S02.E21: Tornado

[Teitr Styrr]

Holy cow, that was awesome and terrifying! I grew up running to the basement from tornadoes, so it brought back memories. Amy and Jonah kiss, Sandra being awesome, Cheyenne being hysterical, Garrett and Dina stuff I guess. I say I guess, because I can't see how anyone would be attracted to Dina, especially cool as Garrett. And, I don't mean looks, because she is a good looking woman, but she is toxic.

I think we will start next season with a new stor opening, so some time will have passed. Amy, in my mind, has a 70/30 chance of being divorced/not divorced. I'm hoping for divorced.

Man, Myrtle and Brett has some tough ass senior citizens!

[wendyg]

We need a betting pool on how they'll destroy the store at the end of season 3. Season 1 was the walkout. Season 2 was the tornado. What's next year?

[MadyGirl1987]

So I rewatching some of the season on Hulu and in the Election Day episode, I found a line foreshadowing this episode. Glenn was pointing out nobody reads memos and asks what a memo was about. He says it was about the building getting a F in tornado preparedness and he was told it was a house of cards...

[neuromom]

41 minutes ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

So I rewatching some of the season on Hulu and in the Election Day episode, I found a line foreshadowing this episode. Glenn was pointing out nobody reads memos and asks what a memo was about. He says it was about the building getting a F in tornado preparedness and he was told it was a house of cards...

Yes..this show is SO clever!

"This is a Democracy, not mob rule."  .."What's the difference ?" Lmao!

It seemed in character for Glenn, who couldn't make up his mind about who to fire, to be switching up religions at the end, when the pressure was on.

As soon as the tornado hit, I just waited for the inevitable kiss. It's a trope I've seen  before, and I don't even watch much tv. So, it was meh for me. And I'm neutral in Amy and Jonah. 

Count me in as one who thought Sandra was awesome.

Im worried about Brett! And it's probably my first priority when I tune in next season! 

Edited May 7, 2017 by neuromom

[DearEvette]

I thought for sure when they panned up in that last shot showing the destruction of the store we'd see Brett clinging to a flag pole or stuck up in a tree or something.

[scarynikki12]

During my recent rewatch I was delighted to notice that they used actual (though empty) medication bottles for the pharmacy shelves.  I never pay attention to the background of the pharmacy scenes so this is the first time I saw them.  The attention to detail is awesome and now I'm wondering if they called manufacturers for empty bottles or just made their own that would do the tv/movie thing where they'd say "aturnvastatin", "vealsartan", etc., instead of the real drug names.  Probably the latter, as that would make the most sense, but those bottles were PERFECT so I'm curious.

[Fostersmom]

On 05/05/2017 at 9:58 PM, bonniejmac said:

I was not at work the one time we had weather bad enough to invoke a Code...Black, I want to say is severe weather, but the story I heard was that management and associates went around the store telling all customers they needed to come gather in the center of the store, near the fitting room and they made everyone stand there until the warning was lifted. I guess the logic was to be as far interior as possible? So I was kinda bugged by that too, but, hey, TV and all.

I died laughing at the customers just standing at the register and the one guy who came up to ask Jonah & Amy a product question. My store had a power outage once (not weather related at all, it was because the geniuses building the Kohl's next to us kept managing to screw up our power lines somehow - 3 blackouts that summer) and this one didn't get resolved in the 30-45 minutes that the backup generators will keep the registers going. So they kept as many people on register, to check out as many people as they could before the shutdown and sent all the other associates around the store to round up customers and tell them they needed to check out ASAP. It;s like 8:30 at night, so it's pretty dark in the store, they raided sporting goods for flashlights. My sister rounds a corner in Fabrics & Crafts and tells the lady on the aisle, "Ma'am, you have to go check out now - our registers are going to shut down in about 10 minutes." Lady looks at her, dead serious and says, "I am still shopping" and she just pushed her cart around to the next aisle. Sister follows her, trying to explain, no really, if you don't go check out now, you might not get to buy anything and the woman just keeps declaring she's not done shopping. Sister finally just gave up and moved on. So I absolutely have NO doubt that even a tornado would not faze some dedicated shoppers.

I can't tell you how many times I was either working in or managing a store when the power went out and we had to ring out the people in the building before the battery back ups died or by hand (write down all the UPCs, try to figure the total and tax, and hope for the best if they wanted to pay by card, crossing our fingers they went thru later) while we got bitched at there was no power. Um, you know we don't control that, right? The best were the customers trying to get in, complaining about it wasn't fair other people were already there. Uh, they were in the building when the power went out, not 10 minutes from the store. I have no doubts they would still try to check out or get in in a tornado.

Evil Sandra kicks ass! I'm not sure which was better, her closing the door on Carol or the look she shot her at the ambulance. Both were epic. You go Sandra, you go! The phone calls were both hilarious and heartbreaking. Dina calling her birds, putting a select few in charge was perfect. Glenn's revolving prayers was good too. I hope Brett is okay!

[memememe76]

I cannot last a whole summer without knowing Brett's fate. It left a bitter taste when everyone just goes home for drinks without trying to find him. I will need to know he is alive and well. 

I figure everyone will work elsewhere, no layoffs. I really don't want anyone to leave. Well, Carol can leave. No one messes with Sandra! 

[MadyGirl1987]

57 minutes ago, memememe76 said:

I cannot last a whole summer without knowing Brett's fate. It left a bitter taste when everyone just goes home for drinks without trying to find him. I will need to know he is alive and well. 

