Unpopular Opinions Thread

[chaifan]

Many years ago I had a job with an occasional task of writing client press releases.  When we were doing these things, a co-worker and I would wait 'til the other left their desk, go on the computer, and "edit" the press release to contain a bunch of drippy snarky stuff for the other to find when we started back on it.  (How we always managed to catch these edits before sending something out is beyond me.) 

That's what I think happened to the episode description of "The Car".  It probably had some normal, serious episode title and description, but some intern went it and changed it for fun, creating the stupidest title and description they could think of.  But, everyone involved in this show being so self absorbed thinking it's the Greatest Thing Ever, never noticed the snark and it stayed.  After all, why shouldn't The Car have it's own special Pearson moment?  ;) 

[Driad]

Just now, chaifan said:

After all, why shouldn't The Car have it's own special Pearson moment?  ;) 

Just wait for the spinoff -- "My Father the Car"!  (Call it Saint Jack for short.)

[potatoradio]

On 2/8/2018 at 11:58 PM, CelticBlackCat said:

@potatoradio:  You are seriously demented, and in a good way. 

Finally, somebody gets me. Where were you when I tried using "demented in a good way" on eHarmony? 

On 2/8/2018 at 5:33 PM, laurakaye said:

And this is exactly what I mean when I say this show is a social experiment.  I can't remember ever getting the actual stink-eye because I don't like a certain show.  It's a bit unnerving.

Agreed. I can't recall any other teevee show hyping itself as the weekly emotional trigger/tearjerk release of a lifetime. I'm curious to see how far they can get on hype and promotion without, say, actually writing a quality show with nuanced storylines and complex characters. If your coworkers are any indication, we could be here a while. 

About the car.

Jack Sees Things (except impending infernos and bottles of shampoo)

I watched this and decided I needed to stop at my credit union and get some money, Jack Pearson style. I loaded up the family in my old car. Here's how it went: 

Teller: You can’t withdraw $1M dollars. You have $0.49 in your account

Me: Let’s talk. You see those cats out in your lobby, shredding your promotional brochures? You see that pet python twining around that fake ficus on the corner and the turtle eating your salad? You see that woman blithely smiling and watching all the ruckus because it’s oh fer cute? That’s my wife. Those are my animal children. And I need them to be OK. I see them being OK. With a million dollars. My name is potatoradio and thus, I have spoken.

Teller: (sobbing and throwing money at me) I always wanted a pet python, but I’m a lowly clerk with a string of Saturday nights eating takeout and watching reruns of Family Matters. My life is complete just seeing your family destroy the place. How would you like your bills?

Nope, didn’t happen like that. Maybe it’s because, unlike Milo and his Goopy Hair, I don’t talk like a D-list Rocky Balboa impersonator to show I’m one with the working class. Yo, KatieGurrrl!

Anyway, Jack gets a new car because car salesmen have never, ever heard a sob story about making the little woman and those precious kids happy. Those precious kids who pile into the showroom car screaming like they’re being stalked by a syphilis-stricken circus clown? Oh, yeah, they deserve nothing but a new car. So, I’m just going to say that Mel totally swindled Jack by taking the sticker price down fifty bucks and then slapping on a 14% interest charge and Jack struts out of there thinking he’s the man and it’s a good thing he dies before Rebecca realizes the financial ruin he has wrought. Don’t disappoint me, Mel. And please, God, don’t show up at the funeral later unless it’s to repossess the car, OK?

And god knows, the family needs to be safe driving over a bridge to see Weird Al in concert because somehow all three kids have The Gene for terrible taste in music . Oh well. Hot Dad’s got the cure for Rebecca’s nerves – everyone sing Weird Al! Because, well, maybe it’s better if Rebecca just opened the door and jumped off the damn bridge. I bet Tess would have. I surely would. Meanwhile, I have to Google “Lasagne” because I can’t remember that parody and nothing pierces my feels like worrying that I can’t remember things. It’s a real parody, so why can’t any of these people sing it so that I recognize it as “La Bamba?” I thought Kate was a singer? I thought they were into this shit? Oh, but hey! The traffic breaks up. OK, I guess the Pearsons are useful for showing up and magically parting traffic.

(black and white, “before” infomercial lighting):

Are you feeling scared out of your mind about a possible cancer diagnosis? Don’t want to remain in a waiting room or risk inefficient technologies like pagers? Now, you don’t have to! Not if you’re Rebecca Pearson and married to St. Greasefire!

(bright, full color, “after” infomercial lighting):

Introducing…the random tree! Sure, it looks like an ordinary hickory on the outside, but because St. Jack has parked his new car there and proclaimed that Rebecca will be OK, this tree knows shit now. Don’t lose your chance to buy a ticket to the next pilgrimage to Random Tree. Order now and we’ll include a cutting room floor scene, never seen before, of St. Jack sitting down with the doctor and saying, “Let’s talk. I see that lab result being negative. I see it, because my wife needs to be OK.” Doctor: “Well, crap, I guess I didn’t need to go to med school to learn to diagnose and heal. Why didn’t you say something, you ass, before we ran this expensive test? Oh well, your bankruptcy, Rocky.”

Time for Randall’s driving lesson. Fight with Kevin because Kevin says Randall is a dork (Kevin did not inherit the Gene that would enable him to see Hot Dad in the future. As usual, it sucks to be Kevin). Brake slam. Ruh-roh. Jack.Is.Pissed. He sees Vietnam or something. Oh, snap, Jack, this is the first time I’ve liked you! Get out and walk the five blocks home, you ungrateful cretins! Yeah! Meanwhile, Jack has to apparently open the hood of the car and start wiping random things down. Engines get very dirty when you slam on brakes. Anyway, Kevin and Randall look nervous and they should be. Now Jack’s a-gonna mansplain a few things about brotherhood and ‘Nam. Jack’s gonna tell it like it is, that he had a no-good dad and a mom who…died? Went into witness protection? Well, whatever, she sucked,too. Kevin and Randall send silent prayers to be smote by lightning to get out of this sermon on the oil spill.

