S06.E05: Chicklet

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Selina settles on a location for her presidential library. Dan lands in a gossip column. Mike and Selina work on her book. Jonah tries to cement a big donation. Gary manages a mini-crisis at Madame Tussauds.

Promo:

[hoodooznoodooz]

"How will I know when I'm done?"

 

"Do you live with your mom?"

"She wishes."

[Muffyn]

Of course tourists are simulating sex with Selena's wax figure.  Why the heck is she bent over with her hand out? 

Richard talking about masturbation was hilarious.   He is such a great character.  He is always so sincere, especially when repeating something horrible someone has said to Selena.   

[Rinaldo]

10 minutes ago, Muffyn said:

Richard talking about masturbation was hilarious.   He is such a great character. 

I adore Richard, always. The masturbation questions were so sidesplitting. I was expecting him to become addicted to masturbation by episode's end, now that he's discovered it, but I can hope something like that might still come up.

(Those who enjoy this actor may want to check out the Comedy Central series he co-created and co-stars in, Detroiters. It recently finished its first season. His character there is mostly very different from Richard, but shares his sunny unflappable attitude.) 

[bijoux]

There really is someone for everyone if there is a woman willingly sleeping with Jonah!

Pay me, you bitch. -Pay him, you bitch. ? That's Selina at her finest. Good stuff with her childhood memories. Is Mike smart enough to be writing her unauthorized biography? Because that would fly off the shelves. Also nice touch with Catherine at the end. Selina ended up marrying her father, Catherine is looking for support and approval from her mother in the form of the shrink.

[lavenderrose]

This was a solid episode and imo the best of the season so far.

- LOVED that Selina realized that her father was actually a terrible human being and that she married someone like him. It gave her depth this episode and the previous seasons were missing that greatly. Selina's mother was still terrible but she realized that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Of course, she has to double down on her delusions of grandeur concerning her being meant to be successful, but she wouldn't be Selina without it.

- Poor poor Mike. I thought his sly manipulation of Selina was funny, but that woman is so self-absorbed. Mike is the most human like character with the exception of Marjorie so it does pain me a little to see him being treated like dirt everyday. With Gary it's just sad and humiliating and his petty, snarky attitude with Mike was just embarrassing. I'm waiting for the day Gary grows a pair.

- The barn scene was hysterical!

- I hate to say it but I really enjoy watching Jonah. He's a mixture of stupid, mean, and earnest. Jonah being a congressman is the funniest story line since the show began. He has a real chance of becoming president of their universe and probably ask Selina to be his Veep.

- I don't care about Dan solo but his scene with Amy was funny. I don't necessarily feel bad for Amy because she's just unlikable as a character, but they need to figure out a way to get Amy back in the white house instead of being Selina's babysitter.

- I'm enjoying Richard being the father of Selina's grandchild. Plus him never masturbating shouldn't be surprising considering his character but I was.

- Catherine seeing a therapist in the form of her mother was just sad. I know a lot of people rag on Catherine but she's the most functioning person on the show considering who her parents are. While it is creepy that Marjorie looks like her mother, I'm glad her behavior isn't the same.

Edited May 16, 2017 by lavenderrose
spelling

[Traveller519]

So much packed into this week, but Richard's roller coaster ride with maturation was the unabashed highlight. The capper on the phone with Jonah was terrific. 

[bijoux]

52 minutes ago, lavenderrose said:

- I don't care about Dan solo but his scene with Amy was funny.

I loved Amy's and Gary's reactions to his "affair" with Jane. You're my mom's favorite couple. Way to go!

[revbfc]

Thanks, show for making me picture Richard "Spletting."

(An extended shiver and facial contortions, followed by an "Oh my!"  If I had to picture it, so do you.)

[TVcritic]

Selina becomes more and more her own caricature, a one-dimensional character. The writers should tone it done a bit. If not, they could write in Russian trolls or spies who give her a very hard time, for the enjoyment of us viewers. ;-)

Edited May 15, 2017 by TVcritic

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, TVcritic said:

Selina becomes more and more her own caricature, a one-dimensional character. The writers should tone it done a bit. If not, they could write in Russian trolls or spies who give her a very hard time, for the enjoyment of us viewers. ;-)

I enjoy this show, but Selina really has turned into a monster this season.  I expect her to go visit some poor sick child in the hospital and then push him/her off the bed, because she wants to take a nap.  Actually, she would never do that, because she would be too afraid of getting the sick kid's "cooties".

