Unpopular Opinions Thread

[ItCouldBeWorse]

3 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Who is taking care of Tess and Annie while Randall is single-handedly remodeling and then subsequently relocating an entire building full of people and Beth is at work?  Just wondering.

I think it started out being a school day. After school, I've no idea.

[Katy M]

7 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Who is taking care of Tess and Annie while Randall is single-handedly remodeling and then subsequently relocating an entire building full of people and Beth is at work?  Just wondering.

The same people who were going to take care of them if Randall got the job Beth wanted him to get?  Either day care, or a babysitter, or a nanny.

[ChromaKelly]

2 hours ago, kissedbyarose said:

I HATE this building storyline. I just can’t hand wave away all of the real steps it would take to buy and renovate a building. Plus they are definitely going to have to raise rents there too. I just... all of the places Randall and Beth’s storyline could go they chose this? I’d love to see more of the girls or Beth’s family or Randall actually dealing with the very real problems he has but no... he’s going to adopt! fostor a kid! buy a building! free the animals in the zoo! 

 

Okay, maybe not the last one...

I would have liked if they showed more actual detail of it. Like, was the building even for sale? Have Randall and Beth consult with a property management company. I would think a lot of this would be done with contractors, not just on your own, but then it wouldn't be so Randall Saves The World. I don't mind the storyline per se, but yeah, more savior Randall.

[Blakeston]

12 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Kevin had Charlotte's name crossed off his list before he got the pendant, so I'm wondering if Kevin wrote her or called her asking for forgiveness for how he treated her.  We don't know if she was holding the necklace or decided to send it once it was revealed that Kevin was going through an addiction.  We also don't know what kind of correspondence Kevin had with her.  Did he ask for the necklace back or did he just apologize?  A lot of what ifs that we aren't going to know. 

We know from Charlotte's note that Kevin sent her a letter, and I can't imagine him crossing her name off his list without having apologized thoroughly.

[chocolatine]

3 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

12 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Kevin had Charlotte's name crossed off his list before he got the pendant, so I'm wondering if Kevin wrote her or called her asking for forgiveness for how he treated her.  We don't know if she was holding the necklace or decided to send it once it was revealed that Kevin was going through an addiction.  We also don't know what kind of correspondence Kevin had with her.  Did he ask for the necklace back or did he just apologize?  A lot of what ifs that we aren't going to know. 

We know from Charlotte's note that Kevin sent her a letter, and I can't imagine him crossing her name off his list without having apologized thoroughly.

I'm not super-familiar with AA, but could "making amends" just mean that you apologize to the people you've hurt, not that they forgive you? "Accept the things I cannot change," and all that? If that's how it works, then he made his amends to Charlotte by sending his letter of apology.

[Katy M]

37 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I'm not super-familiar with AA, but could "making amends" just mean that you apologize to the people you've hurt, not that they forgive you? "Accept the things I cannot change," and all that? If that's how it works, then he made his amends to Charlotte by sending his letter of apology.

Yes.  It is your responsibility to sincerely apologize and try to make amends.  It is not your responsibility to force them to forgive you.  That probably wouldn't be very effective and most people in AA would be driven back to drink via that approach.

[mochamajesty]

I hope that Randall pulled permits for the work. Probably not. This storyline needs.to go like yesterday. 

[gonzosgirrl]

47 minutes ago, TwoGrayTabbies said:

TIU often seems to me an updated version of the sentimental family dramas from the 70s.  So perhaps Randall was channeling Pa Ingalls when he erroneously remembered building his house.

Brought over from the episode thread. I love this thought. It's probably more polarizing than unpopular, but I kind of love that they idealize Jack a little (or a lot, lol). My dad's been gone 15 years and I tend to remember him this way, too (a great, but flawed man). And as much as most of my favorite characters are anti-heroes, or at least tragically flawed humans, I like that we have Jack Pearson out there being all Pa Ingalls in 2018. It's nice.

[chaifan]

6 hours ago, kissedbyarose said:

I HATE this building storyline. I just can’t hand wave away all of the real steps it would take to buy and renovate a building. Plus they are definitely going to have to raise rents there too. I just... all of the places Randall and Beth’s storyline could go they chose this? I’d love to see more of the girls or Beth’s family or Randall actually dealing with the very real problems he has but no... he’s going to adopt! fostor a kid! buy a building! free the animals in the zoo! 