Kate is skipping school. How Jack knows this, I don’t know, because I think Rebecca would get the call and Jack is supposed to be at work, but he apparently prefers to drive his new car around drinking coffee all the damn time. Anyway, they get to talking about music and Kate says that Alanis (I always thought it was pronounced “Al-lah-niss” but what do I know, I was a retro ABBA freak before it was cool) is a good singer because her music…well, it’s like it tells a story. HOLY SHIT, CALL ROLLING STONE RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!! Do they know this about music? If it’s a story you want, Kate, I highly recommend Roxette, which seems more your speed.:

Fire in the ice
Naked to the t-bone
Is a lover's disguise
Banging on the head drum
Shaking like a mad bull
She's got the look

Now that’s a story. Anyway, Jack mansplains what music really is by popping in a Springsteen tape and activates a huge pet peeve of mine. Nothing like telling someone about a song, or teevee show or movie that you like only to have them say, “oh, but if you want to listen/watch something REALLY good? Try this…” Guaranteed way to make me hate whatever you foist on me. Hey! The show gave me a feelzies, But anyway, Springsteen is always the exception because, unlike Jack, he truly does get the working class and also washes his hair.

Funeral. Kevin is mad because nobody cares about Kevin and he doesn’t get the watch. Kate is a hateful little troll who now wants to make an innocent dog go through a re-homing because she can’t deal with irony in real life. Fucking poser. Oh, here comes kindly old white man doctor. Come here, Rebecca. I’ll mansplain that lemonade cliché again. Rebecca says, “I know that story already. Make lemonade. Blah blah.” I am half hoping that he’ll say, “yeah, I know, these writers are lazy as shit, aren’t they?” Or maybe he’ll say something about teaching her kids to make lemonade and say, keep the damn dog and shut the hell up about material possessions. Nope. Sweet lemonade. That’s the ticket. Just add more sugar. Diabetes and cavities are worth it. Thanks for nothing, old man. Now go away.

Anyway, the funeral must really suck because Rebecca pulls out the kids before half the people have left. They go to the Random Tree instead. Jack’s ashes immediately kill the tree and a rabid squirrel drops onto Kate’s head and bites off her scalp….sigh. No, they pile in The Car and Rebecca drives across the bridge all by herself (you’re a big girl now!) and nobody even has to sing to her. Again, I’d recommend Roxette. “Must have been love…but it’s oooveerr now.” It’s also pitch black, which makes me wonder if the Boss is putting on a special midnight concert because Pearsons.

Stay tuned. Next week, Random Tree Tells All, perhaps? 

Oh, noooooooo!!!! It's Jack in Vietnam. His story is "only beginning." Why God, why? So, you've watched the Ken Burns special and seen Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July and Full Metal Jacket and read The Things They Carried and Vietnamerica and visited the Vietnam Memorial and think you've been moved? Oh, hellz, no, Milo wants an Emmy, too! It's Jack in Vietnam, bitches! His brother's gonna DIE. And, after, if you go online, you can watch Milo and the cast react as the Vietnam Memorial has a very special name added to it: Brother Pearson. Milo will rub his hair grease into his face to erase the tear tracks and maximize his Emmy chances and there will be a march in D.C. to protest the Vietnam war all over again because it's giving a Pearson the sadz.

This is so not gonna be OK. 

Bring it on, show. Your non-complaint lab rat awaits. 

[laurakaye]

I cannot seem to get through The Car episode.  I've started and stopped it three times - I am finding it at turns boring, smug, and eye-rolling.  I understand there's a Saint Jack Soliloquy at the end.  I might not ever make it that far.

I find Jack and Rebecca to be rude and condescending.  The car salesman starts chatting them up, as salesmen are prone to do to potential customers.  But no!  This is Jack and Rebecca Pearson here in your dealership!  Rebecca has no need of any shiny salesman-type patter, because she is going to lay it right on the line and tell him to save his breath, they aren't in the market for anything fancy because they have three kids.  And Jack follows suit, pointing to the three kids jumping in and out of display models and letting the salesman know that yes, all three are his kids so there will be no sales-type shenanigans for the Pearsons, thank you very much.  I mean, I wonder if this poor salesman had ever waited on a customer with children before?  Sheesh.

And all of a sudden, Rebecca can't drive over a certain bridge?  I feel like this show pulls random information out of thin air and attempts to weave it into something oh-so-meaningful and deep.  Same with Kate's "singing career," Rebecca's singing career, Jack's attempted robbery, etc.  It's like someone at the writer's table has an idea and there's no backstory, no hints, no setup - just drop it and go.  

This show seems so disjointed - like a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and each episode focuses on a completely different section of the puzzle, ignoring how it fits with the big picture.

EDIT: off to read @potatoradio's latest missive because I know it's gonna be good.

Edited February 12, 2018 by laurakaye

[BlancheDevoreaux]

I don't know if this is unpopular or not.  I have said before that I haven't cried at all this season and I really feel it is because the show is trying way too hard to make us cry and I feel it shows.  That said, if they ever have an episode about the death of Dr. K, I have no doubt I will likely cry.  I love Gerald McRaney and he was the entire reason that I started watching this show. I can see that being the one episode that gets me.

[kieyra]

On 3/15/2017 at 9:55 PM, kieyra said:

I've been saying for a while now that the show felt like they were making stuff up as they went, even on a week to week basis, and that was why they kept everything so vague. 

