Andi Mack - General Discussion

[Dejana]

I saw some Youtubers saying they wanted the social experiment to be harder hitting in verbalizing the sorts of privilege that exist IRL (racism, sexism, etc.) but I only expect this show to go so far.

"Should we be holding hands?" Awww, that's adorable, I remember so many middle school relationships that were about 90 percent posturing (though even 20 years ago, there were kids that age who got up to...stuff).  I guess they might actually kiss for the season finale, if they don't break up first (such drama in the previews!).

Andi wasn't wrong about the shack being in her life longer than Bex or Bowie, but ouch! My guess is that the house will stay in the family somehow, otherwise they'll have to change the credits. It would be more in character with this show, though, if the Macks moved and Andi just had to deal with it.

Edited December 3, 2017 by Dejana

[Mabinogia]

I almost wish the social experiment had been a two parter because I feel like these writers could actually have done it justice with more time.  I like that at first group B tried to justify their harder test saying it's because they were the smarter group. Then turns out, nope, they were just being basically punished for being put into group B. Also would be interesting to see if Andi would have been so determined to join group B if her friends weren't there. Would she care as much about the injustice if it hadn't been happening to Buffy and Jonah Beck? 

I think that somehow Bex and Andi will move back into the house, possibly with Brody. Maybe they will start some kind of lay away plan with her parents to slowly buy it from them. And yeah, that truth bomb Andi dropped about Bex and Brodie being new to her life while the Shack has always been there. OUCH! But I don't blame her one bit for saying it. It's true. Sure, their little insta family has been going well, but they have only been her parents for a few weeks, maybe a couple months. Poor Andi really has had her entire world turned on it's head in less than a year. The only constants have been Cyrus and Buffy and the Andi Shack. I'm honestly surprised how well she's taken it all. 

[Skyfall]

22 hours ago, neuromom said:

The social experiment was interesting.  I know it’s been around for many years because they did at my school over 40 years ago . The fact that I remember it is a testament to what a powerful lesson it was. I wonder how many kids besides Andi had figured out the social experiment angle ? My guess is that this yonger generation is more “socially conscious “ than prior generations. That’s my perception anyway! 

I initally agreed with CeCe about Andi being “tougher than you think” - Until Bex actually told her, and Andi was upset because of the fact that “you guys just showed up but Andi Shack has been there MY WHOLE LIFE.” 

Bam. Made total sense ! And even though Bex was correct that Andi would be “crushed”, I don’t think she even had a clue as to the reason WHY.

yep. Bex and Brodie are cute! I enjoy his relationship with CeCe as well.

This whole selling the house is going to lead to Bex (and Brodie?) buying the house. It’s not discreet at all and I hope they’re not trying to make it a huge twist or a big deal/episode.

[KerleyQ]

19 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

Also would be interesting to see if Andi would have been so determined to join group B if her friends weren't there. Would she care as much about the injustice if it hadn't been happening to Buffy and Jonah Beck? 

I think she would have eventually still reached that point, because she seems like a generally socially conscious kid, but it might have taken longer, since she wouldn't have been invested in specific people she was speaking to and seeing how miserable they were. 

[Rowsdower]

Quote

Brodie

Quote

Brody

*Bowie

[Skyfall]

20 minutes ago, Rowsdower said:

*Bowie

I’ve heard it both ways.

[Koalagirl]

Apparently some people aren't liking the Cyrus story line:

https://nypost.com/2017/12/08/the-disney-channel-is-no-longer-safe-for-our-kids/

[luckyroll3]

13 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

Apparently some people aren't liking the Cyrus story line:

https://nypost.com/2017/12/08/the-disney-channel-is-no-longer-safe-for-our-kids/

Interesting how they're framing it under Disney pushing kids to disrespect their parents and challenge authority figures.  They bury the gay and trans storylines in the middle because they don't want to be called out for the homophobes and transphobes that they are.  But they probably have gay friends and can't be homophobes, so it's okay.

  

[Mabinogia]

It bothers me that they have lumped being gay or transgender in with being disrespectful. The fuck? Those two things are two completely different issues. And honestly, I don't think this show really has shown the kids being overly disrespectful. Sure there was the moment Andi said the Andi Shack had been there her whole life while her parents just showed up. But I don't see that as disrespectful so much as telling the truth in a moment of heightened emotion. Even when she had that conflict with the (vice) principle (can't remember if he's vice or principal) about the dress code. She actually handled it very maturely and in the end they reached an agreement which I thought was quite refreshing for a kids show where usually the adult is a moron and the kid is always right. 

[neuromom]

Oh good grief! I just read the article. So obviously an editorial. And, seriously, I’m guessing this “mom of three” watches zero tv now?  Because there is questionable material EVERYWHERE! If they want “disrespectful” kids, Nickelodeon has that in spades!  Unless she’s going to put her kids in a bubble, maybe she ought to open a dialogue with them and discuss some of these “concerning” issues openly. 

I had concerns about this show at the outset because of some of the more “mature” themes. But, I’ve found it to be pretty true to life (for tv) with a likeable cast, playing characters with various foibles and issues. 