 

Not to mention the timeline for buying a commercial building.  Even IF it were up for sale the day he was poking around looking for "Lady", you can't buy an apartment building in a matter of days.   Financing, inspections, title transfer, etc., that all takes time.  And that's what the timeline on the other plots seemed to suggest from the prior episode, maybe a week later in tv time.  I give them credit for the plan (OK, Beth's plan) being just to have the tenant meeting and let them know what would be happening.  Going into renovation mode wasn't supposed to happen that day, it just did because Randall is unable to "slow his roll". 

Kate's applying for Berklee?  I think I may have known that, it sounds familiar.  Her voice is ok, but no where near Berklee level.  That is the most glaring plot hole in my opinion. 

Charlotte - for all we know, the necklace fell behind the nightstand or bed or whatever, and Charlotte didn't know what the heck drunk Kevin was crying about on the front lawn but just recently found it. 

[Katy M]

23 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Charlotte - for all we know, the necklace fell behind the nightstand or bed or whatever, and Charlotte didn't know what the heck drunk Kevin was crying about on the front lawn but just recently found it. 

That's what I think.  I think she was telling the truth when she yelled "I don't have your stupid necklace," or whatever she said.  Yes, she was mad.  But, I think if she had it, she would have said, "I'm keeping your stupid necklace because you're a butt hole."  Or she would have thrown it down to him.  I kind of think the latter because she clearly wanted him off her lawn.  Not enough to let him in, which is perfectly reasonable, but enough to toss him what he left behind, especially since it's worthless to her.

[Dminches]

On 1/24/2018 at 1:17 PM, Wings said:

Jack's death will go down in history as the most hyped and poorly executed demise of all time.  

The show hit an all-time low with this, starting with the hype and ending with the family watching their dad perish.  And in the middle was an unrelated story of a couple leaving the home that they raised their kids in.  That would have been a nice story if they didn't tie it to the Pearsons with a stupid crock pot.  Seriously, what was the point of that?

Are we supposed to be deep in thought about the fact that Jack's death was unnecessary because it wasn't caused by his drinking or something more meaningful?  Sorry, I am not going there.  Just poor drama writing.

[Katy M]

Just now, Dminches said:

The show hit an all-time low with this, starting with the hype and ending with the family watching their dad perish.  And in the middle was an unrelated story of a couple leaving the home that they raised their kids in.  That would have been a nice story if they didn't tie it to the Pearsons with a stupid crock pot.  Seriously, what was the point of that?

Are we supposed to be deep in thought about the fact that Jack's death was unnecessary because it wasn't caused by his drinking or something more meaningful?  Sorry, I am not going there.  Just poor drama writing.

I think this show has always been about how everything in life is interconnected. 

[Dminches]

1 minute ago, Katy M said:

I think this show has always been about how everything in life is interconnected. 

I am ok with that but the couple leaving their home and giving the Pearson's a crock pot which ultimately killed Jack is not a meaningful connection to me.  They could have just as easily bought it at a garage sale.  And it isn't as though that couple had any role prior to this.

[laurakaye]

1 hour ago, Dminches said:

I am ok with that but the couple leaving their home and giving the Pearson's a crock pot which ultimately killed Jack is not a meaningful connection to me.  They could have just as easily bought it at a garage sale.  And it isn't as though that couple had any role prior to this.

This seems to be a recurring theme with TIU - the introduction of characters or a meaningful camera shot that doesn't come to fruition until much later, if at all.  I am thinking of the lingering shot of Jack's brother in the war photo, or the little boy sitting in the office when Randall and Beth went to the foster care office, several scenes of Jack fixing a fuse box, etc.  If the plot is leading us in a certain direction and then takes a sharp, random detour, how are we supposed to know what to believe?  The writers seem to enjoy a certain amount of bait-and-switch with the viewers, but in doing so they risk alienating some of us who refuse to get invested because of this very issue.  

I agree with @Dminches...what was the point of introducing the older couple - were they just a way to bring in the crockpot of doom to the Pearson household?  And honestly, if you're using a crockpot that you know is faulty, would you really go to bed with it on all night long (until Jack tried to turn it off)?  Would Rebecca really have gone to bed with all that food left out?  While I understand the plotline, the pieces to get there don't make a lot of sense.

Edited January 26, 2018 by laurakaye

[Kohola3]

29 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I agree with @Dminches...what was the point of introducing the older couple - were they just a way to bring in the crockpot of doom to the Pearson household?

I think it was most likely just to establish the age of the appliance.  Seems like a "gosh, we've had this since we bought the house" would suffice but the visual....

[ItCouldBeWorse]

19 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

51 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I agree with @Dminches...what was the point of introducing the older couple - were they just a way to bring in the crockpot of doom to the Pearson household?