However, JLD is a treasure.  The way she was able to turn on the charm for the volunteer event was brilliant and very believable.

[lovinbob]

8 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

I adore Richard, always. The masturbation questions were so sidesplitting. I was expecting him to become addicted to masturbation by episode's end, now that he's discovered it, but I can hope something like that might still come up.

 

I was actually wondering if he was going to get smarter or otherwise completely change personalities,  somewhat akin to the Seinfeld episode when Elaine got dumber when she stopped masturbating, and George got smarter. 

4 minutes ago, qtpye said:

I enjoy this show, but Selina really has turned into a monster this season.  I expect her to go visit some poor sick child in the hospital and then push him/her off the bed, because she wants to take a nap.  Actually, she would never do that, because she would be too afraid of getting the sick kid's "cooties".

However, JLD is a treasure.  The way she was able to turn on the charm for the volunteer event was brilliant and very believable.

She really has, but surprisingly, this episode gave me more empathy for her. There's no excuse for the way she treats people, but she is the product of plenty of mistreatment herself. Shows how shit rolls downhill and keeps rolling. I have someone in my life who shares a lot of Selina traits, and while it absolutely sucks to be caught in her crosshairs, when I am able to step back and realize the bullshit that she has to endure, I see that her being awful to people doesn't come out of nowhere. 

Andrew is such a thoroughly repugnant, disgusting human being. What has he contributed to the world? He rode his wife's coattails and now he's mooching off his poor daughter. 

The Mike thing ... part of me is hoping that he just found a way to be able to get information out of Selina so that he can write her autobiography. It would serve her right if he wrote the unauthorized bio, but I'm not rooting for that outcome.

[CofCinci]

This was one of the best episodes of the season.  If the Richard clinic scene is not nominated for an Emmy, there is not god.

Jonah is going to become President with Miss Tanz at the helm. I would happily watch a spin-off series.  Loved that Jonah called a truce to share the fact that he got laid twice with Richard. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Although I totally recognize that depression is a serious illness, it made me laugh that depressed Selina acts like a cranky six year old who needs a nap. When she said she wasn't going to carry her coat or her purse and then threw them on the floor as she was walking, it cracked me up.

Richard is actually a great choice for Marjorie and Katherine's baby. He's smart and he's kind.

Poor Catherine. She has Selina insulting her at every possible opportunity (when she isn't ignoring Catherine) and Andrew trying to bamboozle her out of every possible cent of her inheritance. Thank goodness she has Marjorie to love her and not need anything from her.

I thought Richard's introduction to masturbation would result in him not leaving the house for a week (like when Charlotte got her first fancy vibrator and the other girls on SatC had to do an intervention).

Poor Mike. He finally had a day or two where Selina didn't treat him like a complete moron and then just like Flowers for Algernon, he watched it slip away from him.
 

9 hours ago, Muffyn said:

Of course tourists are simulating sex with Selena's wax figure.  Why the heck is she bent over with her hand out?

She was bent over in the second spot (when Gary had her moved) because she was bowing to President Liu. She was holding her hand out in the third spot (where Amy had her moved) while sitting on a bench next to FDR. I assumed it was supposed to look like she was gesticulating while talking.

Edited May 15, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[EdnasEdibles]

I loved this episode. There were so many winning lines. I loved Selena saying she wasn't depressed - “I just feel like I’m in a thick, dark fog and everyone disappoints me and nothing works out and what’s the point of anything anyway.”

I also loved Catherine admitting she'd been in therapy since she was 13 and Selena saying "What you really needed was a dermatologist." 

I also love her saying she could fit under her daddy's desk because she was so petite . . . and pretty.

Also, I love the random hate for American University. I don't know why it was there but I love it. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Richard is actually a great choice for Marjorie and Katherine's baby. He's smart and he's kind

Yes but he strikes me as being somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He has almost no perception of social cues. Learning that he'd never "shaken hands with the devil," in his entire life, kind of highlights that. He's just not quite normal.

I think I laughed harder during this episode than any other. Honestly, it was just firing on all cylinders. I loved everything from start to finish, with the tag of Catherine in therapy and it turns out her therapist is just like her mother, and criticizes what she's wearing.

[taragel]

Mike finally got his day in the sun! And of course it ended so terribly. Lol. Not even a letter of recommendation for his trouble.

