S01.E09: S-L-E--SLED HOCKEY

[Drogo]

JJ wants to play sled hockey, but Jimmy thinks it's too dangerous. Meanwhile, Maya realizes she should be nicer to Kenneth after she witnesses how much people like him during a CPR class.

[Bobbin]

How do you break a tooth when you're wearing a mask? Paying for a $1300 root canal, post and crown with no insurance is rough, but a little less, if more tedious, at a dental school.

[bros402]

This episode was fun - I like the character pairings. JJ and Jimmy was a good pairing that we haven't really seen yet.

Ray and Dylan with the crawlspace or whatever was a surprisingly hilarious plot, especially in the tag: "...This was a weird idea."

[Nordly Beaumont]

I loved how JJ's toothless grin collapsed into a scowl when he heard about the insurance situation.

[neuromom]

I enjoyed this ! fouhdnit interesting that it was Jimmy who was concerned about JJ playing sports, and that Maya was all for it. Maya has grown, and is learning to "let go" a little.

was I the only one annoyed with the male classmate who just inserted himself into Maya and Kenneth's conversation? Maybe it's just me. I'm an introvert.

the lack of dental insurance rang so true for me. The (un)Affordable Care Act destroyed my finances. I had to drop dental insurance in order to pay for required medical insurance for me. And the ACA doesn't cover middle income like me. 

I love the Ray and Dylan dynamic. I continue to relive my childhood through Ray.

[tennisgurl]

Another strong episode! I liked seeing Jimmy and JJ dealing with father/son stuff, especially when everyone was ganging up on him after they found out that Jimmy didn't let JJ play hockey. "We didn't even know this sport existed before this afternoon"!

Ray and Dylan were fun together, and I liked how they worked it out. "...this was a weird idea". 

[dmmetler]

I love that JJ realized that his classmates are patronizing him and not letting him compete before Kenneth did. I also loved fleshing out that Maya isn't the only one who wants to protect JJ and has trouble letting go. Jimmy's concerns about Sled Hockey ring true. 

Poor Ray. In a 2 bedroom house with five people, 6 with Kenneth, I can see where finding personal space would be tough. 

[alexvillage]

I have missed a few episodes and was not happy with the first ones but it looks like the producers are at least trying to cover disabilities in a more thoughtful way. Hopefully I am not jinxing it.

I liked a lot that the theme of inspo/pity was addressed, pointed out by JJ,  and that JJ had dad as his hockey "assistive partner". And liked that they didn't make a big deal about it, that Jimmy being there was simply an accessibility issue, no need to discuss or lay out made up "pros and cons". That's what accessibility is about. That's what Universal Design is about. Human support is assistive. 

[OnceSane]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

Another strong episode! I liked seeing Jimmy and JJ dealing with father/son stuff, especially when everyone was ganging up on him after they found out that Jimmy didn't let JJ play hockey. "We didn't even know this sport existed before this afternoon"!

I loved that.  I loved it all.  Seeing Jimmy be concerned and then get into being JJ's hockey helper was awesome.  And JJ looked like he was having a blast.

I also liked that Maya and Kenneth are tolerating each other and even appreciating one another as time goes by.

But the privacy issue for Ray?  Just as good as the rest of the episode.  The need for your own space, and Dylan making him realize that he's not the only one who could use such privacy was great.  

[CarolMK]

This show continues to amaze me. I never knew that sled hockey was a sport either, I only remember seeing wheelchair basketball. I thought it was really cool that not only did JJ want to play, that his father made him see that even though he was injured, he still was having a great time playing. That said, I thought face masks would prevent injuries like a broken tooth.

It's nice to see that all of the characters are featured in just about every episode too. Nice to see the storyline of Ray and Dylan wanting privacy and then agreeing to share the space. I'm not sure all teens would be so agreeable about sharing. 

Also good to see that Maya appreciates Kenneth after seeing him through other people's eyes. I think she might have been taking him for granted until they went to the CPR class.

[vibeology]

2 hours ago, CarolMK said:

This show continues to amaze me. I never knew that sled hockey was a sport either, I only remember seeing wheelchair basketball. I thought it was really cool that not only did JJ want to play, that his father made him see that even though he was injured, he still was having a great time playing. That said, I thought face masks would prevent injuries like a broken tooth.