They basically redid the "Lost" model as a nighttime soap, with Jack's death as the big suspense-builder, and now they have to retroactively figure out what the smoke monster was. 

(Maybe Jack was killed by a polar bear ...)

Quoting myself to make a dumb joke about how he was actually killed by the smoke monster.

Well played, show.

[debraran]

6 hours ago, potatoradio said:

Introducing…the random tree! Sure, it looks like an ordinary hickory on the outside, but because St. Jack has parked his new car there and proclaimed that Rebecca will be OK, this tree knows shit now. Don’t lose your chance to buy a ticket to the next pilgrimage to Random Tree. Order now and we’ll include a cutting room floor scene, never seen before, of St. Jack sitting down with the doctor and saying, “Let’s talk. I see that lab result being negative. I see it, because my wife needs to be OK.” Doctor: “Well, crap, I guess I didn’t need to go to med school to learn to diagnose and heal. Why didn’t you say something, you ass, before we ran this expensive test? Oh well, your bankruptcy, Rocky.”h, here comes kindly old white man doctor. Come here, Rebecca. I’ll mansplain that lemonade cliché again. Rebecca says, “I know that story already. Make lemonade. Blah blah.” I am half hoping that he’ll say, “yeah, I know, these writers are lazy as shit, aren’t they?” Or maybe he’ll say something about teaching her kids to make lemonade and say, keep the damn dog and shut the hell up about material possessions. Nope. Sweet lemonade. That’s the ticket. Just add more sugar. Diabetes and cavities are worth it. Thanks for nothing, old man. Now go away.

Anyway, the funeral must really suck because Rebecca pulls out the kids before half the people have left. They go to the Random Tree instead. Jack’s ashes immediately kill the tree and a rabid squirrel drops onto Kate’s head and bites off her scalp….sigh. No, they pile in The Car and Rebecca drives across the bridge all by herself (you’re a big girl now!) and nobody even has to sing to her. Again, I’d recommend Roxette. “Must have been love…but it’s oooveerr now.” It’s also pitch black, which makes me wonder if the Boss is putting on a special midnight concert because Pearsons.

Stay tuned. Next week, Random Tree Tells All, perhaps? 

Oh, noooooooo!!!! It's Jack in Vietnam. His story is "only beginning." Why God, why? So, you've watched the Ken Burns special and seen Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July and Full Metal Jacket and read The Things They Carried and Vietnamerica and visited the Vietnam Memorial and think you've been moved? Oh, hellz, no, Milo wants an Emmy, too! It's Jack in Vietnam, bitches! His brother's gonna DIE. And, after, if you go online, you can watch Milo and the cast react as the Vietnam Memorial has a very special name added to it: Brother Pearson. Milo will rub his hair grease into his face to erase the tear tracks and maximize his Emmy chances and there will be a march in D.C. to protest the Vietnam war all over again because it's giving a Pearson the sadz.

This is so not gonna be OK. 

Bring it on, show. Your non-complaint lab rat awaits. 

lol, this gave me a laugh tonight, well needed. I had to try to explain to my husband, the show was better, he caught a bad one with the car (the salesman speech about did him in) and he said to me when they all left the service, "Did she just leave everyone without an explanation?" Yes, she did. They are visiting the tree and going to see Springsteen. Tickets popped up in car...they must have been much cheaper then.  lol

I was waiting for Dr K to say, he knows how she feels, he never thought he'd be where he is now, but time and patience and I guess lemonade will help.

I hope if they do Vietnam, they make it realistic and don't make Nicky MIA.

I do hope they mention what happened to Jack's depressed mother and Rebecca's unnamed sister. Did she have a father or did he die?

Edited February 13, 2018 by debraran

[MaryPatShelby]

On 2/12/2018 at 1:04 PM, BlancheDevoreaux said:

  I love Gerald McRaney and he was the entire reason that I started watching this show. I can see that being the one episode that gets me.

I hate Gerald McRaney (I can't even explain it; it's totally unreasonable), so every time there's been a preview with him I am "ugh". 

[ShadowFacts]

12 hours ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I hate Gerald McRaney (I can't even explain it; it's totally unreasonable), so every time there's been a preview with him I am "ugh". 

I have not liked him in anything he's been in before, until now.  He must remind me of somebody on a subconscious level  They give him some sappy lines at times, but for some reason I don't mind the character and I think he's doing a nice job with it. 

[Katy M]

Way back when, Simon & Simon was my favorite show.  So add me for Gerald McRaney love, not hate.  I also liked Major Dad.  I didn't like in Castle, though.

[albinerhawk]

I can't help wondering if I'm done with this show that I used to love. When the pilot was first on, I turned it off right about the time they were talking about it being a difficult pregnancy. I was seven months pregnant and didn't want to see a show about a pregnancy gone wrong. Two weeks later I braved it, and ironically didn't cry when Dr. K told Jack about Kyle. I bawled like a baby at the sight of the ayatollah because that was the moment I realized they were all connected. That's what I liked about this show. I felt like it was a family overcoming adversity, making something resembling lemonade from lemons. 

When we had the series of three shows that each focused on one character, I was depressed after Kevin's segment. Despite the loss of the baby, I enjoyed the end of Kate's for its seemingly hopeful ending. Now having reflected a bit from watching The Car, I'm starting to realize the show's tone has shifted from last season's. Last season was more like making lemonade and Kate's episode. This season is more like Kevin's episode. We're watching two (possibly three) adults so damaged by the death of their father that they are still reeling from it twenty years later. I didn't get that vibe from the first season, but I'm getting it now. That's not the show I signed up for.