I think it was most likely just to establish the age of the appliance.  Seems like a "gosh, we've had this since we bought the house" would suffice but the visual....

It was a misdirect.  We were meant to think that this is the house Jack would be buying and flipping.

[laurakaye]

1 minute ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

It was a misdirect.  We were meant to think that this is the house Jack would be buying and flipping.

What was the purpose of the misdirect, do you think?  Not being snarky, just honestly want to know.   A misdirect can be a wonderful, gasp-inducing moment if done correctly.  This one feels like a cheap shot to me.  

[NannyBails]

On 1/25/2018 at 1:43 AM, ThisIsMe said:

Re the Crock Pot ... My theory is that the new & trendy Insta Pot is behind the impending Pearson house inferno. They probably paid off the producers to have a Crock Pot take the fall.  

HEY ... I love my InstantPot!    But seriously, the actual InstantPot wasn't around then so it couldn't be to blame.  I could see one of the old timey pressure cookers exploding, though. 

[NutMeg]

On 1/25/2018 at 3:21 AM, ShadowFacts said:

Well, didn't the shelter woman say the shelter people named him?  So if it's not his original name anyway and he hasn't had it for long, I think it's fair game. 

Late to the party on this, but yes, changing the name is ok. Changing it to a name vaguely sounding like it would work well if the dog is used to respond to that name. We renamed our current cat while keeping the first syllable of her previous name.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

What was the purpose of the misdirect, do you think?  Not being snarky, just honestly want to know.   A misdirect can be a wonderful, gasp-inducing moment if done correctly.  This one feels like a cheap shot to me.  

The first few episodes of the show had these twists (the baby brought in by the fireman turned out to be the baby the Pearsons were adopting, the Big 3 were the babies grown up, older Rebecca's husband is Miguel, etc. ) It was kind of the hallmark of the show.

I actually liked the misdirect.  At first when the crockpot was delivered I thought: how would Rebecca not know that the house for sale belonged to her neighbors? (this is mostly because Rebecca as the mother of 17-18 year-olds does not look much different to me than Rebecca as the mother of newborns; I guess I missed her pregnant belly when she was at the door) but then quickly realized that it was a misdirect and that the older couple had been used to set up the cause of the fire.  They got me!

Edited January 26, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Guest]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

What was the purpose of the misdirect, do you think?  Not being snarky, just honestly want to know.   A misdirect can be a wonderful, gasp-inducing moment if done correctly.  This one feels like a cheap shot to me.  

I think it's just that they feel the need to add these in now and then.  This one was a little lame.  But I think too the old couple was there to add a little more of that schmaltzy Americana they love so much, too. 

And to hit the theme extra hard-- the pain of change and loss, how attachment to 'stuff' affects us (I guess Jack is the 'old faulty crockpot' in my analogy).  

[chaifan]

4 hours ago, Dminches said:

I am ok with that but the couple leaving their home and giving the Pearson's a crock pot which ultimately killed Jack is not a meaningful connection to me.  They could have just as easily bought it at a garage sale.  And it isn't as though that couple had any role prior to this.

I agree.  Add the timeline - that they had the crockpot for over 15 years without incident - and it makes the neighbors even less relevant.  If the switch had worked fine for all that time, the problem wasn't the switch, it was that the crockpot was going on 20 years old. 

[laurakaye]

Can't get the link to copy, but EW has an article where Milo tells us that the next episode will be an "absolute soul-crushing event."

Discuss.

Edit: I have friends/co-workers who are legitimately worried that they are not going to be able to make it into work the next day.

Edited January 28, 2018 by laurakaye

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

Can't get the link to copy, but EW has an article where Milo tells us that the next episode will be an "absolute soul-crushing event."

Discuss.

Edit: I have friends/co-workers who are legitimately worried that they are not going to be able to make it into work the next day.

Really?  Hmm....I've been trying to psych myself up in order to watch, but, for different reasons.  I just don't like the characters or care enough what happens anymore. I wish I didn't feel this way.  So, I'll just read things around here. Maybe, I'll watch later.  Based on prior experience, it would probably just tick me off, so why bother?  Perhaps, I need an attitude adjustment. lol 

[CleoCaesar]

2 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Milo tells us that the next episode will be an "absolute soul-crushing event."

Edit: I have friends/co-workers who are legitimately worried that they are not going to be able to make it into work the next day.

There aren't enough eyerolls in the world for both these things. Why is being a fragile, hysterical ninny something people are so proud of?

An absolute soul-crushing event is your child dying in front of you. Not an episode of a cheesy, low-quality nighttime soap opera. I get that hyperbole is a thing, but Jesus, these actors really have their heads up their own asses.