[Mabinogia]

9 hours ago, neuromom said:

Unless she’s going to put her kids in a bubble, maybe she ought to open a dialogue with them and discuss some of these “concerning” issues openly. 

This is what always gets me about these militant groups. Disney is giving you a chance to talk to your kids about important issues by making them aware. TALK to your kids instead of plopping them in front of the electronic babysitter and none of this would be an issue. WRT the backtalking and attitude of TV kids, maybe explain to them it's entertainment and fantasy and not real life. It's a way for kids to live vicariously through these characters. WRT Cyrus, maybe discuss how the world is made up of many different types of people who like different things and it's great because if we were all the same life would be dull. Though she'd more likely be explaining how poor Cyrus is going to burn in hell now because he has the audacity to not conform. UGH. People suck sometimes.

[Dejana]

Two new episodes, after the holiday hiatus! 

Jonah says he's not still mad at Andi for laughing when he fell at the arcade, but I don't think it's a coincidence that in the next episode he's spending time with some other girl. And the previews, he tells Andi that she's just a friend, but Amber tells Andi, yeah, that's what he used to say about you. Jonah Beck, middle school player? Some of them start early. :)

Buffy and Marty are very comfortable together and she obviously likes him but she's in the seventh grade, it's fine if she's scared of "going out" with someone.

As predicted, Celia and Ham aren't going to move right away (but probably will, for real, in time for the series finale), though not before she tried to be a bit of a "cool mom" to get Andi to want to spend time with her. Is krumping still a thing or has enough time passed for there to be nostalgia for it?

The Cyrus plots lately feel like the writers don't know what to do with him outside of the liking Jonah storyline yet for whatever reason, they can only write about that so much. So, he gets stuck with generic kiddie sitcom filler in the meantime.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Dejana

[Mabinogia]

I kind of wish Ham and Celia had stuck to moving and Andi had learned that the Andi Shack is just a building, that it is what she filled it with that made it special and that she can find a place like that wherever she goes.

Buffy and Marty "breaking up" made me sad. But it's a tough one. They get along soooo well, but if she really doesn't feel him romantically, she doesn't. And it cost her a friend, but she can't pretend. If it's just that she was afraid to lose him and really does like him romantically, that sucks. But I think she genuinely loves him as a friend only while he wants more. Which is a good storyline for kids, because it happens. I just hope they aren't trying to redeem that jerk team captain to try and pair her up with him. I will be ragey if they do that.

Jonah's kind of a jerk. Sorry Andi, but you can do much better, and will someday, when you get over him. It's hard though because he's her first love. But she better get over him and move on someday. He's cute, but he knows he's cute. That never makes for a good boyfriend (or girlfriend).

I didn't realize the show was back and ended up watching these two back to back On Demand. I'm glad to have new Mack. I really love this little show.

[Dejana]

9 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I kind of wish Ham and Celia had stuck to moving and Andi had learned that the Andi Shack is just a building, that it is what she filled it with that made it special and that she can find a place like that wherever she goes.

But then TPTB would have to change the credits! :) 

I hope we're in for a time jump next season (there will be a next season, right?) because the perpetual 13 year old gambit doesn't work with real child actors like it does in Baby-Sitters Club books! The show has a tricky line to walk in not being too juvenile yet not too mature for the youngest viewers, and that's much easier to manage with middle school kids. Sure, kids that age can be exposed to a lot but they can also be pretty sheltered and innocent, too. A seventh grader can throw a party with the parents out of town and it can still be depicted in a Disney-friendly way. With high schoolers, showing an unsupervised teen rager while completely sidestepping any sort of talk of drugs/sex/booze (let alone the partaking in any of them) requires a much bigger suspension of disbelief. 

Oddly, I can picture both the Marty actor and the basketball captain guy getting cast as a young version of Miles Teller in some movie or another. 

[omgsowicked]

Episode 2x9: Cracked up when they started using Dutch angles while Buffy and Cyrus explained the results of their sleuthing.

Andi and Jonah clearly have communication problems. She's extremely insecure and doesn't tell him how she really feels, and he seems to have problems with thinking of others first. That shot at the end of the episode (a reference to The Graduate?) seems to suggest that they're pretty miserable so hopefully they'll realize that they're not ready for a relationship. Buffy suggested that however many episodes ago and I think it would be good to show that sometimes you and your crush don't work out and/or that it's OK to not be ready for a relationship. On the other hand, Buffy and Marty seemed to be in a better position (emotionally and chemistry-wise) to start a relationship. I was surprised by how mature they were in 2x8, talking on the bridge. I'm warming up to them.

It was nice to see Bex all excited about making a new friend... until they made it a love triangle. I watched Blindspot before this (I'm in the demographic for that show, lol) and the same thing is happening; a female character has feelings for someone they turned down (who's now involved with someone else). So I'm meh on that.

[Mr. Sparkle]

3 hours ago, omgsowicked said:

That shot at the end of the episode (a reference to The Graduate?) 

That's the impression I got. 

