdear said:

I don't ever watch after shows, reunion shows or any show with the main purpose of explaining what we saw.  Because if I can't figure it out on my own, I have no time for your show.  I'm an intelligent being, and I hate when they feel they have to come back with a  "what we really meant was....."show.  Idiotic. 

More and more I feel these after shows, interviews and social media have become a detriment to good storytelling. Showrunners and crew now rely on these tools as an extension to the actual production itself. I find it the epitome of laziness. What is not conveyed onscreen for the viewer is explained away via an aftershow, interview, or social media account, etc. 

[NutMeg]

And the most damaging thing is that the explanation part takes away from the flow. By that I mean, we feel what we feel from what we see, we may root for the good guy or for the bad guy, or the grey guy, for reasons which are purely our own (not talking about this show but in more general term), and savvy show runners would know to run with the ambiguity, and exploit it, rather than telling the audience they should feel xxx because of yyy. That's where I've starting to think less of This Is Us. They don't trust the audience. And also, to be fair, their second serving is less than stellar. But instead of acknowledging the fact, they are doubling in on the effort to convince us that this is the bomb. When we know it's not. Instead of, you know, fixing the show. It's still redeemable, if they only focused more on characters and less on bloody shocking surprises (which are indeed so expected that they are not shocking anymore, at least as far as I'm concerned).  

[Wings]

Chrissy is heading for a heart attack just like Chis Farley and the other fat comics.   I hope they have a plan B.  This woman is NOT a plus size, she is dangerously obese.  

[ChromaKelly]

4 hours ago, NutMeg said:

Yes and no. I was expecting the focus to be on her weight in season 1 - well, they even put the focus there in the very first episode -, but then, when the weight loss story tapered on, or rather evolved into the Toby story, I kept hoping for Kate to have a story about Kate, and not about her weight, because that's not the full sum of her as a person. But alas I don't see the writers moving to writing for Kate, as a very overweight person but still her own person, in any credible way. I really think they don't know how.   

I'm also yes and no on feeling that Kate's storylines should focus on her weight. It shouldn't be the way it has been, like that audition thing where she's all "this is because of my size" and the support group. It should bring up the issues that have been mentioned in this thread, like maybe after Rebecca says "I'll draw you a bath" have Kate retort that she doesn't want a William Taft situation. The show has done a decent job with race and adoption being a constant, but not all-consuming factor in Randall's life. Kid Randall looking at all the black people and wondering if they are his relatives, that type of stuff has been well done. Kate should have moments where she's unsure if she can sit in a chair, or she has to stand because all the chairs have arms and she won't fit. Does she have any other related health issues, like high blood pressure or sleep apnea? I get that they are trying to be all "Fat people are just the same!" but if they are bothering to have a very obese TV character, then at least present their reality. And I'm saying all this as a fat person, albeit more of an everyday overweight person who has a little bit of this (mostly the poor self-esteem and food issues), but has someone close to me who is more Kate's size and deals with not being able to go and do things the same as anyone else. Basically any seating area can fill a person that size with dread.

[CelticBlackCat]

I thought we would be seeing Kate navigate through her weight loss journey, what with the fat camp and OA-style support group.  Fat camp turned into a venue for Toby to show up at unannounced and have Kate be sexually harassed by Creepy Owner's Son/Horse Man.  Group is not where she finds techniques and support on how to lose weight and at what pace, etc., but a snark session with the skinny Madison.  Then she gets knocked up because of her rocking sex life with Toby and all bets on losing weight are off.  Now that she has no excuse to NOT lose weight because she won't be eating for two anymore, they've gone on to the let's try again desperado storyline.  I'm sorry, but they're not even married yet, just engaged.

The only good thing that's happened is that Kate walked away from her plate of food at the Chinese buffet.  That was character growth.  Her relationship with mother Rebecca improved.  That's about it.

[pennben]

I'm not going to say this well, so I'm just going to blurt it out:  The only interesting thing about Kate is how she got so morbidly obese. So, there, I said it.  Now, they've given us clues that she's a Daddy's girl and was chunky (I hate that word, but I'm going to use it, sorry), but as to the most major point of her development into who she is as an adult.....we're just apparently going to have to wait until they've milked everything out of this damn Jack twist.  Unless they're going to try to out-twist the twist we all think is coming that his death is the issue, in which case I'm going to throw the tv out the window.

And then, actually, I think younger Kate is going to have the more interesting story than current day Kate, how do you get from teenage Kate to older Kate, there has to be a lot going on there.....as opposed to Kevin (and what we've learned recently, albeit clunkily) and Randall (which we aren't allowed to forget:))

Of all of the characters, delaying the reveal on Jack's death is just destroying any interest in the Kate character, at least for me. Her story is just marking time.

Edited November 26, 2017 by pennben

[Guest]

I don’t even think that’s interesting about Kate.  I know how she got so obese.  Self-medicating with food to soothe her guilt.  I suppose I’d like to know why she never got therapy instead but I think they’ll never answer that, as if the very normal option didn’t exist.   