[debraran]

9 hours ago, albinerhawk said:

I can't help wondering if I'm done with this show that I used to love. When the pilot was first on, I turned it off right about the time they were talking about it being a difficult pregnancy. I was seven months pregnant and didn't want to see a show about a pregnancy gone wrong. Two weeks later I braved it, and ironically didn't cry when Dr. K told Jack about Kyle. I bawled like a baby at the sight of the ayatollah because that was the moment I realized they were all connected. That's what I liked about this show. I felt like it was a family overcoming adversity, making something resembling lemonade from lemons. 

When we had the series of three shows that each focused on one character, I was depressed after Kevin's segment. Despite the loss of the baby, I enjoyed the end of Kate's for its seemingly hopeful ending. Now having reflected a bit from watching The Car, I'm starting to realize the show's tone has shifted from last season's. Last season was more like making lemonade and Kate's episode. This season is more like Kevin's episode. We're watching two (possibly three) adults so damaged by the death of their father that they are still reeling from it twenty years later. I didn't get that vibe from the first season, but I'm getting it now. That's not the show I signed up for.

You are not alone, I think a lot of people say that. The first season is hard to repeat, everything is fresh, new, you are getting to know them all but it became something different. They listened to the fans but not the right way it seems to me. They realized they loved Jack but they made his death, a drama, a huge drama. They loved toying with the fans, giving hints, many interviews, changing some plot plans etc.  I am hoping like so many others, that it gets back the magic now. I cried when William died, it was expected but done beautifully with Randall and was fresh. Jack's not a tear, I felt manipulated and just waited as Rebecca left the hospital room for it.  I know others felt differently, but I felt more with the funeral. 

When Milo gave a long interview and mentioned how much they went back and edited, when the hype hit, cutting out dialogue from Kate's therapy (giving us the impression she was still stuck)  giving more hints at the home, cutting out dialogue from his Dad's death with Rebecca (lets not mention his brother) and changing a more honest portrayal of smoke inhalation to have the fans have a few more minutes of "will he die now?" I was sighing.

I do have hope and good feelings about it getting better now, never the first year but much better.  The talent is there, Jack's officially dead, let the magic come back.

[methodwriter85]

On 2/20/2018 at 7:48 PM, albinerhawk said:

This season is more like Kevin's episode. We're watching two (possibly three) adults so damaged by the death of their father that they are still reeling from it twenty years later. I didn't get that vibe from the first season, but I'm getting it now. That's not the show I signed up for.

Kevin spoke pretty eloquently about his father's death and how he made his own splash on the painting that is life early in the series. Kevin seemed to be okay-ish then, not the mess he is now.

[seniorpatriot]

Well, I am a newbie to this show. Just starting watching it On Demand a few days ago, so I am catching up with a lot of it from this thread. I have seen I think the first 4 episodes. This may get very old for me, but what I am liking about the show right now is not any of the characters or any of the story lines. It is how we get these flashbacks into the past. but I am a big fan of history so that may be why :)

So whatever happened to Randall's BIO mom? Did she die in childbirth or something? Or did she abandon him?  I kept thinking unless I find out she died, I bet the next great move will be to bring her on the show, and this time it won't be the sweet little old man that Randalls' BIO dad was. 

[blondiec0332]

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 7:48 PM, albinerhawk said:

I can't help wondering if I'm done with this show that I used to love. When the pilot was first on, I turned it off right about the time they were talking about it being a difficult pregnancy. I was seven months pregnant and didn't want to see a show about a pregnancy gone wrong. Two weeks later I braved it, and ironically didn't cry when Dr. K told Jack about Kyle. I bawled like a baby at the sight of the ayatollah because that was the moment I realized they were all connected. That's what I liked about this show. I felt like it was a family overcoming adversity, making something resembling lemonade from lemons. 

When we had the series of three shows that each focused on one character, I was depressed after Kevin's segment. Despite the loss of the baby, I enjoyed the end of Kate's for its seemingly hopeful ending. Now having reflected a bit from watching The Car, I'm starting to realize the show's tone has shifted from last season's. Last season was more like making lemonade and Kate's episode. This season is more like Kevin's episode. We're watching two (possibly three) adults so damaged by the death of their father that they are still reeling from it twenty years later. I didn't get that vibe from the first season, but I'm getting it now. That's not the show I signed up for.

I had the benefit of binge watching from the first episode to the Super Bowl episode so I saw all episodes in a short period of time.  There was definitely a shift from the first season to the second season.  The Big Three each had issues but it didn't seem like they were directly related to their father's death.  I don't know if the writers had a game plan from the beginning or are just writing it as they go along.

[Pallas]

49 minutes ago, blondiec0332 said:

I don't know if the writers had a game plan from the beginning or are just writing it as they go along.

Creator Dan Fogelman has said many times that they pitched and developed the show with a three-year plan. Jack's death has come at its midpoint: AKA, the night that the Pearson family collectively hit bottom. Though for most, the worst signs of that waited another 20 years.

I'd expect the second half of the three-year arc to deal with each family member's recovery, woven around another family disaster. And this time, the family members find a way to support each other so that they prevail or at least survive.

Sorry, Miguel. I always liked you, even at the golf club. 

[kassandra8286]

On 2/23/2018 at 7:31 AM, seniorpatriot said:

So whatever happened to Randall's BIO mom? Did she die in childbirth or something?

According to William, she died giving birth to Randall. She's only been shown in a couple of flashbacks, she's never spoken onscreen. In "Kyle" William tells Rebecca how they met (on the bus). In "Memphis", it's shown in some hazy flashbacks that she introduced William to drugs and the assumption is that she was still using during her pregnancy and died as a result of her drug use, but William never stated that outright. Just that "she died". That's really all we know about her.