I only know if it as Sledge Hockey so that was bugging me all episode. Turns out I'm right since that's what the event is called in the Olympics and every other tournament including the upcoming Invictus games but still it was nice to see it in action on TV.  When pros play sledge hockey it is such a fast and physical game.

[dmmetler]

I'm also excited because this will open up opportunities for JJ to interact with others with disabilities, and show those relationships. 

[Big Mother]

OMG. Kenneth emotionally blackmailing Maya was totally out of line, yet sadly so realistically true :(. I've had my fair share of horrible aides whom I kept on and did not fire bc I was so desperate to have someone who really knew my child and always showed up no matter what. Even though they had so many little things that bugged me out of my mind, I just was so scared to let them go that I kept them on even when the relationship turned dysfunctional. And yes, I had to keep listening to all their family drama even though my ears were bleeding... lol What Kenneth is doing here is unethical, but he knows to milk it for all its worth....

[Browncoat]

I laughed out loud when Jimmy said he knew nothing about sports -- I flashed on him as Kripke and the basketball competition between him and Sheldon for the big office.

I somehow always end up feeling sorry for Ray, though. 

[Aliconehead]

This is fast becoming one of my favorite shows. I want sure after the first two but after toning down Maya, it has just be a breath of fresh air.  I love the relationships and this episode really highlighted them. I just hope they don't ruin it by trying too hard. At its essence this is a family sitcom with a special needs child which is a small part of the dynamic, not the main part

Edited December 10, 2016 by Aliconehead

[Ikki]

For those commenting on the face mask/tooth thing, it looks like the other guy's stick managed to get sort of under the mask and hit him in the chin.

[AllyB]

Micah Fowler does actually play sled hockey with the Woodbridge Warriors.

[Big Mother]

I dont know if it's been mentioned yet, but Micah can speak in real life. I watched a clip on youtube. He completely reminds me of my sister-in-law, who has spastic quadriplegic CP. She also struggles to speak intelligibly but she can talk, just like Micah in real life can.

[bros402]

8 hours ago, AllyB said:

Micah Fowler does actually play sled hockey with the Woodbridge Warriors.

Oh wow, he's from NJ. Woodbridge is right near me - it's where the dispensary I get my medical marijuana is.

[topanga]

On 12/12/2016 at 2:49 AM, bros402 said:

Oh wow, he's from NJ. Woodbridge is right near me - it's where the dispensary I get my medical marijuana is.

Sounds like a great town--it's got Micah Fowler and weed. (Not making light of your need for medical marijuana, mind you).

 

On 12/8/2016 at 0:56 PM, CarolMK said:

Also good to see that Maya appreciates Kenneth after seeing him through other people's eyes.

Speaking of seeing Kenneth, in the first awkward shower scene, I cracked up when Maya snuck a quick peek at Kenneth's junk in the midst of her screaming.

And the second shower scene completely surprised me. When Maya and Kenneth were in the bathroom talking about the drawer, and Ray peeked out of the shower curtain to ask for a towel. Which no one gave him. Funny scene, but people dump on Ray too much. 

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

people dump on Ray too much.

It really bothers me. Why is it supposed to be funny to pick on the kid?

[Indy]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

It really bothers me. Why is it supposed to be funny to pick on the kid?

It seems at least lately that most sitcoms with multiple children have one that always gets dumped on or forgotten...Alex on Modern Family, Brick on The Middle, Junior on Blackish, etc....

[bros402]

14 hours ago, topanga said:

Sounds like a great town--it's got Micah Fowler and weed. (Not making light of your need for medical marijuana, mind you).

Woodbridge is a pretty good town - their schools are okay. Their dispensary has the most strains out of any other dispensary in the state - it is a bright green building near a car dealership. 

[Chewy101]

I loved the line where Maya asks why Jimmy thinks JJ is any different than any other kid, and his response is "because he's mine." Mostly this show is about humor, but then those sweet moments sneak in there.  

[Chewy101]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 10:17 PM, Big Mother said:

OMG. Kenneth emotionally blackmailing Maya was totally out of line, yet sadly so realistically true :(. I've had my fair share of horrible aides whom I kept on and did not fire bc I was so desperate to have someone who really knew my child and always showed up no matter what. Even though they had so many little things that bugged me out of my mind, I just was so scared to let them go that I kept them on even when the relationship turned dysfunctional. And yes, I had to keep listening to all their family drama even though my ears were bleeding... lol What Kenneth is doing here is unethical, but he knows to milk it for all its worth....