[Dejana]

I knew I'd seen the image of a couple sitting together like that before in a movie but couldn't quite place it. Have Andi and Jonah had one episode together without some sort of angst? It's obvious they're not going to live happily ever after,  but for a pair of 13 year olds (or a 13 and 14 year old-we don't really know how old Jonah is), there's quite a bit of drama.

Would a middle school these days really sanction a Grease sing along, even if they did the school version of lyrics?

Edited January 28, 2018 by Dejana

[omgsowicked]

2x10 should have been called "Awwwww" because it was full of sweet moments. I liked the backstory about Bowie's birthday and that he got his "you called me dad" moment like Bex did. I also liked getting to know a bit more about why Buffy's so competitive, and it was nice to see her paired up with Jonah. I hope we'll see her mom (when she returns) and dad one of these days. I expected a bit more from the Cyrus/Iris breakup but I'm actually glad she didn't ask him why he didn't like her like that. I'm happy they ended things amicably and I hope we'll see her again soon.

And I cracked up at Bex saying that Bowie's "surprise face" looked like he walked into a room with a dead body.

[brokenwing29]

Wow, it is so refreshing to have one of these kid characters with a parent halfway around the world act like they are actually affected by their abscense. How many Disney/Nick kid characters over the years have had one or both parent off somewhere on a boat for the whole series and they never even wasted a tear on them between wacky hijinks? Now let's have Andi show some affection and loyalty for the parents who raised her without being bribed or blackmailed into it. And Jonah was so sweet to offer up another arm wrestling match after Buffy explained her feelings. He can be a good guy sometimes. I find it funny that Buffy never really acts competitive with Andi and Cyrus. She probably figures they aren't enough of a challenge. I do have a minor complaint in that Buffy seems to be one of those characters who are excel at everything...sports, math, was the fastest runner on her first try. I get that she's a strong/smart/etc character but no one is good at *everything.*

Iris is so pretty, seems nice enough and has a lot in common with Cyrus. It's like she is the perfect girl for him if only he was into girls. So I guess he's not bi (remember, the show has only had him admitting to "liking" Jonah and having a flicker of jealousy when Jonah and Andi got together). I've seen some fans claim that Cyrus is in love with Jonah and would risk anything to be with him etc, but I think this story is mainly about a boy realizing who he is rather than a love story between any two certain characters. I do hope he can stay friends with Iris. I can see her being accepting of his sexuality and going with him to stuff that wouldn't interest his other friends.

Bex really needs to stop agreeing with everything Andi says. It all turned out well, but IMO if someone expresses a disdain for birthdays you don't turn around and throw them a surprise party. Nice moment between Andi and her father. Some people are saying how Andi has never told Bex she loves her but I don't think Bex has ever said it to her either. Some people are more about showing love than verbalizing it. I do wish they would show Andi with the grandparents more and touch on their life before Bex revealed that she was the mother. 

[Mabinogia]

4 hours ago, brokenwing29 said:

Wow, it is so refreshing to have one of these kid characters with a parent halfway around the world act like they are actually affected by their abscense.

My heart broke for Buffy. That's got to be so hard, and it does explain why she is so hyper competitive. I agree, she is too good at too many things, but I think it is rooted in her fear that one day her mother won't be coming home alive. I actually enjoyed the interactions between her and Jonah. I like that he gave up and when he understood why she had to keep competing, he sat down and went another round. That was a beautiful scene of understanding and friendship.

RE: the party. I do wish that Bex had respected Bowie's wishes and suggested that maybe he and Andi go fishing for his birthday and start a father/daughter tradition that paid homage to his father/son tradition. Ah well, they all had a good time. 

I do like how fond of Bowie Celia is. I don't know why it tickles me as much as it does, but I love that she has pretty much welcomed him into the family. I think it's because he didn't push his way in and he honored her by cooking her mothers recipes and seems to be a genuinely good guy. Still, he did knock up her teenage daughter, so good on Celia for moving past that. I was touched when she gave him the rose clipping. 

[Dejana]

There's no "Cast in Other Roles" thread so I guess it would go here... I saw the actor who plays Bowie in a commercial for the upcoming ABC sitcom Splitting Up Together. Definitely not for children!

Edited February 7, 2018 by Dejana

[luckyroll3]

12 hours ago, Dejana said:

There's no "Cast in Other Roles" thread so I guess it would go here... I saw the actor who plays Bowie in a commercial for the upcoming ABC sitcom Splitting Up Together. Definitely not for children!

 

I just saw the same actor in a commercial for an upcoming show on HBO, something about a family with lots of adopted (adult) kids.  He's keeping busy.

Edited February 7, 2018 by luckyroll3

[Aliconehead]

There was some flirting going on in the swinging scene right?  I am not imagining it. I think I could get behind that pairing. 

I hope they don’t gloss over the Bowie not telling Andi. I think it would be an interesting storyline with paralleling him hiding the daughter to her mom and grandparents “hiding” her. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

2 hours ago, Aliconehead said:

There was some flirting going on in the swinging scene right?

Now that you mention it... 

[Misslindsey]

Quote

There was some flirting going on in the swinging scene right?  I am not imagining it. I think I could get behind that pairing. 

I thought so, but then wondered if I was reading too much into it. I initially thought they would pair TJ and Buffy. I was not a fan of that direction, but I like the idea of a TJ and Cyrus pairing. 