[seniorpatriot]

Ok wow. Just watched on demand ---the show where Kevin ruined his big opening night of his play (that he had financed) by going to Randall's aid, Though that was way of character for Kevin.

[LakeLover]

If we never saw Jack again, I'd be cool with it. He looks like he needs a shower and shampoo. And I'm not a fan of his speech pattern - half the time, it sounds like he's slurring his words, and he can't be drunk all the time.

[debraran]

Just now, LakeLover said:

If we never saw Jack again, I'd be cool with it. He looks like he needs a shower and shampoo. And I'm not a fan of his speech pattern - half the time, it sounds like he's slurring his words, and he can't be drunk all the time.

That has always been my secret pet peeve, so many like it, but I really don't like it when it's really greasy.

[chocolatine]

19 minutes ago, LakeLover said:

If we never saw Jack again, I'd be cool with it. He looks like he needs a shower and shampoo. And I'm not a fan of his speech pattern - half the time, it sounds like he's slurring his words, and he can't be drunk all the time.

His speech used to annoy me when I thought he was doing it on purpose, but last year I read that he has nerve damage on one side of his face, so the slurring is involuntary.

I agree about the greasy hair though. No excuses for that. 

[LakeLover]

6 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

His speech used to annoy me when I thought he was doing it on purpose, but last year I read that he has nerve damage on one side of his face, so the slurring is involuntary.

I agree about the greasy hair though. No excuses for that. 

Well, then I'm being unkind about his speech. Sorry about that!

[ShadowFacts]

8 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I feel like he frequently plays it way up, and those times I do find it annoying.   

I just watched some old Gilmore Girls episodes, and it was not noticeable.  Either it has gotten worse as he has aged, or he was working hard to not have it be known back then.  I seem to remember an interview with him where he didn't realize it had this until he was a teen, then became very conscious of it and would practice speaking in the mirror.  That would suggest he has some control over it, but it may be harder when he is tired, say from long work days, or just some days are worse than others. 

[TwoGrayTabbies]

My unpopular opinion is that bachelor and bachelorette parties in Vegas (unless you’re Vegas resident) are a wasteful extravagance.  (I’m super-introverted, I hate noisy crowds, I think throwing money away is a stupid form of recreation, and conspicuous consumption irritates me.)

[chocolatine]

17 minutes ago, TwoGrayTabbies said:

My unpopular opinion is that bachelor and bachelorette parties in Vegas (unless you’re Vegas resident) are a wasteful extravagance.  (I’m super-introverted, I hate noisy crowds, I think throwing money away is a stupid form of recreation, and conspicuous consumption irritates me.)

Agree 100%. And didn't Toby say he spent $3-4k on flights and hotel rooms for his "filler" friends? That's so frivolous, I couldn't imagine dropping that kind of money on something I don't really enjoy. Not to mention that Toby and Kate appear to be living on one income and they want a big (i.e. expensive) wedding.

[ShadowFacts]

30 minutes ago, TwoGrayTabbies said:

My unpopular opinion is that bachelor and bachelorette parties in Vegas (unless you’re Vegas resident) are a wasteful extravagance.  (I’m super-introverted, I hate noisy crowds, I think throwing money away is a stupid form of recreation, and conspicuous consumption irritates me.)

Didn't Beth say to Randall that he loves Vegas?  I didn't buy that.  Randall's character is set up to be unimpressed with Vegas, in my opinion , unless it was meant to suggest that he really did Rain Man-style mathematical stuff to win money there, which I also don't buy. 

[Pallas]

3 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Randall's character is set up to be unimpressed with Vegas, in my opinion , unless it was meant to suggest that he really did Rain Man-style mathematical stuff to win money there, which I also don't buy. 

Randall did apparently make a fortune analyzing weather futures, so I suppose that could indicate at least a far-greater-than-average knack for counting cards. And he does have a risk-taking streak, in conflict with his role as Perfect Son/Student/Professional. But Rain Man-style savant would be a bridge too far for me, as well.   

[methodwriter85]

On 2/27/2018 at 9:44 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

I felt like the times he played it up on TIU weren't just random, they were more when he was playing younger Jack, like in the 70s.  Like he was more rough around the edges or more of a blue collar punk.  Oh, and when he was playing drunk, of course.  Not that controversial an acting choice, I guess, but he came across kind of as doing a Rocky impression in some scenes, to me.   I guess that could've been his aim, given that we're told Jack was a big Rocky fan.  It just felt a little cheesy to me.  

Well, Jack is Rocky's son, after all. :-)

I do think he plays it up when either Jack is young, or he's drunk.

[Lady Calypso]

I have a UO, I think: I like Deja, I do, but I couldn't care less about next week's episode and her storyline coming up. I think they should have just left it with Deja leaving with her mother. Personally, I'm sick and tired of the people surrounding Randall getting their own centric storylines when we have enough characters to deal with. Why do we need countless William flashbacks and now more scenes with Deja when we should be diving into Beth's background? Or Toby's? Or Sophie's? And don't get me started on Miguel's backstory. Why do we need to know more about sad little Deja when we really need more Tess and Annie? I understanding learning a little about Deja's life, but I certainly don't think she needed to be brought back at all. I'd rather know more about Beth's family than Deja and her foster life. I'd love to know more about Kevin and Sophie's marriage after high school. I'd love to see Toby's siblings. 

Because, at this rate, they're probably going to bring back Randall's bio mom and we'll see flashbacks of her as a young adult before we see anything about Miguel and Rebecca in the years after they reconnected. 

[Katy M]

8 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Personally, I'm sick and tired of the people surrounding Randall getting their own centric storylines when we have enough characters to deal with.