[Wings]

Sterling said much worse. I think on extra they showed a clip of an interview with several of them.  He said something to the effect that America love this show because it is bigger than themselves.  I don't have time to search for it more than I have today but I will find it.  The ego on these actors is out of control.   Justin said something ridiculous as well. 

[Amethyst]

I agree that they play up the "you will cry" stuff way too much.  In season 1, there are scenes that act like a gut punch, and they worked because you weren't expecting them.  They crossed the line to treacly and manipulative way too many times now.  

Last season's promos said they would reveal how Jack died, so them not doing it at the end only made viewers mad.  There are plenty of memories with Jack to film, so Milo isn't going anywhere.  We've known for some time that Jack is dead, so why drag this out?  If there's some greater mystery at hand here, I'm gonna be pissed.  It's a TV show, not a theorem.  People shouldn't have to study these episodes to understand them.

But I think the writers know that viewers are fed up.  For one thing, the show's Twitter handle used to be an actual box of tissues.  Like, really?  Were they serious?  Thankfully, they got rid of that.  And they knew viewers were angry that Jack's death was going to be held off even longer after being told the opposite.  People aren't stupid. 

It might sound contrarian, but the more they talk about how emotional people will be, the less I want to watch.  

[laurakaye]

5 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

It might sound contrarian, but the more they talk about how emotional people will be, the less I want to watch.  

Worse yet, the more people talk about how soul-punching this episode will be, the more I do want to watch and not cry.  But there's no way I'm staying up past the Superbowl to watch.  I might get around to viewing it on demand a day later, unless I get hooked on re-re-re-re-runs of Living Single or Roseanne.

And pray tell, how is this show bigger than ourselves?  How can that even be a thing?  Do the actors know how ridiculous they sound?  I don't remember a tv show in the history of ever where the hype was this overblown, or when people who love the show give serious side-eye to those of us who don't, as if we're missing our hearts or something.  

I started watching for the interesting hook of the three siblings.  I keep watching because I feel like I'm in the midst of a bizarre social experiment and I need to see how it ends.

[chaifan]

5 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Can't get the link to copy, but EW has an article where Milo tells us that the next episode will be an "absolute soul-crushing event."

Discuss.

Edit: I have friends/co-workers who are legitimately worried that they are not going to be able to make it into work the next day.

It will be The Most Dramatic Rose Ceremony  Ever!  blech.  Do these actors really believe this, or is it part of their contract to spout this drivel?  It's a TV show. 

Laurakaye, I think you need new friends.  ;) 

[MaryPatShelby]

I think I'm staying away from the episode forum after the next one.  All the descriptions of "ugly crying" and tissue box counts were more than I could handle when William died!

[biakbiak]

The only way I will be crying next Sunday is if the Pats win!

[Katy M]

4 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

The only way I will be crying next Sunday is if the Pats win!

Tears of joy?

[biakbiak]

24 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Tears of joy?

Bitter, bitter tears! BORTLES!

I do wish cast and crew would stop waxing such ridiculous nonsense abput the show.

[TwoGrayTabbies]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

.  I started watching for the interesting hook of the three siblings.  I keep watching because I feel like I'm in the midst of a bizarre social experiment and I need to see how it ends.

I’m also in this for “experimental” purposes.  I’ve mentioned before that TIU is like an update of the old sentimental family drama format.  I’m interested in how that format still attracts an audience in this era of prestige tv and antiheroes.  

[MissLucas]

I like this show but I can't remember if it has ever made me cry so far. But then I've got 6 seasons of 'Call the Midwife' under my belt made of Kleenex. On the other hand last thing to make me cry was a

Cadbury ad so what do I know?

But they should really reign in the hyperbole a bit or the backlash will kick in sooner than later.

Edited January 29, 2018 by MissLucas

[Lady Calypso]

Yeah, their insistence that every episode is going to make me cry just makes me not cry instead. Ok, so yeah, this next episode is going to be rough to watch because you just know it's going to be filled with heartbreaking moments and anvils being dropped up until the maybe death scene. Or, who knows. Maybe they'll just tease Jack's actual death because maybe he gets out of the house still alive, but dies later on. Maybe they'll leave the episode on a cliffhanger with the screen going dark after Jack reunites with the family, and we'll just hear one long beep from him flatlining. 

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if they milk it for all that they can.