[brokenwing29]

I don't think you are imagining it because a lot of people are speculating about TJ and Cyrus now. And though I liked TJ a little better after this episode, I didn't see anything special between him and Buffy. One theory was that TJ acts overly tough to mask his homosexuality and Buffy's being so good at basketball threatened his masculinity which is why he is so mean to her. But come on Cyrus, leave a couple of love interests for the girls already! And omg Buffy is so good at everything and now with the help of Dr. Google she is a diagnostician of learning disabilities. Is there nothing that girl can't do lol? I really felt for Andi in the last scene. She is just getting acquainted with her birth father and developing a bond and here he is being friendly with a little girl whom when Andi was her age she didn't even know he existed (ok, awkward sentence, but you get what I mean). Have they ever explained why the family found it necessary to lie about who everyone was in relation to Andi?

[omgsowicked]

2x11: I'm trying not to pair Cyrus with every guy he interacts with but I definitely saw Cyrus/TJ vibes, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one! I can't stand TJ's attitude but I'm hoping there's a bigger reason behind it. They're suggesting that may be the case with his learning disability, which I'm glad they're introducing, but I also really like the idea that his attitude around his teammates and Buffy might be because he's dealing with his sexuality as well. I dunno... but his demeanor was totally different with Cyrus. If that's nothing, then I hope that he accepts and gets help for his disability, and starts acting like the decent kid we now know he's capable of being.

Andi's freakout over losing AndiShack got me to start seeing her as a bit of a brat, and this episode added to that. "Respect Bowie's privacy." "No." and "Oh, so can't go over and say hi while he's on a date? Watch me." It's not wrong, especially for someone her age and in her situation (finally learning about and connecting with her birth parents), but her attitude still made me a bit frustrated!

[Skyfall]

On 2/10/2018 at 12:58 AM, omgsowicked said:

2x11: I'm trying not to pair Cyrus with every guy he interacts with but I definitely saw Cyrus/TJ vibes, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one! I can't stand TJ's attitude but I'm hoping there's a bigger reason behind it. They're suggesting that may be the case with his learning disability, which I'm glad they're introducing, but I also really like the idea that his attitude around his teammates and Buffy might be because he's dealing with his sexuality as well. I dunno... but his demeanor was totally different with Cyrus. If that's nothing, then I hope that he accepts and gets help for his disability, and starts acting like the decent kid we now know he's capable of being.

Andi's freakout over losing AndiShack got me to start seeing her as a bit of a brat, and this episode added to that. "Respect Bowie's privacy." "No." and "Oh, so can't go over and say hi while he's on a date? Watch me." It's not wrong, especially for someone her age and in her situation (finally learning about and connecting with her birth parents), but her attitude still made me a bit frustrated!

At least we didn’t get jondi drama this week. I like the show I really do but Andi deserves better. Now that everyone mentioned I do get the Cyrus/TJ vibes espically the “stuff” conversation. I think TJ would be a better fit for Cyrus than Jonah. He’s not afraid to push Cyrus out of his comfort zone which I think Cyrus needs sometimes.

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, Skyfall said:

I think TJ would be a better fit for Cyrus than Jonah. He’s not afraid to push Cyrus out of his comfort zone which I think Cyrus needs sometimes.

Yes, I feel like Cyrus and TJ would be a better pairing. I think Jonah would break Cyrus' heart. Jonah isn't ready for a relationship. He's like a pre-teen playboy. Cute, popular, everyone wants to be his special someone and he isn't ready to pick just one. 

TJs macho crap would make more sense if he's struggling with his sexuality. His being numbers dyslexic doesn't have anything to do with his being a macho jerk so they're going to have to try harder at redemption if we're supposed to get on board with him and Buffy. But if he's afraid someone will think (know) he's gay if he doesn't act all macho and tough, that is something that happens and makes him more than just a macho jerk. 

There was just an ease in that scene with Cyrus and TJ that made them seem like they could work better than the trite, predictable battle of wills turns into love thing they seem to be pushing with TJ and Buffy. 

I did feel for Andi when she saw Bowie with another little girl. She had to be hurt that she never got that with her dad, even though she had a wonderful dad in Ham. I feel bad for her but it's hard to feel too bad for her because she had a wonderful childhood. She's a bit spoiled to me so while it's sad she didn't get her real parents (who probably would have been terrible at it since they were (and still kind of are) kids themselves) she did have amazing parents growing up, a nice house, her precious Andi Shack, great friends, etc. She's had a wonderful life. 

[Dejana]

On 2/9/2018 at 11:42 PM, brokenwing29 said:

I don't think you are imagining it because a lot of people are speculating about TJ and Cyrus now. And though I liked TJ a little better after this episode, I didn't see anything special between him and Buffy. One theory was that TJ acts overly tough to mask his homosexuality and Buffy's being so good at basketball threatened his masculinity which is why he is so mean to her. But come on Cyrus, leave a couple of love interests for the girls already! And omg Buffy is so good at everything and now with the help of Dr. Google she is a diagnostician of learning disabilities. Is there nothing that girl can't do lol? I really felt for Andi in the last scene. She is just getting acquainted with her birth father and developing a bond and here he is being friendly with a little girl whom when Andi was her age she didn't even know he existed (ok, awkward sentence, but you get what I mean). Have they ever explained why the family found it necessary to lie about who everyone was in relation to Andi?