They should change the title to "This is Randall...and some other people."

 

And, I'm saying it again.  I like Toby.

[chocolatine]

5 minutes ago, Katy M said:

And, I'm saying it again.  I like Toby.

I must be evil, because when Toby said his own brother never liked him, I thought "there's a character I'd like to know more about." Not that it's OK to completely freeze out a sibling, but I've always thought Toby was too much, especially in S1, so I wonder whether the brother is just a low-key person who gets tired of the constant bad jokes and over-the-top-ness and not someone who feels he's too cool to spend time with Toby.

[ShadowFacts]

17 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Because, at this rate, they're probably going to bring back Randall's bio mom and we'll see flashbacks of her as a young adult before we see anything about Miguel and Rebecca in the years after they reconnected. 

I think they could do both of these things and be fine depending on how they handle it.  Neither would have to be heavily featured long-term, but could fit in episodes where related things are going on in the present.  I think they could reasonably tie in Randall's bio-mom flashbacks to Deja and her mother, and it would feel organic to me.  Again, depending on how they handle it.  If Kate and Toby have problems with his family, they can mix in the Pearsons' reactions to Miguel marrying their mom. 

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, ShadowFacts said:

I think they could do both of these things and be fine depending on how they handle it.  Neither would have to be heavily featured long-term, but could fit in episodes where related things are going on in the present.  I think they could reasonably tie in Randall's bio-mom flashbacks to Deja and her mother, and it would feel organic to me.  Again, depending on how they handle it.  If Kate and Toby have problems with his family, they can mix in the Pearsons' reactions to Miguel marrying their mom. 

My fear is more like they'll have Randall's mother end up being alive. I guess I just feel like we've seen a lot of Randall's issues surrounding his biological life that, while it's important, we also have so many other characters to look into that taking a break from Randall would be nice. I assume the show will get renewed for a fourth and fifth season, as it's doing very well and why stop at season three, so I really need season three to focus on other characters. And honestly, if we need to focus on Randall's family, I'd rather know more about Beth and her history, or about Tess and Annie before more on Randall's biological family. Like Beth said, Randall is just exhausting. 

8 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I must be evil, because when Toby said his own brother never liked him, I thought "there's a character I'd like to know more about." Not that it's OK to completely freeze out a sibling, but I've always thought Toby was too much, especially in S1, so I wonder whether the brother is just a low-key person who gets tired of the constant bad jokes and over-the-top-ness and not someone who feels he's too cool to spend time with Toby.

It sounds like it was because Toby was a little too clingy to his brother and even at six, his brother was realizing that they were different. It sounds like they're not close because they're completely different. Toby was a complete nerd, so maybe his younger brother just wasn't like that. Either way, I'd still like to know more about Toby's brother as well. 

[chocolatine]

26 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

It sounds like it was because Toby was a little too clingy to his brother and even at six, his brother was realizing that they were different. It sounds like they're not close because they're completely different. Toby was a complete nerd, so maybe his younger brother just wasn't like that. Either way, I'd still like to know more about Toby's brother as well. 

Yes, but that was Toby's version. I'd love to hear his brother's side of things.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

My fear is more like they'll have Randall's mother end up being alive. I guess I just feel like we've seen a lot of Randall's issues surrounding his biological life that, while it's important, we also have so many other characters to look into that taking a break from Randall would be nice. I assume the show will get renewed for a fourth and fifth season, as it's doing very well and why stop at season three, so I really need season three to focus on other characters. And honestly, if we need to focus on Randall's family, I'd rather know more about Beth and her history, or about Tess and Annie before more on Randall's biological family. Like Beth said, Randall is just exhausting. 

Please, no, don't do it, writers.  It would answer some questions about how abandoned baby Randall and a dead mother were not connected by the authorities, but it would be so wrong for this show to go there.  It would mean that William lied to Randall about something so very significant, and took the lie to his grave, which is not something I think he could do. 

I think Randall and his family are a natural focal point, and Sterling K. Brown is probably the best and the most award-winning of the actors as well.  The little kids probably will never be heavily featured in plots because their acting time is limited for one thing.  Beth's family would be interesting, maybe a sister as we know her father is dead and her mother might not be well. 

[blondiec0332]

14 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

My fear is more like they'll have Randall's mother end up being alive.

On a lot of other shows Randall's mother would end up being Deja's mother's mother.

 

15 hours ago, Katy M said:

They should change the title to "This is Randall...and some other people."

I feel that way too.  And honestly the more they feature him the less I like him.

[Wings]

14 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Toby's so outgoing and social I have trouble picturing him as the 'playing D&D alone' type.  That seems like an introvert thing.  So does the nerd moniker.  I could picture a brother who's introverted and that's why he has trouble with Toby.  I think Toby'd exhaust me, and not with D&D.  

What is D&D?

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, Wings said:

What is D&D?

Dungeons and DRagons.  A role playing dice game.

[Wings]

3 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Dungeons and DRagons.  A role playing dice game.

Thanks. I am familiar but never would have gone there.  The Last 2 episodes are still on my DVR so I have no idea how this ties in. 

[laurakaye]

15 hours ago, Katy M said:

They should change the title to "This is Randall...and some other people."

+++++++++++++++1.

Unpopular opinion rant time...thank goodness for this thread.

Just watched "Vegas, Baby."  And my question is - are we actually supposed to like any of the Pearson kids?  Since this show is centered around the Big Three (and their parents), shouldn't the characters have some qualities that make us root for them?  Because I can't do it.  Like, at all.