[laurakaye]

I finally finished watching this episode, and my goodness, but these people and their penchant for ridiculous soliloquies to random strangers!  It's to the point now where it's becoming humorous, despite the subject matter.  I don't know if that makes my heart a block of ice or not.

Toby and his "big and powerful man" speech wasn't charming, nor chivalrous, nor gallant.  It was threatening, plain and simple.  And the fact that he tempered it with the nonsense of "I'm usually a witty and fun guy" made him also come across as unhinged.  The FedEx guy should've been on the phone with security.  And in what universe would FedEx let a person off the street wander around their warehouse, anyway?  Give me a break.

Rebecca and those stupid yellow onions...another time someone should've been calling the authorities.  I read the thread before I watched the entire show so I didn't realize the extent of her tantrum - trying to rip the bag out of someone's hands and then falling to the floor screaming?  Realistically, would anyone in that store allow a woman with three tiny babies to get up and walk away from that?  I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say at the very least, Jack should've been called, if not the police.

I get that the writers are going for the big dramz.  But every last one of these characters is becoming a caricature.

In this episode, we also heard Kate tell Toby that she loves him.  If I'm not mistaken, that's the first time we've heard her say that, because I did a double-take and then I remembered - oh yeah, I'm supposed to know that they are madly in love, have crazy sexytimes, and are having a baby together, despite the fact that Kate often acts like Toby is something gross stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Also, random weirdness...in the scene with Kate waking up on the couch, she was initially shot upside-down.  I was like, what is this - are we looking at her through a mirror or something?  Do the writers want us to infer that this odd camera angle means to suggest that her life is "upside-down?"  Is this symbolism?  Does it mean something?  Should I care?

EDIT: I actually chuckled when Kate bailed out of her latest singing gig.  The fact that she was there in the first place was utterly unbelievable (given that she'd just been discharged from the hospital), but all I could think was - hey, look, another Pearson walking out of another commitment.

Edited November 26, 2017 by laurakaye

[Lady Calypso]

53 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I get that the writers are going for the big dramz.  But every last one of these characters is becoming a caricature.

True, though my UO is I think that Kevin is the only character not quite a caricature this season. They might actually be going overboard with making him have almost all the flaws and rarely the good guy moment. He says the wrong things, he's doing the wrong things, he's purposely portrayed as rude, and he basically talks to less people than Kate. Randall has Beth and his girls, Kate has Toby, but Kevin has nobody. 

Everyone else seems to be portrayed as the best people ever, saying the right things, giving or getting these big speeches, but Kevin keeps getting left out. He's never shared a one-on-one scene with Rebecca, in the present and not even in the past scenes. 

But maybe that's a caricature of its own?

Either way, I still consider Kevin my favourite Pearson, followed by Rebecca. Personally, I love the underdogs and they were very much presented as underdogs in season 1. Jack and Randall are presented as the perfect Pearson men, and Kate's drama with Toby is presented as the second perfect relationship, only to Jack/Rebecca (eh, maybe Randall/Beth is the second best). I've always had a soft spot for underdogs and underused characters.

[Guest]

Onion was a weird writing choice.  They have long shelf lives and are a major staple so stores don't run out, and there are plenty of alternatives to fresh yellow onions-- white onions, red, sweet, dried onion flakes, frozen chopped onion, shallots, etc.  And I scratched my head at her recipe calling for something like 3 ounces of onion, was it?  I've never seen a recipe expect people to weigh their onion.  They usually call for a half or whole onion.  And 3 ounces could be left out of any recipe without destroying it.  I guess the point is Rebecca is clueless from mommy-brain, though?  

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

Also, random weirdness...in the scene with Kate waking up on the couch, she was initially shot upside-down.  I was like, what is this - are we looking at her through a mirror or something?  Do the writers want us to infer that this odd camera angle means to suggest that her life is "upside-down?"  Is this symbolism?  Does it mean something?  Should I care?

It struck me as trying to be 'arty' with the photography.  It was almost exactly like a scene in Better Call Saul last year and I thought the same thing then, though that show does have some pretty good camera work all around and it fit in more. 

[leighdear]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

despite the fact that Kate often acts like Toby is something gross stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

This is my favorite line in this whole thread! ;-)

[SunnyBeBe]

48 minutes ago, leighdear said:

This is my favorite line in this whole thread! ;-)

It's true.  Maybe, they just don't want the character to have anything to be happy about.  I mean, she has siblings with their own issues, mommy issues, deceased daddy issues, career issues, etc.  So, I guess they want her to have romance issues too.  I don't think they have addressed financial issues yet.  Maybe, that one is in the can.  

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 11/23/2017 at 6:35 PM, leighdear said:

I googled "Swedish Baby Bathtub" and the results all looked too large for a newborn, were meant for a sink or could be bought at Target.  Nothing so amazing it would have to be ordered, that I could see.  

What a stupid plot point.  But I don't know why I'm surprised something so ridiculous in real life would take on epic proportions in this show.  