Personally, I know it'll be a one watch episode for me, perhaps two if I miss stuff, because the first time MIGHT get me (although Memphis didn't really get me so what do I know?) but the second time will certainly be a lot of eye rolls. I mean, Milo has gotten me to hate him for the sheer fact that he keeps boasting about the show and inflating the show's ego (and his). This show has tarnished my opinion of him as an actor, which is a damn shame. And I feel like the cast has it in their contracts that they must discuss at least once per interview about how great and emotional and sad and awesome the show is. Every cast member seems to mention it at least once, though some more than others. But if you have to tell me that I'm going to cry and how an episode is going to be completely heartbreaking, and it's done multiple times, it lessens the actual impact of it happening. I can't recall other family dramas, Parenthood for example, having to talk in interviews about how groundbreaking their show was. At the very least, they weren't overtly obnoxious like the TIU showrunners and Milo are about it. 

The only character to get me to even tear up is Kevin, and it's not like he has a whole lot of those moments. The show expects me to cry at Randall, Jack, and William's moments, but I can't really recall when I have. Maybe Randall's breakdown scene? But mostly because I've gotten close to that stage, so it's more reminiscent. I've not gotten sad at anything Jack from what I can remember (I think I got a little sad during his revelation urn scene), and William annoys me more than makes me sad (his death scene was the only scene that remotely got close to feeling a little sad). 

[zapper]

On 1/24/2018 at 9:47 PM, Superpole2000 said:

I dislike when shows play up muscly men in tank tops/no shirts doing physical things while women sit and watch them with drooly faces. It's not funny to me. Reverse the sexes and that same scene becomes really tasteless to the vast majority of people and something you would expect to see on a low-brow show like Married With Children.

yep, i really thought it was in poor taste given the current climate, but I'm not really surprised by the number of posts on the episode which support the male eye candy that was being enjoyed.

[laurakaye]

15 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yeah, their insistence that every episode is going to make me cry just makes me not cry instead. Ok, so yeah, this next episode is going to be rough to watch because you just know it's going to be filled with heartbreaking moments and anvils being dropped up until the maybe death scene. Or, who knows. Maybe they'll just tease Jack's actual death because maybe he gets out of the house still alive, but dies later on. Maybe they'll leave the episode on a cliffhanger with the screen going dark after Jack reunites with the family, and we'll just hear one long beep from him flatlining. 

It's a good thing that the melancholy violin music always swells to a crescendo right before the anvils drop so we have time to duck out of the way. :)

[Guest]

4 hours ago, zapper said:

yep, i really thought it was in poor taste given the current climate, but I'm not really surprised by the number of posts on the episode which support the male eye candy that was being enjoyed.

This reminds me of the ride Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.  When I was a kid, there was a room where animatronic pirates chase scared women around the pillaged town.  There were, I think, two men pirates lustily chasing women and then the punch line-- one woman chasing a pirate.  I think they switched it so 2 or all 3 of them are women chasing men now, to be more politically correct.  Because pirate men chasing women is violent but women chasing pillaging pirates is funny, I guess? 

[luna1122]

This past episode was the only one that's ever made me cry, but that had more to do with the dogs than anything. Animals always make me cry. I did get a sense of foreboding, finally, as the house caught fire. I still like most of the characters, despite all the manipulations, so seeing Jack (FINALLY) die isn't pleasant, but if they were not trying so freaking hard all the time to make me cry til my nose clogs and I snot all over everything and I have to call in sick (which has never and  will never ever happen), it would feel a lot sadder.

Kevin and Randall were wearing tank tops, and they looked good, and I don't mind saying I appreciated it.  I have no problem with folks, man or woman, being appreciated for looking good. I don't find that sexist or distasteful, in and of itself. I do think the balance of power shifts, tho, if it were several men sitting back and ogling a woman in a tank top...there's an inherent possible danger in that scenario that isn't really there the other way around. I don't know.

Edited January 30, 2018 by luna1122

[qtpye]

On 1/25/2018 at 1:43 AM, ThisIsMe said:

Re the Crock Pot ... My theory is that the new & trendy Insta Pot is behind the impending Pearson house inferno. They probably paid off the producers to have a Crock Pot take the fall.  

I just went to the grocery store today and they were having a fire sale (sorry for the pun) on Crock Pots.  I did not even know that store sold Crock Pots.

12 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

This reminds me of the ride Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.  When I was a kid, there was a room where animatronic pirates chase scared women around the pillaged town.  There were, I think, two men pirates lustily chasing women and then the punch line-- one woman chasing a pirate.  I think they switched it so 2 or all 3 of them are women chasing men now, to be more politically correct.  Because pirate men chasing women is violent but women chasing pillaging pirates is funny, I guess? 