First off, I am SO OVER the propensity of the B3 to bail on other people's important events because they simply cannot let their own personal issues go unresolved even for one evening.  Randall leaving because he was obsessed with Deja and then Kevin wandering off because he saw someone he knew and then had the sadz because he thought Ron Howard didn't love him anymore?  I laughed.  Because this is what these characters do.  Kevin and Randall both come across as incredibly insufferable and self-absorbed, and I can't stand either one of them.  When they came groveling back to Toby after Kate explained to Randall that Toby actually does not have any real friends (sad...and also, why?), I wanted Toby to shut the door in their faces.  Instead, he scampers after them like a happy little puppy and then suddenly imparts his deep wisdom onto both of them.  There, everything is nice and fixed and wrapped up with a bow.  Come ON.  

Also, how did Randall know exactly where to find Beth after he bailed on Toby?  Once again, the Quirky Love Couple end up not only ruining Kate's party, but having a full-on yelling argument while standing in the FRONT ROW of a show.  Who does this?  Why should I like any of them?  They clearly only care about themselves, and if their problems come up in a less-than-convenient circumstance, well - circumstances be damned, because their problems are paramount and must be solved RIGHT NOW.

And then there was Kevin's monologue to the poor woman who only wanted to drop off his stupid towels and move along.  This is another recurring theme with the Pearson family.  They all have this sense of extreme importance, such that they simply must monopolize the time of complete strangers and force them to listen to the woes of their lives.  Because the Pearsons are special!  Special, I tell you!  So no, you may not continue on your way until you stand there and listen to my amazing story!  Sheesh.

I am under the impression that we are supposed to care about this family, but I don't know how we are supposed to do that.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Wings said:

Thanks. I am familiar but never would have gone there.  The Last 2 episodes are still on my DVR so I have no idea how this ties in. 

Toby has a monologue to the P boys about how he's dying to be their friends because he's never had many and even his own little brother wouldn't play with him because he was such a nerd, and he uses playing D&D alone at 16 as an example, if I recall right. 

Unless he meant parading through the mall in knight gear singing Hootie while miming Flashdance, I can't picture it.  

2 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

They all have this sense of extreme importance, such that they simply must monopolize the time of complete strangers and force them to listen to the woes of their lives.

Y'know, I compare this show to the self-importance on social media a lot but maybe that is part of it's success?  I feel like many normal people imagine themselves as stars of their own Facebook/Insta/Twitter, where the world must know that their iron broke right before their important PTA meeting.  

[laurakaye]

3 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Y'know, I compare this show to the self-importance on social media a lot but maybe that is part of it's success?  I feel like many normal people imagine themselves as stars of their own Facebook/Insta/Twitter, where the world must know that their iron broke right before their important PTA meeting.  

Interesting take...I am familiar with the person who must post every single event on social media because if it's not online and doesn't get "likes," perhaps it never really happened.  I unfollow those people because the minutiae of their lives are not nearly as interesting as they believe it to be.  And I do see that quality in Kevin, Randall, and Toby.  They are the Look-At-Me Facebook Person come to life on a hit tv show.  No wonder I can't stand them.

Now all I need is a rocking chair and an afghan over my legs while I yell at children to get off my lawn. :)

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

The Pearsons seem to be very aware that they’re main characters, what with the endless monologues and the sweeping statements like “everyone always thinks it’s Kevin and Kate”. Everyone? Who’s everyone? Your super speshul sibling relationships are of no interest to anyone outside your family, I assure you. 

That’s where I’m slowly starting to lose my patience with this show. Jack is the first man to be a father. Kate is the only person who’s ever had brothers. Rebecca is the only married woman on earth. Kevin is the only person anyone else has ever met. Randall alone knows grief. Geez, writers, how can us lowly folk empathize with the first family to ever feel emotion?

Edited March 2, 2018 by ZuluQueenOfDwarves

[chocolatine]

6 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Y'know, I compare this show to the self-importance on social media a lot but maybe that is part of it's success?  I feel like many normal people imagine themselves as stars of their own Facebook/Insta/Twitter, where the world must know that their iron broke right before their important PTA meeting.  

I was actually thinking the other day, if the Big Three were ten years younger, they would be unloading on their social media following instead of unsuspecting service personnel. And then complaining that social media ruins their lives.

[debraran]

8 hours ago, Wings said:

What is D&D?

I think it's Dungeons and Dragon's but I might be wrong

[ShadowFacts]

11 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I am under the impression that we are supposed to care about this family, but I don't know how we are supposed to do that.

Yes, it's getting increasingly hard to care about many of the characters, they are so full of themselves.  Maybe that's why I like Deja and Miguel. 

[CelticBlackCat]

5 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I was actually thinking the other day, if the Big Three were ten years younger, they would be unloading on their social media following instead of unsuspecting service personnel. And then complaining that social media ruins their lives.

If it weren't for social media, I don't think TIU would be as highly rated as it is.  SM has become the instruction manual on How To Watch This Show.  If people weren't told it was life altering and grief inducing, they wouldn't know that they were supposed to go to bed crying into their pillows, calling in sick the next morning with a note from Milo, and comparing ugly crying episodes with their co-workers at the water cooler.  It would just be a moving, thought provoking, entertaining show about a family.

[qtpye]

On 3/1/2018 at 6:00 PM, chocolatine said:

I must be evil, because when Toby said his own brother never liked him, I thought "there's a character I'd like to know more about." Not that it's OK to completely freeze out a sibling, but I've always thought Toby was too much, especially in S1, so I wonder whether the brother is just a low-key person who gets tired of the constant bad jokes and over-the-top-ness and not someone who feels he's too cool to spend time with Toby.