 I loved that Amy & Dan were just grabbing a drink since she was in town for the Madame Tussaud fix (with Gary, apparently). And I enjoyed her needling him a bit uncaringly about Jane. Unlike the writers, I prefer when Amy is just as ruthless as Dan, not desperate/pining for him. (Also, Dan seems to have gotten progressively dumber since he joined TV news. He's often behind the 8-ball nowadays...)

I also really loved the moment at the end when Selina knew exactly what had been going on with her wax figure. I love the small moments of sly intelligence they give her from time to time, so you can easily see how she got where she got to. There haven't been as many of those lately.

I need a bit more Ben and Kent in future episodes.

[lovinbob]

1 hour ago, taragel said:

 (Also, Dan seems to have gotten progressively dumber since he joined TV news. He's often behind the 8-ball nowadays...)

I also really loved the moment at the end when Selina knew exactly what had been going on with her wax figure. I love the small moments of sly intelligence they give her from time to time, so you can easily see how she got where she got to. There haven't been as many of those lately.

I need a bit more Ben and Kent in future episodes.

Re: Dan. I think Dan's downfall is that he's completely self-involved and possibly a narcissist. If he's acting dumb, I think it's because he's blinded by self-interest. 

Completely agree about enjoying when Selina is particularly clued in.

Also agree about Ben and Kent. Their brief moments were just excellent. So frustrated for them that they are getting supplanted by Not-Sheldon Adelson's daughter. 

[peeayebee]

Such a great ep, the highlight being Richard not knowing how to masturbate. 

Jonah is just horrible. Ugh. So, yes, he'll go far.

[Eyes High]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Yes but he strikes me as being somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He has almost no perception of social cues. Learning that he'd never "shaken hands with the devil," in his entire life, kind of highlights that. He's just not quite normal.

I think I laughed harder during this episode than any other. Honestly, it was just firing on all cylinders. I loved everything from start to finish, with the tag of Catherine in therapy and it turns out her therapist is just like her mother, and criticizes what she's wearing.

I got a lot of belly laughs from this episode, like Gary's smirk at taking away Mike's Sprite, Richard explaining why he doesn't masturbate, Amy informing Gary that he's as useless as a dick at a roller derby, Jane telling Dan that she's not fucking him because he's not a billionaire and she doesn't want to catch anything, Jonah muttering to Sherman Tanz after getting dissed by Shawnee "I can see why you married the other one," and this exchange:

Kent: Just refer to your colour-coded chart.  I've become close with a woman at Kinko's who makes educational materials for preschoolers.

Jonah: Come on. If the other congressmen see me with a cheat sheet, they'll think I'm a fucking idiot.

Kent: You can't unring that bell.

All the jabs at American University were hilarious, particularly since I had just been watching a longtime American University professor (Allan Lichtman) give an interview on a current affairs TV show before switching to Veep. Ha!

[Traveller519]

Kent throwing shade has been tremendous. It's amazing how most of the social awkwardness he possessed previously had been replaced with unwavering annoyance for Jonah. No time to humor your own eccentricities when you need to care for the worlds most undeveloped congressman. I get why Ben is comfortable with a job without much at stake or responsibility, but I won't be surprised to see Kent try and go grab something more lucrative and stimulating.

[Ms Blue Jay]

8 hours ago, lovinbob said:

I was actually wondering if he was going to get smarter or otherwise completely change personalities,  somewhat akin to the Seinfeld episode when Elaine got dumber when she stopped masturbating, and George got smarter. 

To be pedantic, that episode ("The Abstinence") was about abstaining from sex, not masturbation.  Elaine's boyfriend didn't want to get distracted as he studied for medical school, and George's girlfriend had mono.

Abstaining from masturbation had its own famous episode, "The Contest."  None of them seemed to get dumber or smarter, only hornier.

I can't believe how much I enjoy Margaret Colin here.  I hated her as Mrs. Waldorf.  Probably because of my own mother issues.

Realizing your father isn't perfect is some rough stuff.  I experienced something similar, but 20 years earlier than Selina did.  Hers is still worse, though.  The end was so scandalous, almost implying that Selina was her uncle's child instead of her father's.  Reminds me of another WASP family in the 2002 movie "Igby Goes Down."

Sometimes I think Selina and Andrew look too alike.  Maybe it makes sense, them both being narcissists.  And Catherine looks like neither of them.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Yes but he strikes me as being somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He has almost no perception of social cues. Learning that he'd never "shaken hands with the devil," in his entire life, kind of highlights that. He's just not quite normal.