Thst's such a children's story thing, where the kids have all the answers. Like in The Baby-Sitters Club: they got to travel across the country without their parents and go out with high schoolers and solve crimes as 13 year olds. It's not until you get older that you realize just how unrealistic these sorts of things are. 

I guess Celia and Ham wanted to protect young Andi from feeling abandoned? But even if Bex was a flake driven away by her mother, it was wrong for Bowie not to be told about his child for 13 years. The whole story of the grandparents pretending to be the parents, and the bio father not knowing for years because he left town, just seems like it's from another era where it could all be semi-plausible.

Cyrus and TJ: well, that was unexpected! Definitely got a vibe there, and not so much with Buffy. He still looks old for middle school but has become more interesting now.

Jonah isn't the one for Andi or Cyrus; at least they are really young and someday they'll be able to look back and laugh at all their angst about him. I wonder if having him star in the video was setting it up for him to be "discovered". The actor is in an upcoming DC Comics movie. Jonah becoming a star could be a way to write the character out, if they ever had to.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Dejana

[Mabinogia]

11 hours ago, Dejana said:

The actor is in an upcoming DC Comics movie. Jonah becoming a star could be a way to write the character out, if they ever had to.

I have to admit, I wouldn't be sad if he was written out. The actor is fine, nothing against him, but I think the character has run his course. He was Andi's first love. She "got him" and it wasn't the magical, wonderful dream she imagined, which is a good storyline and lesson for kids, sometimes we build something up so much that it can't possibly live up to the fantasy. But now what? I don't want to watch them devolve into constant relationship drama. I'd rather see Andi meet someone new that she has an easier time relating to and realizing that sometime reality is better than fantasy.

 

11 hours ago, Dejana said:

I guess Celia and Ham wanted to protect young Andi from feeling abandoned? But even if Bex was a flake driven away by her mother, it was wrong for Bowie not to be told about his child for 13 years. The whole story of the grandparents pretending to be the parents, and the bio father not knowing for years because he left town, just seems like it's from another era where it could all be semi-plausible.

It is kind of old fashioned, but I think that's Celia. I do think that they didn't want Andi to feel like she had been abandoned. It was just easier to say she was their child than explain that her father doesn't know she exists and her mother left her. I assume it just escalated until they felt they couldn't turn back. It's like the issue with adoption. When the child is a baby you're not going to tell them, they won't understand, as they get older, you're still not sure it's the right time, then too much time has passed and you worry they will ask why you never told them, and it just never seems like the right time.

Am I remembering right that Bowie left before Andi was born? That he didn't know Bex was pregnant and went off with his band or something? So maybe at first she didn't know where he was? I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt here, because it is really crappy not to tell the guy he has a child. So maybe at first she couldn't reach him and then, again, too much time passed, how do you bring it up?

I kind of wish they had explored all that more, but being a kids show, I get why they glossed over it and are all just one big happy family now. Still, it's an interesting story that could have been explored more

[Dejana]

12 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

It is kind of old fashioned, but I think that's Celia. I do think that they didn't want Andi to feel like she had been abandoned. It was just easier to say she was their child than explain that her father doesn't know she exists and her mother left her. I assume it just escalated until they felt they couldn't turn back. It's like the issue with adoption. When the child is a baby you're not going to tell them, they won't understand, as they get older, you're still not sure it's the right time, then too much time has passed and you worry they will ask why you never told them, and it just never seems like the right time.

Am I remembering right that Bowie left before Andi was born? That he didn't know Bex was pregnant and went off with his band or something? So maybe at first she didn't know where he was? I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt here, because it is really crappy not to tell the guy he has a child. So maybe at first she couldn't reach him and then, again, too much time passed, how do you bring it up?

I kind of wish they had explored all that more, but being a kids show, I get why they glossed over it and are all just one big happy family now. Still, it's an interesting story that could have been explored more

More likely than not, a band in the mid-aughts made up of members in the late teens/early twenties age range would have had a web presence with contact info, not only to get their music out there but to book gigs. Bowie's group so would have had a MySpace!

If Bex or Ham tried reaching out to him and he never got the messages or he ignored them, that's another thing. But Bex stayed in the same town, had the baby, was the ostensible mother for the good part of a year and it never got back to him via the grapevine of Bex/Bowie's mutual friends (or their parents' friends)?  It's just one of many aspects of this story that requires Handwavium Maximus to work. 