I remember as a child that ride had a slave auction.  The slave that was being auctioned off was kind of portly and behind her was a shapely animotronic redhead robot that was weeping.  I remember the pirates calling out "Give us the redhead" and being disturbed.

I did not really have a problem with the tank top scene and do not think it was objectifying.  However, Kevin does have the usually female problem of people being so blown away by his amazing looks and charm, that they never focus on his more substantial needs.  It was one of the reasons he quit The Manny, because that show was totally exploitative.

[Katy M]

16 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I think they switched it so 2 or all 3 of them are women chasing men now, to be more politically correct.  Because pirate men chasing women is violent but women chasing pillaging pirates is funny, I guess?

I haven't been to  Disney in years, but my first thought would be that pirates, being pirates, are the bad guys, so the women chasing them off would be the good guys.  It's a Disney ride, so I'm assuming there's really no context to the chasing.  Again, I didn't see it, but my first thought when hearing the description wouldn't be lust, but defense.

[ShadowFacts]

4 hours ago, qtpye said:

I remember as a child that ride had a slave auction.  The slave that was being auctioned off was kind of portly and behind her was a shapely animotronic redhead robot that was weeping.  I remember the pirates calling out "Give us the redhead" and being disturbed.

I did not really have a problem with the tank top scene and do not think it was objectifying.  However, Kevin does have the usually female problem of people being so blown away by his amazing looks and charm, that they never focus on his more substantial needs.  It was one of the reasons he quit The Manny, because that show was totally exploitative.

A slave auction, good old wholesome entertainment for the kiddies.

Speaking of Kevin and the entertainment industry, it tends to deal in the superficial, and for him, not a good thing.  I hope he doesn't go back to it. 

[zapper]

yep, "The Manny" show was portrayed as exploitative against Kevin. The women pulling up chairs to watch Kevin was them being blown away by his amazing looks.

But both of those are fiction - as in, it's only a show on TV.

what is not fiction are the posts supporting the eye-candy scenes, or posters themselves proclaiming how much they enjoyed the view and they could do with more of the same.

To turn it around, what would be the reaction if there were numerous posts about Mandy Moore's appearance when she on screen wearing nothing more than a Steeler's jersey?

[potatoradio]

*plunks down at unpopular table...waves....missed you guys!*

@laurakaye – you need new coworkers, woman! The only feelzies I get are sympathy pains for hearing the water cooler talk you endure. My wife likes to tease me about snark-watching this dreck and she pointed out a blurb in some online article that said, “This is Us Knows How to Pierce America Right in the Feelings!”

So, yeah, I took that dare and watched the last 3 eps.  Quelle surprise. My feelings are not stabbed, pierced, jabbed, torn or otherwise harmed. My snark, though…oh, it needs a home. 

*sits down and cracks knuckles*

We last left these melodramatic self-pitying arseholes with Tess as stowaway in Drunk Uncle’s car because she hates her house. Her words, not my snark. I swear, I can’t even remember what else I was supposed to wrack my feelz over while this show was on a break…oh, yeah. Kate had a breakthrough. Instead of washing down her grief with a plate of sweet-n-sour, she didn’t eat it! Yeah! Whoooo! Girl power! And, oh, right, scarily, this is coming back to me – Randall talked about Pac Man ghosts. Because he’s a genius. Oh, and I think when he talked to St. Jack, Patron Saint of Hair Grease and bullshit, Jack showed him the Vietnam Memorial.  Because they are totally the same thing and St. Jack knows how to work any social issue into something about himself, the wronged, pained white man who can’t open his own construction company because family and job.

 

Episode Title: The Fifth Wheel  

Re-Title:  Let’s talk about grief, baby…let’s talk about poor, poor me…let’s talk about grief

Tess is back. She’s OK. Oh,Tess. I am going to be so disappointed if you’re not hiding a phone in that book, plotting your escape.  Oh, well, at least you’ve got the right instincts, kid. Keep trying.

Aaaaaand we’re at a swanky rehab center. The Hillary Clinton lookalike counselor ushers in only the Pearsons for the real family talk and the rest of the riff raff is sent straight to the Tattooine Cantina. This is serious, folks. This is no I’m OK, You’re OK therapy.

First round of therapy (DING!)

Kevin: I’m sorry.

All: Me too.

Hillary Clinton: Nope. Try again. More feelings.

Kevin: NOBODY LOVES ME! YOU ALL SUCK!

Randall: YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE!

Kate:  (hate-eating face) *assumes silent rage/self-loathing/menu-planning  seething pose*

Rebecca: I LOVE YOU ALL EQUALLY! WHO COULDN’T LOVE YOU WHEN YOU ACT LIKE THIS?