I find sociopathy a lot more abnormal than Richard. I'd love to be surrounded by coworkers like Richard instead of coworkers like.... Dan or Jonah, for example.  

I always gravitate towards the guileless, and that is Richard for you.  Easy to read and understand, will not manipulate or even attempt to.

It was so awkward when you could tell Catherine and Marjorie wanted to help explain things to Richard, but not too much I guess?  

Dan's supermantan was gone this episode, and that's a good thing.

I agree, I would like more Ben and Kent.  It's too bad about Sufe Bradshaw not being able to be in this season.

Selina took away the Letter of Recommendation from Mike, but I've rarely seen her feel so .... 'remorseful'.  For HER.  She seemed to feel bad about it.  (For HER.)

I missed some Richard lines, even with rewinding, so I will go to see if @ElectricBoogaloo has done some transcribing in the quotes topic.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[BryroseA]

Selina's acceptance/delight that people were simulating fucking her wax-self was absolutely perfect.

Edited May 15, 2017 by BryroseA

[Rinaldo]

3 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I find sociopathy a lot more abnormal than Richard. I'd love to be surrounded by coworkers like Richard instead of coworkers like.... Dan or Jonah, for example.

Me too. I guess I'm out of sympathy with the current inclination to place everyone who isn't dead average "on the spectrum." Richard is so cheerful and pleasant that he takes sarcastic put-downs at their literal value, but he seems more competent than lots of others we've seen. And avoidance of masturbation isn't that unheard-of: the combination of a repressive religious upbringing with a temperament that prioritizes nonsexual interests would account for it.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I agree with you @Rinaldo that I would not place Richard on the autism spectrum. Further, I think he does have great perception of social cues. He is extremely affable. Everyone likes him, even these assholes.  Sure they make fun of him, but that's their own defense mechanism.  If he was so bad at social cues then why would he be so friendly and smiley all of the time?  His friendliness is for the benefit of not only him, but others.  It probably makes people feel good.  I think Richard is smart and observant. He's literally constantly observing things.  He just is not mean, or sarcastic, or cold like the other characters.  Veep is not representative of a necessary norm.  It's a collection of people who are mostly cold and bitter from their experience in Washington - my opinion.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[lovinbob]

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

To be pedantic, that episode ("The Abstinence") was about abstaining from sex, not masturbation.  Elaine's boyfriend didn't want to get distracted as he studied for medical school, and George's girlfriend had mono.

I stand corrected and can't believe I confused those two episodes! 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Don't be so hard on yourself, it was 20 years ago ;)

[hoodooznoodooz]

Could someone please explain the useless as a dick at a roller derby joke? Thank you. 

Also was Jonah playing with a green fidget spinner, by any chance (the shot that follows the Jane/Dan tie-straightening shot)?

[bijoux]

This being Jonah's first time since his treatment, what happened to the (two and a half?) mercy handjobs he bragged about to Dan?

[Ms Blue Jay]

Roller derby = women.....  (stereotype = lesbians)

Modern roller derby is an international sport dominated by all-female amateur teams, in addition to a growing number of male, unisex, and junior roller derby teams, and was (as a roller sport) under consideration for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[6][7][8] 

Roller derby began its modern revival in the early 2000s as an all-female, woman-organized amateur sport.

A large number of contemporary roller derby leagues are amateur, self-organized and all-female [66] and were formed in a DIY spirit by relatively new roller derby enthusiasts.[67] In many leagues (particularly but not exclusively in the U.S.), a punk[68][69] aesthetic and/or third-wave feminist[70] ethic is prominent.[71] Furthermore, roller derby teams are typically composed of members of various social strata such as stay-at-home mothers, lawyers, and nurses,[72] and "Being gay/straight/bi/trans is simply no big deal, as long as you can skate."[73] Members of fledgling leagues often practice and strategize together, regardless of team affiliation, between bouts.[74] Most compete on flat tracks, though several leagues skate on banked tracks, with more in the planning stages.[75][76]

Edited May 16, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[asabovesobelow]

22 hours ago, Eyes High said:

I got a lot of belly laughs from this episode, like Gary's smirk at taking away Mike's Sprite,

That may have been my favorite part of the episode. Gary's blinding jealousy of anyone getting close to Selina will never not be funny. 

[Eyes High]

9 hours ago, bijoux said:

This being Jonah's first time since his treatment, what happened to the (two and a half?) mercy handjobs he bragged about to Dan?