I get it, it's a kids' show, but I think glossing over the turmoil that would actually result in this situation is limiting Andi's story. If this were a teen show instead of a kid show, you could dig a little deeper, go places you can't touch because it's too much for third graders. Like, if the show could acknowledge that Bowie not being told about Andi for so long for...reasons, as a crappy but avoidable thing, maybe Bowie would have lingering resentment toward Bex and Andi would have to navigate that dynamic between her parents. If the family had good reasons to keep Bowie out of Andi's life when she was born (IDK, juvenile delinquent or substance abuse problems), maybe that explains why Celia was desperate to keep any "bad influences" away. How did he reform? If Andi didn't adjust amazingly well but had to see a counselor, it wouldn't have to be non-stop sob sessions (a good lesson for kids that therapy is nothing to stigmatize/fear). They could structure a few episodes around Andi talking out the "stuff" in her life and get creative with it.

[Mabinogia]

13 hours ago, Dejana said:

If Andi didn't adjust amazingly well but had to see a counselor, it wouldn't have to be non-stop sob sessions (a good lesson for kids that therapy is nothing to stigmatize/fear). They could structure a few episodes around Andi talking out the "stuff" in her life and get creative with it.

Ooh, that would have been interesting actually. It could have been a way to frame the story too, give us exposition on how Andi is feeling about her family situation, Andi Shack, her friends, etc. Cyrus' parents are therapists, aren't they? She could have gone to one of them, pulled another parent into the show. I love the idea of it destigmatizing therapy for kids. Therapy can really be a great thing for kids, better than blabbing all their thoughts and feelings on the internet. 

I also wish Bowie felt a little more animosity towards Bex for never telling him he has a child. That's a big thing. I know they were teenagers, but still, that's a 12-13 year lie. 

I'm clearly too old for this show. lol But I wish it was on ABC Family, um, Freeform (stupid name) so they could deal more with the complex family dynamic.  

[omgsowicked]

2x12: So Cyrus invites TJ to his bar mitzvah right after freaking out about inviting too many people. I mean, what's one more person but... mmm-hmm. OK. (And the suit Cyrus picked was definitely the best one.) TJ is still a gigantic asshole (to everyone but Cyrus, which, again: mmm-hmm) and I'm worried that Buffy's going to get in trouble for helping him cheat. At least she got a nice reunion with her mom (I teared up!). I don't understand why the coach doesn't step in and pull TJ out of the game. Buffy wouldn't have had to "waste" a time out if he would do his job. It's not like TJ's being subtle.

Andi and Jonah's "label" conversation was so bizarre. Her face was hanging and he's like, "haha, you really get me! See ya!" I can't tell if he's dumb as bricks or actively awful. Maybe both. If he wants to keep it casual, fine, but he's been sending mixed messages and labels are what she wants, so they need to be done. Hopefully Bex starting a Boyfriend Box for her (right? The scene was a bit dark to me) means she is.

I didn't expect such a nice moment with Bex and the parents; I'm glad they were so supportive of her. And I enjoyed the I Ching stuff, too. I wonder why she stopped doing it.

[brokenwing29]

Poor Andi! I hope she takes the advice of another famous Andi (Pretty in Pink) in the Bar Mitzvah episode and let's him know he didn't break her. Although in Jonah's case, I think he doesn't even get that he did anything for her to be upset over. I know teenage boys are rather clueless when it comes to girls' feelings but this kid takes it to a whole other level. And I don't even know if it's anything that can be changed. I agree with the person who said Jonah probably needs to go. The actor is cute and likable (and his last name is actually Angel!?) but I just don't see what else this character can do. He's been pulling the same stuff for two seasons and it's getting tiring. And please don't have Jonah get jealous of this new boy Walker and get Andi's hopes up again. Enough is enough. I liked Andi's self-awareness scene at the end where she admits to Bex that she was never really anything to Jonah and it was mainly wishful thinking on her part. It is probably the kind of thing a lot of girls that age can relate to. The only way I would want Jonah to continue as a main character is if he became one of the main best friends on the show (platonic only) - look at the nice scenes he had with Buffy when she talked about how her mother's abscense made her feel. I actually liked him in those scenes.

I can't believe I was actually right about Buffy's mom showing up. I mean, what else would Buffy dropped the ball for? But I'm never right. I'm still kind of waffling on whether the writers are intending the TJ character for Buffy or Cyrus (if anyone). Right now I'm thinking Cyrus. I could not believe TJ STILL wouldn't pass Buffy the ball after she cheated for him. He obviously has no tender feelings for her currently...and look how the writers keep making sure Cyrus and TJ have scenes together.

[Dejana]

I was watching a recapper who called out Jonah for having about two emotional modes (smiling or looking like he's about to cry) and being an underwritten, underdeveloped character. She thought it was a writing issue and pointed out that we don't really know much about Jonah as a person at all.  He likes Ultimate Frisbee and is mostly easygoing, hates conflict and is oblivious when it comes to girls (lol, though that probably comes down to being a middle school boy).  What's his family like? I mean, we've never seen Cyrus' parents/step-parents but we know they're all therapists, which explains so much about his personality. Buffy's mom just made her first appearance but even her absence was written in a way that significantly shaped the competitiveness she has shown from the beginning.

Maybe Jonah is just meant to be an ephemeral dreamboat, the sort of character who exists to be an object of attraction more than anything else.  That dynamic works better if the character is kept at arm's length, though.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Dejana

[Mabinogia]

40 minutes ago, Dejana said:

Maybe Jonah is just meant to be an ephemeral dreamboat, the sort of character who exists to be an object of attraction more than anything else.  That dynamic works better if the character is kept at arm's length, though.