Kevin: WE’RE ALL ADDICTS.

Randall: YOU’RE NOT AN ADDICT. YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE. DON’T YOU MAKE MOM CRY!

Kate *slow, single glycerin tear rolls down cheek. *

Hillary Clinton: Rebecca, why didn’t you sit these children down and tell them their father was an addict? Why didn’t you tell them they had….(*dum dum dum!*) The Gene?

Rebecca: I’m the asshole now?

Hillary Clinton: Stop making this about you, Rebecca. I’m simply asking why you’re such an evil screw up Darth Maul that you didn’t enroll these poor children in Al-Anon immediately after the funeral and also get them tested for The Gene. Kevin needed you to share something with him. And instead of giving him one single solitary saliva swab, you were thinking, “at last! My singing career! Yeah, baby!”

Kevin: See? Nobody pays attention to me!

Hillary Clinton: I think that went much better. You’re healed, Kevin. I’m going to go solve the opioid crisis now before Jared Kushner remembers he’s supposed to get credit.

*meanwhile, at the Cantina*

Tobe-Babe: Jack looked like a porn star. And I can’t even get a funnier line than that.

Beth: Jack is a royal pain in the ass. Cheese fries. Now.

Miguel: Um…I slept with my best friend’s wife.

*buzzkill not even a plate of cheese fries can fix*

All: Here’s to Jack!

Something deep about them all being Chewbacca because the rest of the Pearsons are the awesomest bestest and get the good parts like Luke and Leia and Obi Wan. Miguel is so pathetic he assigns himself the role of Rebel Fighter #11. Jeebus. Miguel. Han Solo is the best character precisely because he’s an outsider who doesn’t have to mess with the stupid Force or destiny or any of that woo woo shit. Guy gets by on his wits, weapons and friends. He’s awesome. But if you’d rather orbit the Death Star of self pity that is the force of the Pearsons, well….just don’t bring Star Wars into that shit again, OK?

Oh, the three kids by the lake. Deep thoughts: everyone has a different perspective on the past. Holy cannoli, you DON’T say? Oh, I’m hit! I’ve been hit in the feelz! Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi.

Personally, I would call Miguel Mouse Robot or the silver version of C3PO, but I’m watching for the wrong reasons, so….

[potatoradio]

Ep: Clooney

Re-Title: Nothing says I Need Therapy More than My Brother Than Asking Random People Whether They Were Gettin’ Busy with my Dead Dad 

Oh, shit, I AM going to cry. It’s a goddamned Sarah Mclaughlin ASPCA commercial. Look, it’s a homeless cat who needs your help for pennies a day or he’s going to die…oh. Hi, William. That is cheap, show, using animals to stab me in the feelz when your human writers and actors fail to do so.  

Randall suddenly gets obsessed with finding out who his dad’s lady friend might have been. What’s he going to do if he finds out? Read the poem to her? Because, let me tell you, if a kid of a love affair showed up on my doorstep and read me a poem my lover had written? Hello, 911, there’s a man on my doorstep demanding that I cry. No, not because the poem is a first draft that my lover clearly wasn‘t ready to give me him/herself, but because this crazy dude needs something to do to fix his juices. I mean, no, I wasn’t at the funeral. I didn’t even send a condolence card or try to get in touch, but goddamned, I’m supposed to bawl on command now.

I bet Jesse might like the poem, though. He was actually there with William. But no, that would be weird. 

Wow, I really need more of Randall's knack for running into perfect strangers who know just the thing to say or do to resolve my emotional crisis du jour. If it's not the hardware store worker, it's the good hearted blue collar super who knows EXACTLY what William spent his days doing and leads Randall to find the exact source of the poem himself. Why doesn't the bus driver or clerk at the grocery store ever do this shit for me? 

This is Audio. We found him in a Trader Joe’s parking lot. Can you blame him for loving the Very Important Music that plays in Trader Joe’s parking lots?  We were going to call him Trash or Dumpy or Moving Compost Beast, but we thought those were stupid.

When William’s neighbor said that a cat always finds a person that needs it, I got up and hugged my sweet little cat who I found  under a dumpster.  Or maybe she found me. Anyway, yeah, I cried. There. Happy, show? Good, because she wasn't. She wanted to play instead. 

There may have been more amazing Pearson bonding I was supposed to pay attention to, but I all I really cared about was seeing the cat get fed and Audio find a home, even if Kate is going to have to eat buckets of KFC to get through the ordeal.

Anyway: Spay and neuter your pets and support your local animal shelter. 

Ep: That'll be the Day

Re-Title: My Daddy Got Burned up by a Crock Pot. What’s Your Excuse?