I don't get this. What did Kenneth do wrong, besides take a shower, because he seems to be working for them 24/7 instead of just between 8 and 3:30 at school. I love Maya, but I do think she treats him like crap,  I didn't see a problem with him being glad someone else saw his worth. I think a grudging mutual respect happened between their styles in the end, and it was sweet. The amount of affection Kenneth has shown for JJ should mean more to her than it does, and her forgetting he is a person, too, is not conducive to great home care. It's not an office. Different complexity. Plus, comedy.. so everything is exaggerated.

[GRChereck]

This was a fun episode! I was pleasantly surprised by the Ray/Dylan plot -- rather than having Dylan dump on Ray for seemingly no reason, she actually made a very good point about how lack of privacy affects her as much as him, though she just hasn't been nearly as vocal about it. I loved how they were able to work things out in the end by having a "custody" arrangement over the crawlspace. :)

The Kenneth/Maya plot also raised interesting issues of personal space / boundaries (particularly Kenneth getting increasingly cozy with the DiMeos) as it shed some light on their relationship (they "bug" each other but remain mutually tolerant for the sake of JJ); and their taking a class for CPR neatly tied into Jimmy's own concerns about JJ's health and safety (regarding his initial refusal to let him play sled hockey). 

When I first saw the press-release synopsis for this ep, I was super-psyched at the notion of finally seeing a Jimmy/JJ plot; and I was not disappointed at the result. It was a little surprising to see the otherwise laid-back Jimmy be so seriously overprotective of JJ -- Maya is usually the one who struggles to let him go, despite wanting as much inclusion for him as possible -- but I wouldn't say it was entirely out-of-character for the guy; when Jimmy made reference to "everything [JJ's] been through ... what, like 20 surgeries?" he seemed to be tapping into the same vulnerability and parental anxiety he was hinting at in "Bonfire," when he recalled JJ's initial CP diagnosis ("The doctor tells you there's something wrong with your kid... all the things he's never gonna do, and it's a nice, long list..."). While Maya had a bit of trouble in the previous episode with wanting to protect JJ from getting emotionally hurt, there's something about the mere thought of the boy being in any more physical pain than he's already had to deal with that brings the same primal protective instinct out of Jimmy -- however clouded his judgment in this situation may have been by a lack of understanding about sports and his admitted lack of athleticism as a child (as well as possibly a general disdain for competition* ). 

Also, it was kinda interesting to see how Jimmy deals with JJ when left to his own devices -- in this case, erring on the side of caution -- since he usually defers to Maya about JJ-related matters with little-to-no question.

Plus, as good as Jimmy has been at dishing out wisdom and advice, it was nice to see him realize he still has some lessons to learn as well -- I was again reminded of "Bonfire," when he came around to Ray's POV about caring what others think: "That shame thing... I'm getting it." :D 

(* - except with his brother in "Thanksgiving," but even then, only when pushed to a breaking point.)

Edited February 20, 2017 by GRChereck
additional thoughts

[71dude]

Poor Ray really took the abuse in this episode - getting stuck on the roof, stranded in the shower and losing his personal space. All funny, though.

[Bobbin]

On Monday, January 09, 2017 at 10:53 PM, Chewy101 said:

I don't get this. What did Kenneth do wrong, besides take a shower, because he seems to be working for them 24/7 instead of just between 8 and 3:30 at school. I love Maya, but I do think she treats him like crap,

Jimmy acknowledged this, too. When Maya concluded that the only thing they had to offer Kenneth was for Maya to be nice to him, Jimmy said, "We'll miss him."

[GRChereck]

Watched this one again last night. Not much to add to my previous post... I just think this might be one of my top 10 faves of the season; the Kenneth/Maya and Ray/Dylan plots were still hilarious, especially the latter (the way Dylan told Ray "Shut up and eat your gruel" -- especially coming after the scene where she had just called him out for his bitching about lack of privacy when she can't have girl friends / boys over, or even dress / undress, in the bedroom she shares with two brothers -- cracked me up), and JJ/Jimmy are so sweet, I'm a little disappointed we haven't had more pairings of them outside of this episode (and maybe that bit in "Road Trip" where they were selling the family's stuff to tourists) -- though hopefully that may change in the next few eps... :)