If it helps, they don't know he's missing. Only Dina does, as she is just then doing the roll call.

[pennben]

I'm not sure whether it was intentional or not, but when Cheyenne came out holding the pig, it looked like a firefighter in front of her saw something under some rubble on the ground and was going at it.  Perhaps Brett will be saved by a well-placed something falling on him to protect him?  I just can't foresee the show killing someone off.

[VartanFan]

Quote

But I wonder if Amy was admitting to herself that she's attracted to Jonah or if she was merely clinging to someone in the midst of a near-death crisis?

I figured that this is how they'll explain it so that Amy and Jonah don't have to actually confront that they have real feelings for each other.  

[iMonrey]

Quote

Also, I don't think they got much advance warning since there was that scene with the customer who was flipping channels on the display TVs and cycled through three or four channels with weather alerts and then left it on QVC. So it seems like they didn't know until the tornado was almost right on top of them and then they didn't know what to do because they hadn't done any tornado drills in the past. Although, yeah, if they live there, they probably should know, but I live in earthquake country and I can say that no one I know is prepared for those either.

I get that they have to take some artistic liberties but as a born-and-bred midwesterner, it never ceases to irk me when TV shows do episodes with tornadoes and they don't come close to getting the optics right. The storm brewing outside looked like the apocalypse. In many cases you can have clear skies overhead during a tornado warning because they are often so isolated. If you had skies that ominous right overhead, the tornado would be at your doorstep, not miles away.  Hollywood doesn't seem to understand the difference between a tornado and a hurricane. They always show people battening down the hatches and huddling while the wind shrieks and wails and the tornado hasn't even gotten there yet.

[Keener]

On 5/7/2017 at 5:04 PM, scarynikki12 said:

During my recent rewatch I was delighted to notice that they used actual (though empty) medication bottles for the pharmacy shelves.  I never pay attention to the background of the pharmacy scenes so this is the first time I saw them.  The attention to detail is awesome and now I'm wondering if they called manufacturers for empty bottles or just made their own that would do the tv/movie thing where they'd say "aturnvastatin", "vealsartan", etc., instead of the real drug names.  Probably the latter, as that would make the most sense, but those bottles were PERFECT so I'm curious.

I read a while back that they asked companies for the boxes of goods to put on the display shelves. The companies were more than happy to oblige (free advertising!).  I have no idea about the pharmaceuticals, but I'd imagine it be similar? You wouldn't be able to use brand names without the company's permission. 

[Sile]

On 5/6/2017 at 6:02 AM, Keener said:

Catholic alliance. Lol

Okay, that makes more sense.  I thought he said catfish alliance.  Which would cry out for some backstory!

[VartanFan]

Quote

In many cases you can have clear skies overhead during a tornado warning because they are often so isolated. 

Reading your post almost gave me a panic attack.  I am reluctant to even visit places where they have tornadoes on the regular.  

Did we see the creepy pharmacist in this episode?  I feel like he would have been dosing himself with some of those meds.

[tennisgurl]

That was surprisingly intense! The tornado was scary, but they still kept the laughs going.

The one thing I call bullshit on is everyone losing their minds about tornados and not knowing what the sirens sound like. Isn't this set around St. Louis? This cannot be their first tornado.

So, Glen discovers Allah? That could be an interesting development. Of course have would be terrible at actually firing people. Of course, now with the store in shambles, who knows what will happen.

Great run of episodes! Cant wait for next season!

[scarynikki12]

I loved Glenn's glare at the sky when he said someone was looking out for them. I don't think he'll convert but he may have some lasting resentment. 

[Big Mother]

I squeed when Matt OBerg appeared over the wall during the tornado to ask about the razors. I need more VP Clive Murray! RIP Real Oneals :(

[Artsda]

On 5/8/2017 at 9:57 PM, VartanFan said:

In many cases you can have clear skies overhead during a tornado warning because they are often so isolated. 

Yup, my last warning the sirens & tv was going off like crazy to take cover yet I look outside and it's blue skies all around. 

The finale was great, loved the pan out to the big hole in the store. Will be interesting to see where they go with all the damage the building has. 

LOL at Marcus's reaction to the wedding and not being invited. 

[queenbee9b]

On 5/5/2017 at 0:48 PM, BTBAM310 said:

I always knew and liked Fade Into You from when it was in regular rotation on the radio in the 90s, but I didn't discover Into Dust until it was played on The O.C. - amazing song. Embarrassed to admit that.

I always associate it with the OC.  I recently watched all of rectify on Netflix and Into Dust was in one episode and I immediately knew it from the OC.  

Also I am happy they ended the season with a Sandra win.  I was so sad for her in the middle of the season when she lost the guy and had to admit she was lying about Jeff.  It is like the Gerry thing on Parks and Rec - I can only take so much of seeing someone humiliated. 

Edited May 31, 2017 by queenbee9b

[topanga]

On 5/30/2017 at 10:33 PM, queenbee9b said:

Also I am happy they ended the season with a Sandra win.  I was so sad for her in the middle of the season when she lost the guy and had to admit she was lying about

Same here. 

I hope the show addresses the impact of the tornado in the season premiere. In a somewhat comedic way because it's a comedy. But the real-life hurricanes in the Gulf Coast and Florida have reminded me how serious these storms can be.