And why is that the one thing you choose to order early in a risky pregnancy? Was there a sale?

[toodles]

This show reminds me of the way Matt Wiener treated Mad Men.  The female characters in particular were poorly written in many cases.  Not to go OT too much, but Betty and Megan in particular.  He would give interviews to explain them and it would leave people scratching their heads in a WTF moment.  Were we watching the same show?

These after shows are the same thing to me.  If you need a show to explain to me what I just watched?  That's just messed up.  This is just a TV show.  This is not a college class where you're going to be tested as to what was really going on with A TV SHOW YOU JUST WATCHED.  If you, as a TV writer can't write clearly enough for the average TV viewer to understand, then you're doing a shitty job.

I'm a casual viewer of a Tuesday night TV show.  I like reruns of ER more than I like this show.  This is not a life -altering event.  The people involved in this show really need to get over themselves.  I mean REALLY.

[CelticBlackCat]

44 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

And why is that the one thing you choose to order early in a risky pregnancy? Was there a sale?

Was there any dialogue saying that Kate had ordered the Swedish baby bath?  If so, I missed it and when Toby was in frantic return mode, I thought Toby is probably who ordered the item, as one of his Grand Gestures.

I will also put on record in writing that I thought the retrieval of the broken down shower rod and curtain from the Dumpster was icky.  It would have been much better to see Kate and Toby cruising the bed and bath section of a store, hand in hand in love, of course, for a new one!

11 minutes ago, toodles said:

This show reminds me of the way Matt Wiener treated Mad Men.  The female characters in particular were poorly written in many cases.  Not to go OT too much, but Betty and Megan in particular.  He would give interviews to explain them and it would leave people scratching their heads in a WTF moment.  Were we watching the same show?

These after shows are the same thing to me.  If you need a show to explain to me what I just watched?  That's just messed up.  This is just a TV show.  This is not a college class where you're going to be tested as to what was really going on with A TV SHOW YOU JUST WATCHED.  If you, as a TV writer can't write clearly enough for the average TV viewer to understand, then you're doing a shitty job.

I'm a casual viewer of a Tuesday night TV show.  I like reruns of ER more than I like this show.  This is not a life -altering event.  The people involved in this show really need to get over themselves.  I mean REALLY.

Hear, hear!  Exactly how I feel and think.

[JudyObscure]

13 minutes ago, CelticBlackCat said:

I will also put on record in writing that I thought the retrieval of the broken down shower rod and curtain from the Dumpster was icky. 

But Kate  is a Pearson and you know how they are about things.  If they can watch football with urns and sob over necklaces, naturally they are going to be angry at a shower curtain for witnessing the preliminary pains of the miscarriage and then later  on forgive the shower curtain and bring it in out of the cold.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 11/21/2017 at 10:29 PM, pennben said:

I think they had to give Kevin the quick addiction and Kate the out-of-nowhere ten minute pregnancy this season because they planned this trio of episodes focusing on the individual adult kids and then belatedly realized that they hadn't given them any real character development 

I would change the bolded phrase above to "hadn't heaped enough misery upon them".

[CelticBlackCat]

1 hour ago, JudyObscure said:

But Kate  is a Pearson and you know how they are about things.  If they can watch football with urns and sob over necklaces, naturally they are going to be angry at a shower curtain for witnessing the preliminary pains of the miscarriage and then later  on forgive the shower curtain and bring it in out of the cold.

LOL!

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

Was there any dialogue saying that Kate had ordered the Swedish baby bath?  If so, I missed it and when Toby was in frantic return mode, I thought Toby is probably who ordered the item, as one of his Grand Gestures.

Kate told Toby that she ordered the bath when they were talking about all the inane questions she was writing down to ask her OB/GYN. I wonder if that bath was by some pretentious artisanal company with limited production runs, so Kate didn't want to risk it being out of stock by the time she'd really need it.

[chaifan]

Count me among those who don't get the fascination with the after-show trend.  I suppose these are for the super fans who live and die by these shows.  I read some of the threads where people go on and on about how they were in tears and this is such life altering stuff, blah blah blah, and again, I just don't get it.  It's a tv show. 

I am also in agreement with others who feel that Kate's character is so very one-note centered totally around her weight.  That was my main complaint with season 1, and it's only gotten worse.  Yes, someone of that size has daily issues revolving around weight.  But I'm sure there could be a storyline for her that doesn't revolve around weight issues.

[CelticBlackCat]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

Kate told Toby that she ordered the bath when they were talking about all the inane questions she was writing down to ask her OB/GYN. I wonder if that bath was by some pretentious artisanal company with limited production runs, so Kate didn't want to risk it being out of stock by the time she'd really need it.

Thanks, I missed that remark.

[biakbiak]

On 11/25/2017 at 7:01 PM, wings707 said:

Chrissy is heading for a heart attack just like Chis Farley and the other fat comics.   I hope they have a plan B.  This woman is NOT a plus size, she is dangerously obese.  

Chris died of a drug overdose.