S04.E17: Deadheads

[Vyk]

From TV Guide:

Barry is kicked out of the JTP after Matt starts hanging out with the group.  A swear jar is created after Adam uses a curse word.

[Vyk]

Odd.  I thought Matt had been offered the chance to join the JTP by Barry back in "So Swayze, it's Crazy" and was considered part of it now.  Weird that he had to take all of those membership tests.

I normally like Barry, but I really didn't in this episode.  He strikes me as one of those guys who doesn't like change and wants to keep things his way at all times.  But his friends clearly saw Matt as the breath of fresh air the JTP needed (and so did I, really).  He shouldn't have been so afraid or reluctant to add a new member to it.  At least he realized how wrong he was later on.  But still, trying to recruit Johnny after the way he's treated Adam and Erica in the past?  Come on, Barry!

So now that Matt is officially part of the JTP, I hope we see more of him anytime we see the rest of the group.  I think that final shot of the real one hints that we might.

Jar Wars!  I have to say that the Adam/Erica/Beverly/Murray story was also very enjoyable!  I loved when Erica held it together when Adam urged her, but Adam completely gave in when Erica tried to urge him to do otherwise!  And Beverly's swearing actually being used for a plotline?  More excellence!  Though I did appreciate Murray at least cluing her in to being played by Adam and Erica.

Pops was pleasant, as always.

Were Grateful Dead songs really as long as they said?  Really?

RLS!  RLS!  This time with Murray and Erica!

Amazing episode.  Absolutely amazing episode!

[Texasmom1970]

I love that Pops is always so supportive of Adam helping him with his movies. Loved his line about him spritzing (sp?) in the box!

[Traveller519]

The show's internal consistency has really been off since the new year. I don't care about the timeliness in relation to the 80s events, but within the show it would be nice if the show followed it's own rules. Barry already offered Matt JTP membership in exchange for coaching on being punk. And he was shown to be hanging out with them at the end of that episode,after his deadhead conversion. The initiation here was t wo steps back, just like Erica getting with Geoff and the Adam Goldberg showdown, after the show had seemingly been willing to put both of those to bed in the Valentines disco episode.

The swear jar stuff had some good beats even if it was predictable

[Lawgiver]

2 hours ago, Texasmom1970 said:

I love that Pops is always so supportive of Adam helping him with his movies. Loved his line about him spritzing (sp?) in the box!

It's "schvitzing," which is the Yiddish word for sweating profusely.

 

I really enjoy "balls" as a swear word. I use it all the time. I remember my grandmother (Philadelphian, natch) using it all the time. 

[Vyk]

One other thing I forgot to mention.

My personal highlight of this episode was Barry's shocked, almost horrified "What?" when Matt solved the Rubik's Cube blindfolded.  Troy's disbelieving delivery and astonished expression were the perfect combination.

Only thing I don't get is how Andy, Geoff, and Rob could ever be friends with him.  It's clear he makes decisions for the JTP based on what he wants, not what they want.  (Based on him saying, right before the solving of the Rubik's Cube, that it was lucky for him, not for them, that their charter would never enable Matt to join them.)  The fact that they took it as long as they did really makes me think that Barry thrives on having weaker personalities to push around.  Seems it took him trying to ruin the concert for them to finally get that.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Vyk

[zoey1996]

Liked this episode!

The shout-out to Christmas Story (Oh, fuuuudge - but I didn't say fudge - straight out of Christmas Story!) was great.  

Also, as a current Williamsburg, Virginia resident very familiar with Colonial Williamsburg, I loved that they ended up going to Colonial Williamsburg!

[jww]

Why would anyone want to join the collection of losers known as the JTP?  If Barry is the alpha male of the group, that group is pretty SAD. Instead of being excited to join I would have expected Matt to have laughed in their faces at the idea of him eating lunch with them much less joining a collection of dorks.

[tennisgurl]

Every friend group would be lucky to have Pops as a member. He is just all kinds of awesome, all the time.

Barry was a huge asshole this week, but Matt returned, so I was still happy. And the real Matt and Barry are best friends! I wonder if this really happened like this, because if it did, I bet real Barry feels like a pretty big dick about how he treated JTP. Also, how sad are you as a group when Barry is your alpha?

Its been awhile when we got an Adam and Erica plot, so I liked this, with the multiple jars. Jar Wars!

[shoregirl]

I loved the "I learned it from watching you!" line when Bev asked Adam where he learned such language. That commercial and This is your brain on drugs are burned into my memory.

[mojoween]

My husband was getting irritated he couldn't find his jar of pickles in the fridge and I blurted out "my pickles!"

He didn't watch the ep so the humor was lost on him.  Murray made me laugh with that anyways.

It's funny they played "Touch of Grey" because that was sooooo controversial back in the day, even for a group as relatively chill as Deadheads.

Eric B. (of Eric B. and Rakim) tweeted that he wanted a cameo too and we should be seeing him soon, from Adam's response.

[Vyk]

9 hours ago, jww said:

Why would anyone want to join the collection of losers known as the JTP?  If Barry is the alpha male of the group, that group is pretty SAD. Instead of being excited to join I would have expected Matt to have laughed in their faces at the idea of him eating lunch with them much less joining a collection of dorks.