That's how I see him. I like that they never really told us much about him because we were basically seeing him through Andi colored glasses. She doesn't know much about him beyond he's cute and popular and nice. She idolized him and I love that she admitted it. And I love that, even though she knows that's what happened, and her relationship with him wasn't what she was telling herself it was, she's still hurt. It's so very real. 

I have to admit to tearing up when Celia said she was proud of Bex and then really losing it when Buffy saw her mom. I LOVE that the entire auditorium was cheering for her. Such a touching moment. Not thrilled with the predictability of Mom showing up just in time for Buffy to drop the ball she's been trying to get her hands on for several games now. But the payoff made up for it. 

[Skyfall]

On 2/17/2018 at 1:02 PM, Mabinogia said:

That's how I see him. I like that they never really told us much about him because we were basically seeing him through Andi colored glasses. She doesn't know much about him beyond he's cute and popular and nice. She idolized him and I love that she admitted it. And I love that, even though she knows that's what happened, and her relationship with him wasn't what she was telling herself it was, she's still hurt. It's so very real. 

I have to admit to tearing up when Celia said she was proud of Bex and then really losing it when Buffy saw her mom. I LOVE that the entire auditorium was cheering for her. Such a touching moment. Not thrilled with the predictability of Mom showing up just in time for Buffy to drop the ball she's been trying to get her hands on for several games now. But the payoff made up for it. 

The payoff made no sense though. So the other team just stopped playing? The ref didn’t call a technical or anything for a non player being on the court? Yeah yeah touching moment so can fanwipe some of thes away but still if I was the defender I would’ve picked up the ball and scored cause you never know if the ref will count it or not but at least you get to make a case.

[Mabinogia]

12 hours ago, Skyfall said:

The payoff made no sense though. So the other team just stopped playing? The ref didn’t call a technical or anything for a non player being on the court?

It was a middle school game. Don't think anyone cared enough to protest against a touching mother and daughter reunion. Hell, they probably hoped they'd all end up on youtube and go viral and all get their 15 minutes of internet fame out of it.

[omgsowicked]

The cast's reaction to the news was great! I'm so happy there will be more Andi Mack. :)

[paulvdb]

Disney Channel press release about the renewal

Quote

A one-hour episode, "Cyrus' Bash-Mitzvah!," premieres FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST/PST), and introduces turning points for several characters. Twelve new episodes from season two will debut beginning in June 2018, with episodes from the third season scheduled to debut later in 2018.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Peyton Lee, Lilan Bowden, Joshua Rush, & Sofia Wylie discuss Andi Mack:

[brokenwing29]

The Bar Mitzvah episode has been posted early to the Disney Now app. It starts out with Jonah ignoring Andi at the party as expected, but then when she meets the caricature artist that was hired for the party and they hit it off, Jonah becomes obviously jealous. At some point Cyrus finally comes out to Andi. He does this, as with Buffy, by admitting that he likes Jonah, not by saying he is gay or bi, which makes me wonder if Disney didn't ask them not to use certain words in the script. It'd odd to me because Cyrus rarely acts like he has a crush on Jonah any more. During the scene where Jonah is grilling Cyrus and Buffy about the guy Andi is dancing with and Cyrus and Buffy conclude that Jonah is jealous for once in his life, Cyrus seems to have no problem with this whatsoever. If his feelings are hurt in the slightest, he is damn good at hiding it. 

The main three get their fortunes read by a fortune teller that was hired for the party. They each ask a yes or no question. Buffy's question is whether or not her mother is home for good or not and the lady answers no...but Buffy isn't either. 

Spoiler

In the promo for the next episode it is said that Buffy might be moving. I don't really see this happening unless they are going to lose the actress for some reason. I think they wanted to show the realities of military life by throwing that out there as a possibility.

Bex and Bowie have some awkward moments about Bowie's new girlfriend, who as it turns out might be serious after all. However, in the end it appears they might be getting back together. Still, Bowie is with this Miranda girl and it might be interesting to see how Andi adjusts to all this and Miranda's little girl too.

TJ is at the party and keeps following Buffy around. He asked the fortune teller if he really has a learning disability and she said yes and to let his friend (Buffy) help him. TJ is becoming almost as confusing as Jonah. I'm still not quite sure what the purpose of this character is unless it is just to show that the main three have other friends besides each other.

Jonah has a panic attack at the party. It seems to be something he hasn't dealt with much in the past. I think maybe they included that scene to make us feel bad for Jonah, who really had no right to feel jealous after how he treated Andi. (And he does have my sympathies for that, but he is still a jerk. A very congenial jerk but still...) He arrives at Andi's house at the end and his lines to her kind of confuse me. He says something like he DOESN'T want her to be his girlfriend and he DOESN'T want to be her boyfriend but he wants them to be a "couple." Huh? Did I mishear that? Andi's response is to mimic Bex's response when Bowie proposed to her. "UM..."

Spoiler

However, in the promo it appears that she DID take him back. She should have told him to turn his little jealous self around and walk out the door. 