Oh good lord.

First of all – I’m told (wife again) that  CrockPot issued a statement that said their product would not cause fires. Why? Because apparently the hysterical feeling masses started shit on social media about Save Jack, Ban a Crock Pot! Folks. Even I know this is NOT crock pot’s fault. It’s Rebecca’s. She forgot the damn batteries for the smoke detectors at the mall. They SHOWED the ominous dangling cord from the detector – weren’t you paying attention?  Plus, if she hadn’t been so nice and so enthusiastic about accepting some random and faulty kitchen junk as a gift – Jack (and more importantly, perhaps the dog)would be alive. She could have said, “oh, hellz, no, I’m not falling for that ‘wonky switch’ ploy. There’s a microphone in there, right? For spying? Yeah, get off my Wayward Pines porch, you sad old buzzard!”

Anyway. They go to the mall! Yay mall! Cue Robin Sparkles from How I met Your Mother: “Let’s go to the mall!” Apparently, Rebecca is such an evil Holly Hobbie twin that she asks St. Jack to remind her to buy batteries (at the cute little kiosk by Bright World Candle). The hell? Rebecca, goddamn it, you haven’t heard of a piece of paper? St. Jack has to get ready to impress his boss at his terrible job that he hates so you can sit around and NOT SING. Got it? Jeez.

Oh, wait….Jack’s gonna start his career! He’s gonna do it! Oh my god, the irony! The feelz! He’s been suffering so long…oh, my god, I need to go the mall myself and get some Kleenex! I’m out!

Yay, I was really missing the epic love story of Sophie and Kevin. And Kate appeared to try on a size 7 that fit and a size 5 that didn’t and that pissed her off? She’s all twisted because she wears a size 7? First world problems really do a number on people, I guess. Randall rigged a Magic 8 ball and now I understand why he’s so screwed up about his juice. He clearly spilled that blue-tinted Soylent green liquid all over the place and has never been the same since.

Will it be revealed that Kate failed to clean up the last of the dog’s piddle on the kitchen floor and that’s what really caused the fire to rage out of control?

Mostly, what I’m wondering is whether the next episode will be a reboot of the blind school torching episode from Little House on the Prairie. You know the one – where Alice picks up Mary’s baby and rams it through the window and they both die anyway because Alice sucks? So, does Rebecca use Kate to smash a window while Jack gets up and dances around saying, ‘don’t be such a pessimist! This is great! Get the marshmallows and hotdogs, kids! Look! Pilgrim Rick came early!”

Meanwhile, lesson of the day, kids. Save energy and save lives and unplug your appliances when not in use. Especially if your wife is a demon who “forgets” batteries.

[laurakaye]

Oh, @potatoradio, your snark has been missed!  Excellent recaps.  You provided many subtle moments that I missed because I was busy trying to level up on Candy Crush during these episodes.

You'd better get ready, though, because every last one of the cast and crew of this show, including the craft-services staff and the guy who sweeps the soundstage parking lot have all stated that this next episode is going to "punch us in our souls" and "pulverize our sinuses" and also "reduce us to a quivering blob of mucus."  Sounds like fun!

[Gurkel]

On 1/28/2018 at 4:15 PM, Wings said:

Sterling said much worse. I think on extra they showed a clip of an interview with several of them.  He said something to the effect that America love this show because it is bigger than themselves.  I don't have time to search for it more than I have today but I will find it.  The ego on these actors is out of control.   Justin said something ridiculous as well. 

I love this show but must stay away from press. The actors Are going to make me hate it. Especially Sterling, my favorite on the show. 

 

On 1/28/2018 at 2:27 PM, CleoCaesar said:

There aren't enough eyerolls in the world for both these things. Why is being a fragile, hysterical ninny something people are so proud of?

An absolute soul-crushing event is your child dying in front of you. Not an episode of a cheesy, low-quality nighttime soap opera. I get that hyperbole is a thing, but Jesus, these actors really have their heads up their own asses.

So much this. 

[ShadowFacts]

19 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Here's his tweet after last ep.

Sterling K Brown‏Verified account @SterlingKBrown Jan 23

Genuinely asking. Are you okay??? #ThisIsUs

It would be so much better for these people to remain silent.  This makes me not like them.  And P.S. Sterling, we are not okay, we all have to re-evaluate our small appliance use. 

Edited January 31, 2018 by ShadowFacts

[Katy M]

They're only doing their jobs.  They're told to hype it up. Although, if it weren't for this board, I would have no idea any of this was going on.  So, it's not hard to avoid if it's annoying.