 

On 3/1/2018 at 6:12 PM, Lady Calypso said:

My fear is more like they'll have Randall's mother end up being alive. I guess I just feel like we've seen a lot of Randall's issues surrounding his biological life that, while it's important, we also have so many other characters to look into that taking a break from Randall would be nice. I assume the show will get renewed for a fourth and fifth season, as it's doing very well and why stop at season three, so I really need season three to focus on other characters. And honestly, if we need to focus on Randall's family, I'd rather know more about Beth and her history, or about Tess and Annie before more on Randall's biological family. Like Beth said, Randall is just exhausting. 

It sounds like it was because Toby was a little too clingy to his brother and even at six, his brother was realizing that they were different. It sounds like they're not close because they're completely different. Toby was a complete nerd, so maybe his younger brother just wasn't like that. Either way, I'd still like to know more about Toby's brother as well. 

 

On 3/1/2018 at 6:39 PM, chocolatine said:

Yes, but that was Toby's version. I'd love to hear his brother's side of things.

 

On 3/1/2018 at 7:11 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

Toby's so outgoing and social I have trouble picturing him as the 'playing D&D alone' type.  That seems like an introvert thing.  So does the nerd moniker.  I could picture a brother who's introverted and that's why he has trouble with Toby.  I think Toby'd exhaust me, and not with D&D.  

It is sort of funny picturing a 6 year old telling a 16 year old, "Tone it down bro, we want to conduct ourselves with quiet dignity," kinda funny...though it probably did not go down like that.

22 hours ago, laurakaye said:

+++++++++++++++1.

Unpopular opinion rant time...thank goodness for this thread.

Just watched "Vegas, Baby."  And my question is - are we actually supposed to like any of the Pearson kids?  Since this show is centered around the Big Three (and their parents), shouldn't the characters have some qualities that make us root for them?  Because I can't do it.  Like, at all.

First off, I am SO OVER the propensity of the B3 to bail on other people's important events because they simply cannot let their own personal issues go unresolved even for one evening.  Randall leaving because he was obsessed with Deja and then Kevin wandering off because he saw someone he knew and then had the sadz because he thought Ron Howard didn't love him anymore?  I laughed.  Because this is what these characters do.  Kevin and Randall both come across as incredibly insufferable and self-absorbed, and I can't stand either one of them.  When they came groveling back to Toby after Kate explained to Randall that Toby actually does not have any real friends (sad...and also, why?), I wanted Toby to shut the door in their faces.  Instead, he scampers after them like a happy little puppy and then suddenly imparts his deep wisdom onto both of them.  There, everything is nice and fixed and wrapped up with a bow.  Come ON.  

Also, how did Randall know exactly where to find Beth after he bailed on Toby?  Once again, the Quirky Love Couple end up not only ruining Kate's party, but having a full-on yelling argument while standing in the FRONT ROW of a show.  Who does this?  Why should I like any of them?  They clearly only care about themselves, and if their problems come up in a less-than-convenient circumstance, well - circumstances be damned, because their problems are paramount and must be solved RIGHT NOW.

And then there was Kevin's monologue to the poor woman who only wanted to drop off his stupid towels and move along.  This is another recurring theme with the Pearson family.  They all have this sense of extreme importance, such that they simply must monopolize the time of complete strangers and force them to listen to the woes of their lives.  Because the Pearsons are special!  Special, I tell you!  So no, you may not continue on your way until you stand there and listen to my amazing story!  Sheesh.

I am under the impression that we are supposed to care about this family, but I don't know how we are supposed to do that.

I blame the father, because of him, it has never occurred to these people that they are not amazingly fascinating.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

It is sort of funny picturing a 6 year old telling a 16 year old, "Tone it down bro, we want to conduct ourselves with quiet dignity," kinda funny...though it probably did not go down like that.

I actually find the whole thing kind of weird.  If you have kids that are twins or a year or two apart, a lot of time they will get along well.  But, sometimes they will fight like cats and dogs.  It could go either way.  When you have kids 3 to 5 years apart, they usually just fight like cats and dogs with intervals of getting along well, because the older one is just old enough to boss around the younger one, and the younger one is just younger enough to be annoying.  But, when there's a 10 year age difference, the younger kid usually idolizes the older one, and the older one is usually protective of the younger one.  Obviously, these are not meant to be 100% blanket statements, so there's no need for all those with different experiences to tell me I'm wrong.  I realize that there are many specific situations which don't fit that pattern.  But, I would think for a 6 year old to disdain his 16 year old brother, there would have to be something more than nerdiness.  A 6 year old wouldn't even know what was cool for a teenager at that point.

[qtpye]

19 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I actually find the whole thing kind of weird.  If you have kids that are twins or a year or two apart, a lot of time they will get along well.  But, sometimes they will fight like cats and dogs.  It could go either way.  When you have kids 3 to 5 years apart, they usually just fight like cats and dogs with intervals of getting along well, because the older one is just old enough to boss around the younger one, and the younger one is just younger enough to be annoying.  But, when there's a 10 year age difference, the younger kid usually idolizes the older one, and the older one is usually protective of the younger one.  Obviously, these are not meant to be 100% blanket statements, so there's no need for all those with different experiences to tell me I'm wrong.  I realize that there are many specific situations which don't fit that pattern.  But, I would think for a 6 year old to disdain his 16 year old brother, there would have to be something more than nerdiness.  A 6 year old wouldn't even know what was cool for a teenager at that point.

I am 11 years older then my brother and from my experience, you are pretty correct in your assessment.  We have a great relationship and its been pretty cool since we both reached adulthood.  The relationship tone was greatly set by me, because I was obviously so much older.  The idea of my toddler to little kid age sibling rejecting my teenage self for any reason is beyond stupid, but I am not Toby.

Edited March 3, 2018 by qtpye