To be fair, Barry's friends are a short, weak guy who can't defend himself at all, a goofy lug who succumbs to pressure too easily, and a tall guy who, while big and strong, has his defining trait of liking to get naked a lot.  Pretty easy to be an alpha to personalities like those.  It's like Steve on American Dad.  You wouldn't expect him to be the alpha-male of his group of friends, either.  But when said group includes Barry, a strong, fat kid who very often acts too stupid to live, Snot, a skinny Jewish kid who, while street-smarter than Steve, can't defend or assert himself for jack shit, and Toshi, a Japanese kid who, while probably the most intelligent of the group, can't speak a lick of English, it's easy to see how Steve could be the leader of them all.

Point is, some people can be the surprising alpha-males or even alpha-females of a specific group of people.  They just need to be fortunate enough to have those weaker personalities.  And probably leadership skills and qualities like Barry and Steve surprisingly have.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Vyk

[rubaco]

Quote

I loved the "I learned it from watching you!" line when Bev asked Adam where he learned such language.

And Sean Giambrone (who's too young to know that commercial) really nailed it. 

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, rubaco said:

And Sean Giambrone (who's too young to know that commercial) really nailed it. 

That was the best line.  Though I imagine they showed him the original commercial for prep, or at least showed him how it was said in the commercial.  

I wish they'd put the Beverly's f-bomb joke to bed now.  I guess they really can't because it's an integral part of her character, like the sweaters.  

[Skyfall]

On 3/9/2017 at 9:04 AM, Traveller519 said:

The show's internal consistency has really been off since the new year. I don't care about the timeliness in relation to the 80s events, but within the show it would be nice if the show followed it's own rules. Barry already offered Matt JTP membership in exchange for coaching on being punk. And he was shown to be hanging out with them at the end of that episode,after his deadhead conversion. The initiation here was t wo steps back, just like Erica getting with Geoff and the Adam Goldberg showdown, after the show had seemingly been willing to put both of those to bed in the Valentines disco episode.

The swear jar stuff had some good beats even if it was predictable

It feels like the episodes were aired out of order. But maybe I'm wrong.

[Guest]

If they aired the other way, would it make any more sense?  It sounds like they just made two different stories about Matt joining the JTP.  

[Utpe]

10 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I wish they'd put the Beverly's f-bomb joke to bed now.  I guess they really can't because it's an integral part of her character, like the sweaters.

Beverly swearing is the highlight of the episode.  The real Adam F. Goldberg's mother swore like a trucker, so it's only fitting that she do the same.

I couldn't care less about the whole JTP plot.  It didn't really hold my interest throughout the episode, though, I do hope Matt sticks around.

As usual, Pops is always so sweet and caring.  I love when he confuses things.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Utpe said:

The real Adam F. Goldberg's mother swore like a trucker, so it's only fitting that she do the same.

She's still alive so I'm sure she still does.  So do a lot of trailer park trash moms and it's not funny when they do it, so I don't understand why it's funny when she does.  Even if it was funny the first time, is it still funny the hundredth?  Is any joke funny the hundredth time or is it just lazy writing?  

[Vyk]

5 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

If they aired the other way, would it make any more sense?  It sounds like they just made two different stories about Matt joining the JTP.  

I don't think Matt's first joining was official since the deal was that he could join permanently if he fully helped Barry go punk.  He became a pirate instead.  That's why Barry may not have considered him an official member until this episode.

Edited March 13, 2017 by Vyk

[reggiejax]

Quote

It's funny they played "Touch of Grey" because that was sooooo controversial back in the day, even for a group as relatively chill as Deadheads.

It could be the advancing years, but I don't remember Touch of Grey being controversial back when it was on the radio in 1987. It was kind of a big deal that the song became a hit, as the Dead rarely got any airplay at all, let alone on top 40 radio. But I don't recall controversy.

And count me as one who does not find Bev's swearing charming or funny. Every time she does it, all I can ask myself is "what is wrong with that woman?".

Edited March 13, 2017 by reggiejax

[Lemur]

On 3/13/2017 at 2:23 PM, reggiejax said:

And count me as one who does not find Bev's swearing charming or funny. Every time she does it, all I can ask myself is "what is wrong with that woman?".

Heh.  Everytime she does it, I think "par for the freaking course". She sounds like every other mother I knew growing up just North of Philadelphia.  Or as we like to put it, "classy as f*ck".

[dcalley]

On 3/10/2017 at 0:20 PM, zoey1996 said:

Also, as a current Williamsburg, Virginia resident very familiar with Colonial Williamsburg, I loved that they ended up going to Colonial Williamsburg!

Also, Patton Oswalt is a W&M grad (as am I), so I got a kick out of him having to talk about CW.

On 3/10/2017 at 1:54 PM, mojoween said:

It's funny they played "Touch of Grey" because that was sooooo controversial back in the day, even for a group as relatively chill as Deadheads.

What was the controversy, that it was too radio/chart/MTV-friendly?

[mojoween]

Yes.  The Dead were accused of being sellouts in order to bring their music to the masses.  The video was in HEAVY rotation on MTV.

[ByTor]

On 3/12/2017 at 11:48 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

I wish they'd put the Beverly's f-bomb joke to bed now.

I once posted that Beverly's swearing getting beeped out will never not be funny.  Well, never say never, I think it's annoying!