I assume he was referencing penetrative sex.

[bijoux]

41 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

I assume he was referencing penetrative sex.

Sure, but the handjobs would also have involved the missing ball he was worried about. BTW, loved Shawnee's reaction. One less thing to worry about.

[txhorns79]

Quote

Yes but he strikes me as being somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He has almost no perception of social cues. Learning that he'd never "shaken hands with the devil," in his entire life, kind of highlights that. He's just not quite normal.

I think that's confusing someone being sheltered with someone having autism.  The only reason Richard might seem not quite normal in terms of the show is because he remains polite and kind, whereas nearly every other character is self-serving and awful.   

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

The only reason Richard might seem not quite normal in terms of the show is because he remains polite and kind,

Well that and he doesn't like butterscotch!

[sugarbaker design]

12 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Well that and he doesn't like butterscotch!

But he loves to say it!  Butterscotch!

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think that's confusing someone being sheltered with someone having autism.  The only reason Richard might seem not quite normal in terms of the show is because he remains polite and kind, whereas nearly every other character is self-serving and awful.   

While that's true it's a stretch to say Richard is nothing more than "sheltered." There have been numerous examples where he simply did not understand the implications of what were being said and has shown no concept of sarcasm, taking everything literally. This is someone  who has worked around complete assholes in D.C. for years, not someone who just fell off the turnip truck - and he still doesn't grasp when people are being sarcastic or insulting? I know he's the nicest guy in a sea of villains but I think it's willfully naive to pretend he's just a nice normal guy. There's something not quite right about him. Maybe viewers just feel protective about him but that's denial.

A good example is just a couple of episodes ago where he was standing silently off to the side until someone noticed him and he said he was practicing his pose in case he was included in the presidential portrait they were painting of Selina. Did he really think he was going to be part of the presidential portrait? He's not dumb, after all. But he's . . . off. He's not quite living in the same world as everyone else.

Edited May 17, 2017 by iMonrey

[shang yiet]

Jonah and Richard are somewhat tone deaf in social situations.

[qtpye]

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 9:31 PM, txhorns79 said:

I think that's confusing someone being sheltered with someone having autism.  The only reason Richard might seem not quite normal in terms of the show is because he remains polite and kind, whereas nearly every other character is self-serving and awful.   

I remember Dan once called him a Paddington Bear looking mother fucker.

[amaranta]

It took me this long, six seasons in, to realize that Andrew physically resembles Anthony Weiner.  I feel so stupid.

Since that's not really specific to this episode:

- Loved Richard loving to say butterscotch
- Gary's jealousy, however temporary, of Mike of all people (who may be the saddest sack to ever sack) and the Victory of The Sprite
-  I need more Kevin Dunn and Gary Cole, preferably away from Jonah. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 hours ago, amaranta said:

I need more Kevin Dunn and Gary Cole, preferably away from Jonah. 

I think the reason I'm okay with Ben and Kent working with Jonah is because despite the fact that he's now their boss, they clearly still don't respect him and they continue to insult him to his face. 

[ganesh]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:49 PM, Rinaldo said:

I adore Richard, always. The masturbation questions were so sidesplitting. I was expecting him to become addicted to masturbation by episode's end, now that he's discovered it, but I can hope something like that might still come up.

Did he actually fill the whole cup? When he was on the phone with Jonah, the ladies were all huddled together with the doctor looking at it. I also liked the shot of Catherine prior to that holding and aiming while she trying to explain what he should do. 

On 5/16/2017 at 4:16 PM, bijoux said:

Sure, but the handjobs would also have involved the missing ball he was worried about.

Not necessarily if they unzipped the fly to do it. 

I thought it was interesting that the two older women were both fine with basically being still seen as sexually attractive. 

[Eyes High]

4 hours ago, ganesh said:

I thought it was interesting that the two older women were both fine with basically being still seen as sexually attractive. 

Yes, but for different reasons. With Selina, it was about her usual vanity. With Jane, it was about job security.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

For Selina, it's definitely about her vanity but it's also about her potential job opportunities. As she said in a previous episode, once she can't wear sleeveless dresses, she can't run for office. 

ETA:

Selina: Omigawd, in twelve years I'm going to be shriveled up can of ass. Seriously, I can't. I mean, my political window just slams shut the second I can't wear sleeveless dresses.

Edited May 20, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo