Good Girls - General Discussion

[Rahul]

On 4/6/2020 at 7:39 PM, LaMatadita said:

These two things are related. I'm sure some viewers stopped watching because they didn't kill off Rio, but more people stopped watching because they burned the Brio relationship to the ground, yet they've continued to tell the same needlessly circular, repetitive story between the two of them and let that drive the main story. It is indeed getting old, but I just don't see him as the problem, but rather as a resource they refuse to tap because of behind-the-scenes politics and a stubborn insistence on using Beth's power struggle with Rio as metaphor for Beth's addiction to crime. They used Rio's sex appeal to sell the show, yet they've given Rio so little development that the actor is basically writing his own character arc at this point, so I just don't think it's fair to say that the problem is that they didn't kill off his character when they could have written it all differently in the first place (and still could), and the actor is clearly capable of a lot more than what they give him to work with. 

I don't know where you're getting your info about why viewers have tuned out and in what respective quantities, but my guess would be the infuriating writing or the fact that this show doesn't always live up to the promise of being a dark comedy. Lucy's gratuitous murder definitely crossed a line for me--I briefly toyed with the idea of quitting this show myself.

Regarding Rio's sex appeal--I've never understood those who tune in of a show simply so they could ogle an actor or just to "ship" a couple. If someone is seeking simple titillation, Harlequin or Mills & Boon romance novels would be a better choice. 

[LaMatadita]

1 hour ago, Rahul said:

I don't know where you're getting your info about why viewers have tuned out and in what respective quantities, but my guess would be the infuriating writing or the fact that this show doesn't always live up to the promise of being a dark comedy. Lucy's gratuitous murder definitely crossed a line for me--I briefly toyed with the idea of quitting this show myself.

My mother stopped watching recently due to all of the above, and she doesn't give a rats ass about Brio. But there was definitely a huge outcry after the S2 finale, some of it simply based on the fact that they seemed to have literally put a bullet in Brio, and some of it based on deeper analysis of the problematic elements of the Beth/Rio narrative and the Beth/crime narrative (which are kind of the same but slightly different, lol). There was also a poll or two on reddit that broke down who viewers' favorite and least favorite characters were and how they felt about certain plot points, so that's the closest there is to hard info. This season, even from the beginning, I saw a lot less fan participation in places where people discuss the show, and it dropped off even further after Lucy's death. 

1 hour ago, Rahul said:

Regarding Rio's sex appeal--I've never understood those who tune in of a show simply so they could ogle an actor or just to "ship" a couple. If someone is seeking simple titillation, Harlequin or Mills & Boon romance novels would be a better choice.

It's always been something I enjoyed in other shows if it was done well, but I don't think it's ever been my primary reason for watching a show. On this show, I admit it's what has held my interest more than anything else, but it's because I find both of their characters psychologically interesting both together and apart, and that comes as much from the actors' respective performances as it does from the writers. You're not going to get that from a romance novel (or porn, which is another comparison I see a lot of).

I think my lack of interest in other parts of the show is because the other parts of the show aren't that interesting to begin with (although I do like what they're doing with Ruby and Stan, at least so far). But look at what's going on with Annie this season--it started out promising, with this guy helping her face her issues and work through some of her feelings about her relationship with Beth, but now it's devolved into Annie doing the same old shit and they're pissing viewers off with an extremely inappropriate patient/therapist relationship. They have 35+ minutes in each episode to write compelling stories and scenes that are not about Rio or Brio, and I just don't think they're succeeding.

Edit: The 'shipping thing goes the other way, too. I had to stop watching Scandal because I thought Fitz was so slimy and gross and Olivia's relationship with him was so toxic. Every time he and Olivia hooked up, it actually made me nauseous. I'm sure there are people who felt/feel that way about Beth and Rio, and I get that.

Edited April 8, 2020 by LaMatadita

[ribboninthesky1]

On 4/6/2020 at 5:23 AM, LaMatadita said:

He was also supposed to be killed off around the 4th episode of S1, but the showrunner thought he was fun to watch and had good onscreen chemistry with Christina Hendricks, so they kept him.

This is interesting to me because the showrunner assumed the chemistry was an explicitly Manny/Christina thing.  It really isn't.  At that point, Beth was pretty much the only character Rio interacted with.  But as Manny Montana has shared scenes with others, it's patently evident that it's the way he's playing Rio, and he's charismatic to everyone. 

On 4/5/2020 at 7:29 PM, Rahul said:

Yep. This might be of interest to you: Why NBC's 'Good Girls' Recast Kathleen Rose Perkins

I'm not familiar with the actress, but reading that Beth was originally intended to be more frazzled and haphazard makes so much more sense within the context of the show.  From the beginning, Beth made little sense to me.  I never understood how someone who was supposed to be this "together," responsible, excellent household manager....would be utterly clueless about the family's finances.    

Also, Retta and Mae Whitman nail the comedy. Christina Hendricks plays it a bit too straight, and she's not funny to me.  The "straight man" should be funny, too.

I also don't know why they bothered to make Beth and Annie sisters.  I'm trying to think of a time when their children have ever been seen at their respective aunt's house, even in the background, and can't think of one.  Does Ben know he has cousins? 

On 4/6/2020 at 7:39 PM, LaMatadita said:

I feel like the writers just completely ignore the lack of equity between Rio and Beth, or even Beth and Ruby, and it's at the heart of what bothers me about the show now. I just can't unsee it. Would this show even be possible if Beth and Ruby's roles in the story were reversed?

Nope.            

Edited April 8, 2020 by ribboninthesky1

[dubbel zout]

21 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

Does Ben know he has cousins?

Beth's kids are enough younger that I get we don't see them all together. We don't see Beth's kids that much unless the plot demands it.

[Grumpymonkey]

 

9 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

This is interesting to me because the showrunner assumed the chemistry was an explicitly Manny/Christina thing.  It really isn't.  At that point, Beth was pretty much the only character Rio interacted with.  But as Manny Montana has shared scenes with others, it's patently evident that it's the way he's playing Rio, and he's charismatic to everyone. 

 

I agree with the showrunner. I haven't seen chemistry between MM and any of the other females on the show like he has with CH.  My co-worker is obsessed with Beth and Rio, she had me watch videos and that is essentially why I binged the show. If I'm honest, the videos were better because I really didn't care for the progression/writing of their "relationship" on the show but I overlooked all that cause of that chemistry tho 😄. 

I read I think at reddit they were going to try Rio and Annie at one point and yeah, that would not compare chemistry-wise to me at all. But it is subjective so who knows.

9 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I also don't know why they bothered to make Beth and Annie sisters. 

I don't think the three of them being family/friends since childhood would make sense if Annie wasn't related to one of them. Too much of an age gap there. Beth and Ruby being friends and Annie as the tag along much younger sibling makes sense to me. 

9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Beth's kids are enough younger that I get we don't see them all together. We don't see Beth's kids that much unless the plot demands it.

Beth's kids are like extras while Annie and Ruby's kids (well maybe not Harry) are actual characters.  Kenny is the only kid of Beth's I can even remember.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Grumpymonkey

[love2lovebadtv]

On 3/23/2020 at 12:03 AM, sempervivum said:

I don't understand why Rio's henchman made the girls dig up (?) Lucy's body. And why can't he just buy a hot tub for himself?

I enjoyed Bob Clendenin (Dr. Terrence from The Closer) playing the weird therapist who mostly wants to know all about why Annie smells so delicious.

I sort of understand why old ass Beth and Ruby might not be aware, but how could Annie not know about Find My Phone?

I don't think Beth and Ruby are old, though I think the actresses look older than their characters are probably supposed to be. Ruby is familiar with iPhone models. And she looks older than everyone else. I learned not to make assumptions about someone's technical knowledge based on age. Everyone is different. I've seen many people in their 20s be less into social media than their parent. 

I am tech savvy but I don't have an iPhone, Mac, or iPad. We're an Android/PC household. I use the phone find feature sometimes when I misplace my phone but my husband doesn't and wouldn't know how to track down anyone in our family. I can buy the ladies not knowing about it, especially Annie because there are so many things she's out of touch with so many things. 

[Trini]

Episode 3.10 synopsis:

Spoiler

"OPPORTUNITY"

04/26/2020 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Sunday) : Beth begins to make moves towards the future just as a new member of law enforcement enters the women's orbit. A guilty Ruby goes too far trying to be a good person while Annie experiences self-doubt over her GED test. TV-14

 

[Trini]

Matt's Inside Line from TVLine:

Quote

What will happen to the rest of the Good Girls season? I believe they’ve filmed 12 episodes but there were supposed to be 16. —Jessica


Actually, 11 episodes were able to be filmed/completed ahead of the pandemic shutdown, which lands the ersatz season finale on Sunday, May 3. In that episode,

Spoiler

Beth and Dean made a big move to own a legitimate business, tensions rise between Ruby and Stan, and Phoebe gets even closer to cracking the case when she gets her hands on {spoiler}

Edited April 14, 2020 by Trini

[Emma C]

This show is nothing more than Christina Hendricks staring straight ahead.

[ribboninthesky1]

On 4/8/2020 at 11:06 AM, dubbel zout said:

Beth's kids are enough younger that I get we don't see them all together. We don't see Beth's kids that much unless the plot demands it.

I didn't think there was a significant age gap between Beth's oldest and Ben.  Even more than that, I think a scene or two of the kids interacting together wouldn't have detracted from anything.  Heck, Ben could be seen babysitting Beth's youngest.  

On 4/8/2020 at 7:56 PM, Grumpymonkey said:

I agree with the showrunner. I haven't seen chemistry between MM and any of the other females on the show like he has with CH.  My co-worker is obsessed with Beth and Rio, she had me watch videos and that is essentially why I binged the show. If I'm honest, the videos were better because I really didn't care for the progression/writing of their "relationship" on the show but I overlooked all that cause of that chemistry tho 😄. 

I read I think at reddit they were going to try Rio and Annie at one point and yeah, that would not compare chemistry-wise to me at all. But it is subjective so who knows.

I've learned that watching spliced, curated videos of popular pairings tends to distort what actually happens on a show.  In any case, different strokes - I thought the chemistry between Manny and Christina was unique to them until I saw Rio interact with other characters.  I never cared much about Brio. 

[Trini]

Episode 3.11 synopsis (the unexpected season finale):

Spoiler

"SYNERGY"

05/03/2020 (10:01PM - 11:00PM) (Sunday) : Beth and Dean offer to buy Four Star Pool & Spa from Gayle and Dean is determined to make this a legitimate business. Tensions rise between Ruby & Stan and culminate in our trio making a drastic decision. Phoebe gets even closer to cracking the case when she gets her hands on Ruby's phone. TV-14 DL

 

[NotChristine]

10 hours ago, Trini said:

Episode 3.11 synopsis (the unexpected season finale):

  Hide contents

"SYNERGY"

05/03/2020 (10:01PM - 11:00PM) (Sunday) : Beth and Dean offer to buy Four Star Pool & Spa from Gayle and Dean is determined to make this a legitimate business. Tensions rise between Ruby & Stan and culminate in our trio making a drastic decision. Phoebe gets even closer to cracking the case when she gets her hands on Ruby's phone. TV-14 DL

 

[BusyOctober]

Wow, no comments on last night’s ep yet.  Guess this is not ‘must see tv’.  I only remembered it was on because my DVR recorded it and I was up at 2am with a headache.  Watching this didn’t help.  I don’t care about the main counterfeit story anymore.  I hate Dean and the actor who plays him. Annie’s horn ball/ poor whittle gurwl who needs wuv storyline is awful.  They ruined Stan and Ruby’s family.  Christina/Elizabeth just does a 500yd stare and pushes her boobs out every week.  I never liked Rio.  I am actively rooting for the new quirky cop to catch these idiots. But not before Andrew McCarthy puts a bullet in Rio and his Mercedes.

[Ms Blue Jay]

53 minutes ago, BusyOctober said:

Christina/Elizabeth just does a 500yd stare and pushes her boobs out every week. 

Every line in your post is funny, but this is my favourite.

[abc123]

I'm still watching this show, but it seems like the storylines are getting recycled.  I'm not really that interested anymore.   

[chocolatine]

4 minutes ago, abc123 said:

I'm still watching this show, but it seems like the storylines are getting recycled.  I'm not really that interested anymore.   

Same here. Last night's episode was so bad that I kinda want episode 11 to be the series finale.

[dubbel zout]

Is the kidney thing a retcon? I thought Ruby and Stan were having trouble paying for the transplant and anti-rejection drugs and such, not finding a kidney in the first place.

I wish Annie's therapist had thrown her out of his office and told her never to return when she started on her passive-aggressive "truth." What does she care if the therapist and his girlfriend don't have sex? It's none of her business. And don't get me started on her calling her ex to come over so she could basically jump him. UGH. She's just the worst.

[tennisgurl]

Annie is such a mess, I really dont know how anyone even puts up with her. Could she just stop hitting on guys who have girlfriends for, like, five minutes? Why she has so many men who are into her in beyond me, unless its some kind of "save her from herself" thing. 

We really are just spinning our wheels here, doing the same story beats over and over. I honestly feel like we are just watching the same plots over and over. Ruby feels guilty about dragging crime into her family, Beth tries to be a badass and has marital problems, Annie is a hot mess, Rio is hot and evil, over and over again. God, just have the assassin guy kill him, at least it would shake things up. The stuff with the quirky agents going after The Girls is at least a little different, but, again, we have basically seen this before. 

[Grumpymonkey]

I really enjoyed the start of the episode and thought the scene in the diner Beth wearing the glasses and everything with Max's cousin was funny.  Then everything went downhill and fast.

I can't even really comment on Annie's scenes cause I pretty much changed the channel or muted her when she started talking. I don't understand what they are doing with her but its all so cringeworthy.

I also don't understand why so much Dean, he is just so not on my radar and after seeing Greg again wish he could pop up sporadically like that dude. I also don't understand the show/Dean kinda implying Beth and Dean's martial problems are all because of Rio. That's not how I remember it.

I love Andrew McCarthy and it was nice seeing him, but this hit man plot is tired, they aren't going to kill Rio so move on (at this point the should already maybe create some fresh story).

I really like Ruby, but using Sara was I don't know. I did like their talk in the car though.

I also don't understand the point of the gun. I'm basing this on my watching the first 48, but Beth is so small in the scheme of things if they hand the gun with her fingerprints over, she just offers up Rio to get out of her mess. I'd see it as a way out, not incentive. I don't know, but I've pretty much enjoyed most episodes this season, but this one was a real dud.

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by Grumpymonkey

[DanaMB]

God, I fucking hate Annie.

[Anela]

I haven't watched last night's episode yet. I watched the previous one last night, trying to catch up. 

I could see how Annie would get the wrong idea, with this therapist helping her to study, and eating from her slice of pizza. Things like that go past the boundary of her going to get therapy. 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I wish Annie's therapist had thrown her out of his office and told her never to return when she started on her passive-aggressive "truth." What does she care if the therapist and his girlfriend don't have sex? It's none of her business. 

She's trying to homewreck.  

1 hour ago, Grumpymonkey said:

I also don't understand why so much Dean, he is just so not on my radar and after seeing Greg again wish he could pop up sporadically like that dude. I also don't understand the show/Dean kinda implying Beth and Dean's martial problems are all because of Rio. That's not how I remember it.

This is one of my biggest problems with the show.  Dean was a philanderer who had zero interest in Beth.  He was cheating left and right, correct?  Then suddenly Rio enters the picture and Beth feels some excitement in her dreary sad boring ass life for once.  Then they suddenly paint Dean as this sad-sack, lovelorn man who is so brokenhearted over his wife.  It's pathetic and it makes me sick.

[chocolatine]

The most messed up thing about the Annie/therapist storyline is the the reason she's in therapy in the first place is that her selfishness and lack of boundaries led her to have an affair with her married ex. And now her therapist is bad at setting/enforcing boundaries and Annie sees that as encouragement to push things even further. I really just feel sorry for Ben; he is the one who suffers the most from Annie's behavior.

[Ms Blue Jay]

56 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

The most messed up thing about the Annie/therapist storyline is the the reason she's in therapy in the first place is that her selfishness and lack of boundaries led her to have an affair with her married ex. And now her therapist is bad at setting/enforcing boundaries and Annie sees that as encouragement to push things even further. I really just feel sorry for Ben; he is the one who suffers the most from Annie's behavior.

And I guess, Ben's new stepsister.  Her dad is messed up also if he and Annie are still having an affair randomly whenever Annie feels neglected by whatever New Dick is ignoring her that day.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[Grumpymonkey]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

This is one of my biggest problems with the show.  Dean was a philanderer who had zero interest in Beth.  He was cheating left and right, correct?  Then suddenly Rio enters the picture and Beth feels some excitement in her dreary sad boring ass life for once.  Then they suddenly paint Dean as this sad-sack, lovelorn man who is so brokenhearted over his wife.  It's pathetic and it makes me sick.

I don't get Beth and Dean. To me they are not rootworthy in anyway except I root for them to end. I know neither one is innocent but when Beth told him to stay last night I had no idea why and thought she looked like a moron (unfortunately her looking like a moron is an ongoing theme).  And the way they are writing Dean sometimes the only reason I think he has a renewed interest in Beth is because someone else did. His obsession with that boring dress? Makes no sense.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Grumpymonkey

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

She's trying to homewreck.  

I get that's what she's trying to do, and it makes her even more of a garbage person. Ugh. She's the worst. She's also stupid in a way that isn't funny. That whole Facebook exchange was beyond inane.

[Ms Blue Jay]

11 minutes ago, Grumpymonkey said:

I don't get Beth and Dean. To me they are not rootworthy in anyway except I root for them to end. I know neither one is innocent but when Beth told him to stay last night I had no idea why and thought she looked like a moron (unfortunately her looking like a moron is an ongoing theme).  And the way they are writing Dean sometimes the only reason I think he has a renewed interest in Beth is because someone else did. His obsession with that boring dress? Makes no sense.

It makes him look pathetic.  No one could root for a character like that.  I know that Matthew has a lot of fans from his halcyon days in the 90s, but I don't know if anyone actually likes the character of Dean and what they're trying to do there.

[helenamonster]

Jesus Christ, Annie. Look at your life, look at your choices!

(Though the irony of a character played by Mae Whitman asking somebody else "Why her?" is not lost on me.)

Are we supposed to feel bad for Ione Skye now? She was more than happy to fire Dean for not having sex with her a few episodes ago. I've completely lost the thread of that storyline.

We know something's gonna go wrong with this hitman, and sometimes good suspense can be built from things like that, but it's not happening here for me.

I like Lauren Lapkus, and I hope we get to see a good amount of her before the season cuts off early. Would like to see her interacting with the main trio.

7 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Is the kidney thing a retcon? I thought Ruby and Stan were having trouble paying for the transplant and anti-rejection drugs and such, not finding a kidney in the first place.

I could be wrong, but I think the idea is supposed to be that, no matter when Sara's number came up for the transplant, Ruby and Stan wouldn't be able to afford the care that went along with that. So it's less that Ruby bought the kidney and more that she bought the other things that allowed Sara to get the transplant without incurring crushing medical debt.

However, I am reminded of a scene where a hospital administrator asked Ruby and Stan to write a check on the spot for five figures, presumably for the actual kidney, and being confused as I thought the whole idea of the transplant list was to not make people's income a barrier to receiving a needed organ.

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

It makes him look pathetic.  No one could root for a character like that.  I know that Matthew has a lot of fans from his halcyon days in the 90s, but I don't know if anyone actually likes the character of Dean and what they're trying to do there.

I'm a huge Scream fan and will always have a soft spot for Matthew in my heart from that. He's obviously way too old to play that kind of role anymore, but this jarring to pivot to sad sack suburban dad is not the best use of his talents, I don't think.

[Anela]

I'm still watching, but my DVR froze up on me, just as Dean started talking to his boss (and was holding an award). 

Annie - yeesh. Last year, she was the one breaking things off with her ex. Now she's feeling rejected/unattractive, and going for him again. Her ex is no better than she is, even if he is trying, but she is going too far, looking for cracks in the therapist's relationship.

Beth - she was the one who got them started making their own fake money, Rio wasn't in the picture at the time. When this is over, what will be the next thing she picks up to make her life more exciting?

Ruby is trying to do the right thing, and now they're using this to cause more unrest in her home. Of course they are. I do find the exchanges with her daughter to be really good and honest, though. 

So has Dean gone to sleep with his miraculously changed boss? My DVR is still frozen. They tried to make out that he was looking for affection elsewhere, because of Beth, but he was just sleazy when the show started. He did regain some respect and attraction with her change in attitude, and the obvious tension she had with Rio (before anything actually happened). They should just have gone with that, instead of trying to make him out to be the wronged one. I wonder how many times Beth was waiting for him, or he cancelled something with her, because of one of his women on the side.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Anela

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 minutes ago, Anela said:

So has Dean gone to sleep with his miraculously changed boss? My DVR is still frozen.

Dean and Ione Skye were shown kissing onscreen.

Then later, Dean confessed to Beth, and claimed that all he did was kiss. He didn't have sex with Ione because he wants Beth, not her. 

[marceline]

I think I just realized that one of the things that is really bothering me about the show now is that while was all about stealing at first, now it's all about killing. We started with Beth thinking she had killed Rio, to Rio killing Agent Turner to Rio wanting to kill Beth except for her "pregnancy" to Lucy's murder, to the girls trying to turn Lucy's boyfriend into a hitman to now outright hiring a hitman.

I know it's always been a dark comedy but now it's too dark for me. 

[Kel Varnsen]

1 hour ago, helenamonster said:

Though the irony of a character played by Mae Whitman asking somebody else "Why her?" is not lost on me.)

It's too bad they names her character Annie, since otherwise it would have been kind of funny if the therapist girlfriend was named Ann.

And what was the point of the Hitman with the missing hands? It wasn't funny and they could have had the boyfriend guy put them in touch with the real Hitman without changing the story at all.

The best part was Ruby calling her daughter out in the car. Hopefully Retta finds something better when this show is over. Although I don't really get their plan for blaming the homeless ladies for stealing from the salon, when she opened the door with the key. Are we assuming that one of them is an expert lock pick who wants to steal cosmetics?

[Ms Blue Jay]

59 minutes ago, marceline said:

I think I just realized that one of the things that is really bothering me about the show now is that while was all about stealing at first, now it's all about killing. We started with Beth thinking she had killed Rio, to Rio killing Agent Turner to Rio wanting to kill Beth except for her "pregnancy" to Lucy's murder, to the girls trying to turn Lucy's boyfriend into a hitman to now outright hiring a hitman.

I know it's always been a dark comedy but now it's too dark for me. 

I'm with you on that!

[Anela]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Dean and Ione Skye were shown kissing onscreen.

Then later, Dean confessed to Beth, and claimed that all he did was kiss. He didn't have sex with Ione because he wants Beth, not her. 

Thank you. 🙂

[EtheltoTillie]

33 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

It's too bad they names her character Annie, since otherwise it would have been kind of funny if the therapist girlfriend was named Ann.

And what was the point of the Hitman with the missing hands? It wasn't funny and they could have had the boyfriend guy put them in touch with the real Hitman without changing the story at all.

The best part was Ruby calling her daughter out in the car. Hopefully Retta finds something better when this show is over. Although I don't really get their plan for blaming the homeless ladies for stealing from the salon, when she opened the door with the key. Are we assuming that one of them is an expert lock pick who wants to steal cosmetics?

Call me sicko, but I thought the armless (incompetent) bomber was actually funny. There was no point except to have that gag. 

[LemonSoda]

9 hours ago, helenamonster said:

I could be wrong, but I think the idea is supposed to be that, no matter when Sara's number came up for the transplant, Ruby and Stan wouldn't be able to afford the care that went along with that. So it's less that Ruby bought the kidney and more that she bought the other things that allowed Sara to get the transplant without incurring crushing medical debt.

However, I am reminded of a scene where a hospital administrator asked Ruby and Stan to write a check on the spot for five figures, presumably for the actual kidney, and being confused as I thought the whole idea of the transplant list was to not make people's income a barrier to receiving a needed organ.

I know nothing on this show is meant to be realistic but this was. Both of my parents had transplants. They had to verify how the costs would be covered for the surgery plus the costly medications like the anti rejection drugs. It was sad and insane. Until then I, like many was under the impression of “if a match shows up you receive it”. Not so much. They can deny the procedure if you can’t fully verify how it all will be covered. 

[BoogieBurns]

On 4/20/2020 at 10:29 AM, dubbel zout said:

Is the kidney thing a retcon? I thought Ruby and Stan were having trouble paying for the transplant and anti-rejection drugs and such, not finding a kidney in the first place.

No, I think the story tracks. They wrote an $87,000 check when the kidney became available in the penultimate episode of season 1. Then Stan learned there was a robbery the night before at the store where Annie works. Not to mention Ruby paid in cash and took the check (that would have bounced) and ripped it up.

[dubbel zout]

The only way to buy an actual kidney is to go on the black market, I think; otherwise, it's UNOS, right? I'm still confused about how the kidney itself is the issue. As I wrote, I thought the original problem is paying for everything insurance won't.

[Poohbear617]

Ok..the gun Beth touched  was the one used to murder Lucy I think.  Since Rio said it was the one used to kill her friend. So now Beth's fingerprints are on it.  Since Lucy was chopped up and in an unmarked grave and is decomposing..is there anyway to tell she has been shot if Rio was to turn the gun and body over to authorities? 

Even though he was not a friend, was the gun used on Boomer? Do we know if Boomer is still alive?

 

[DanaMB]

You’ve obviously put more thought into this than the writers have. 

[Anela]

On 4/21/2020 at 10:02 PM, BoogieBurns said:

No, I think the story tracks. They wrote an $87,000 check when the kidney became available in the penultimate episode of season 1. Then Stan learned there was a robbery the night before at the store where Annie works. Not to mention Ruby paid in cash and took the check (that would have bounced) and ripped it up.

Yes, I think they were told they had to have most of the money up-front. I can't remember why.

[BoogieBurns]

15 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

As I wrote, I thought the original problem is paying for everything insurance won't.

 

12 minutes ago, Anela said:

Yes, I think they were told they had to have most of the money up-front. I can't remember why.

The $87,000 was what the insurance didn't cover... because #America. I think they tried to imply it was 20% of the cost of the procedure, which is what my insurance charges as well (20%, not $90k).

[Anela]

2 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

 

The $87,000 was what the insurance didn't cover... because #America. I think they tried to imply it was 20% of the cost of the procedure, which is what my insurance charges as well (20%, not $90k).

I thought it was for the reason, after I posted. I don't have insurance, because the money needed upfront was astronomical. We couldn't afford a monthly payment of hundreds of dollars, plus that. It's ridiculous.

[debraran]

6 hours ago, Anela said:

I thought it was for the reason, after I posted. I don't have insurance, because the money needed upfront was astronomical. We couldn't afford a monthly payment of hundreds of dollars, plus that. It's ridiculous.

Children can go on medicaid in the states. From what I read, most at a certain stage qualify. My nephew was an adult and he went on medicare for 3 years which covered his drugs until he got a job with insurance (another story) It might vary by state but from what I read, it was in theirs. I stopped watching but check in posts sometimes to see if it got better and it doesn't seem so.

"Nearly half of the patients waiting for organs in the U.S. have private health insurance, UNOS data show. The rest are largely covered by the government, including Medicaid, the federal program for the disabled and poor, and Medicare.

Medicare also covers kidney transplants for all patients with end-stage renal disease. But, there’s a catch. While the cost of a kidney transplant is covered for people younger than 65, the program halts payment for anti-rejection drugs after 36 months. That leaves many patients facing sudden bills, said Tonya Saffer, vice president of health policy for the National Kidney Foundation."

Edited April 23, 2020 by debraran

[scowl]

On 4/20/2020 at 5:30 PM, marceline said:

I think I just realized that one of the things that is really bothering me about the show now is that while was all about stealing at first, now it's all about killing.

I think I'd be OK about that if it were only a good show about killing. Anyone with a brain would know that assassinating someone in a crowded bar is not a smart way to kill someone.

[Ms Blue Jay]

This show is the worst and I hate Mae's eyebrows.  I'm sorry to the people who still love it ; I don't usually hate-watch, but I am in love with Manny Montana.

I've watched way too much TV because I was suspicious of Kidney family from JUMP.  If Stan is a cop shouldn't he have way better than instincts than that?  At least better than mine.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[LaMatadita]

Halfway through this episode I realized that we saw an eerily similar episode in S2. You know, the one where Beth follows a criminal around and watches him go about his day and interact with his child and the writing tries in a sort of half-assed way to show that the criminal and Beth are quite similar and are maybe just at different points on the same path. I mean FFS, it's an entire season later and the writers have moved about 2 inches closer to actually pulling the trigger on her character arc and are using literally the same tired "Beth follows a criminal around, and he's a 'dad with a lucrative side business' " narrative device to hammer it home. Again! 

They only kept two writers from previous seasons and everyone else is new to the show, and they're THAT unexcited about it, to the point where they're just plagiarizing episodes from the previous writers?

Edited April 27, 2020 by LaMatadita

[LemonSoda]

I saw the kidney family’s motives instantly. Ugh! Back in the early 80’s, my cousin was in a bad accident. The young couple who stopped to help and were credited with saving his life continued to show up randomly over the years when they were in need. Everything from diapers to car insurance. Dropping the “you still have your son” line. 

[qtpye]

On 4/20/2020 at 3:57 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

She's trying to homewreck.  

This is one of my biggest problems with the show.  Dean was a philanderer who had zero interest in Beth.  He was cheating left and right, correct?  Then suddenly Rio enters the picture and Beth feels some excitement in her dreary sad boring ass life for once.  Then they suddenly paint Dean as this sad-sack, lovelorn man who is so brokenhearted over his wife.  It's pathetic and it makes me sick.

It is conveniently forgotten that Dean was cheating and there money problems are because of his poor business management. He paid for expensive gifts for his girlfriends instead of the mortgage. Dean also referred to his wife as "an old reliable mini van".

On 4/20/2020 at 5:27 PM, Grumpymonkey said:

I don't get Beth and Dean. To me they are not rootworthy in anyway except I root for them to end. I know neither one is innocent but when Beth told him to stay last night I had no idea why and thought she looked like a moron (unfortunately her looking like a moron is an ongoing theme).  And the way they are writing Dean sometimes the only reason I think he has a renewed interest in Beth is because someone else did. His obsession with that boring dress? Makes no sense.

I was a huge fan of Mathew back in the day and absolutely hate him here. He does not make Dean likable or understandable in any shape or form.

On 4/20/2020 at 7:15 PM, helenamonster said:

Jesus Christ, Annie. Look at your life, look at your choices!

(Though the irony of a character played by Mae Whitman asking somebody else "Why her?" is not lost on me.)

Are we supposed to feel bad for Ione Skye now? She was more than happy to fire Dean for not having sex with her a few episodes ago. I've completely lost the thread of that storyline.

We know something's gonna go wrong with this hitman, and sometimes good suspense can be built from things like that, but it's not happening here for me.

I like Lauren Lapkus, and I hope we get to see a good amount of her before the season cuts off early. Would like to see her interacting with the main trio.

I could be wrong, but I think the idea is supposed to be that, no matter when Sara's number came up for the transplant, Ruby and Stan wouldn't be able to afford the care that went along with that. So it's less that Ruby bought the kidney and more that she bought the other things that allowed Sara to get the transplant without incurring crushing medical debt.

However, I am reminded of a scene where a hospital administrator asked Ruby and Stan to write a check on the spot for five figures, presumably for the actual kidney, and being confused as I thought the whole idea of the transplant list was to not make people's income a barrier to receiving a needed organ.

I'm a huge Scream fan and will always have a soft spot for Matthew in my heart from that. He's obviously way too old to play that kind of role anymore, but this jarring to pivot to sad sack suburban dad is not the best use of his talents, I don't think.

Annie's story line is basically she is horny and down to fuck...over and over again. When she was asking the therapist why her (and I love Arrested Development) I was like, I don't know Annie....maybe it is because she is kind, smart, educated, and actually wants to help fuck ups like you.

Her character is desperate and sad, though the actress can be funny.

I love Ruby's family but it just now occurs to lil mama that her family stole to pay for her hospital expenses? I know they probably shielded her from the truth but she sees that her family is struggling financially. I also hope she does not feel guilty about that...it is not her fault she was sick and Ruby made the choices she did.

It's funny, I did not realize until you guys mentioned it how little we see of Beth's kids. It really boggles the mind that a mother of four would have enough time to run around engaging in the ridiculousness that Beth does.

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, LemonSoda said:

I saw the kidney family’s motives instantly. Ugh! Back in the early 80’s, my cousin was in a bad accident. The young couple who stopped to help and were credited with saving his life continued to show up randomly over the years when they were in need. Everything from diapers to car insurance. Dropping the “you still have your son” line. 

Holy crap.

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

It's funny, I did not realize until you guys mentioned it how little we see of Beth's kids. It really boggles the mind that a mother of four would have enough time to run around engaging in the ridiculousness that Beth does.

And wasn't all the shit from Beth's house taken from Rio, and they just never replaced it?  How do they live?  And the kids don't complain or ask questions?