I am probably forgetting a lot. I did kind of like the Walker character. At least he showed genuine interest in Andi and seemed to be a nice kid. It was obvious Andi still wasn't over Jonah but he could have at least have been a distraction.

[omgsowicked]

4 hours ago, brokenwing29 said:

He arrives at Andi's house at the end and his lines to her kind of confuse me. He says something like he DOESN'T want her to be his girlfriend and he DOESN'T want to be her boyfriend but he wants them to be a "couple." Huh? Did I mishear that?

I had the closed captioning on, he said, "I made a mistake. Andi, I want us to be together. I know what I said but can you forget I ever said it? I want you to be my girlfriend. And I want to be your boyfriend. I want us to be a couple."

Wow. What an episode.

OK, so when Andi told Jonah she was over him and all their drama, I was wondering if they'd start working on Jonah more because he's really not much of anything besides her crush, and it's becoming a problem. (And shout out to the show for acknowledging that he only has two expressions!) I was not expecting him to have a panic attack. I'm surprised it was his first one, since it seemed like his relationship with Amber was super stressful. I'm so happy they touched on this, and with a PSA about anxiety afterward. (And I'm happy we got to meet all of Cyrus's parents, with one helping Jonah.) He's been pretty one-dimensional up until this point so I'd be impressed if we find out there's actually a deeper meaning behind his smiley, people-pleaser, drama-avoidance demeanor. Maybe he has a fear of abandonment? We don't know what his home life his like, if his parents are together or if he's adopted, anything like that. At first, I was pretty disappointed about the Jandi cliffhanger but thinking about it some more, I think he may have "changed" his mind because he's hoping it'll stop him from having more panic attacks (which it likely won't). I'm excited about this development.

I fell for the promo, thinking Buffy's mom was going to be deployed again. It never crossed my mind that she might have to move.

Spoiler

I posted a video in the Media thread, where the cast reacts to the show's renewal, and Buffy's actress seemed really excited, so I'm guessing we don't have anything to worry about. But it's a good thing to bring up because moving around a lot is a reality for military kids.

The trio's dance routine was pretty awesome. And I don't watch anything else on Disney Channel, so I don't know how often it happens, but I really love how often they show cultural stuff. I'd never heard of the I Ching before (or been to a bar mitzvah), so even as an adult viewer, I'm learning things!

I also wasn't expecting Cyrus to come out to Andi in this episode... he seemed very adult while doing so, which I guess makes sense, since he became a man that day, lol. I agree @brokenwing29, he hasn't seemed uncomfortable or jealous since 2x01, so I was scratching my head a bit at him saying he's been jealous this whole time. I'm glad they can finally talk about their shared Jonah feels, like Cyrus has been wanting to. I was very disappointed that Cyrus and TJ never crossed paths, since we saw him get invited in the last episode. TJ was way nicer to Buffy, even admitting that he's been an ass... his change in attitude was very weird but I guess once he saw that she had her own "stuff" (her mom being in the military), he realized he needed to take it down a notch. Hopefully he'll go get help for his learning disability, since the fortune teller seemed to be right about everything (poor Cyrus, he's gonna drop out of college? Or... no, that's way too dark for Disney Channel).

The chemistry between Bex and Bowie is crazy.

I'm sad we have to wait until June for more episodes! But that's way better than having to wait until the fall.

[Dejana]

Tell Jonah no thanks, Andi: she is too young for so much angst over a boy (have they ever even kissed?) plus they are all wrong for each other! However, I suspect this "um" cliffhanger will have a different outcome than the one with Bowie and Bex (loved them together in this ep). Andi should cut Jonah out of her life until she's really over him, and just be friends with Walker for now. I think she'd have an easier time around a guy she had things in common with, like art.

Was that a bit of a double take from Cyrus, when Jonah was recounting how he told Andi he didn't like labels? I wondered if the writing there was intentional last week, because there are plenty of other ways to get across the same idea: "I don't want to be tied down", "Maybe we should have our freedom", "People our age who like each other just hang, this boyfriend/girlfriend stuff is so twentieh century," etc. You know, things that don't also overlap with a way of saying, "I'm not gay but I'm not exactly straight, either." I don't know if the show is ever going to go there with Jonah, and if they are, I don't think it would be something that he recognizes/acknowledges within himself yet. For now, it's just another thing or two to file away in the "Hmmm, That's Interesting" file. 

Jonah's panic attack was unexpected, though he didn't seem totally comfortable around the girls hanging around him earlier in the episode. I don't know if the writers planned it this way all along, but it makes you consider his relentlessly upbeat personality in a new light.

It was good to see Cyrus's parental figures, finally. I was thinking the dad and stepdad looked really similar when Bowie made that comment. 

The fortune teller seems to be right about everything. Cyrus has been shown to have an interest in filmmaking, and many people in entertainment are products of the Ivy League but the top film schools are a different thing, generally.  So. maybe his dropping out of an Ivy just means he's destined to be some wunderkind filmmaker who leaves school but is a big success in Hollywood. Not that we'll ever know, unless the series finale does some sort of postscript of how their lives all turn out.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Dejana

[luckyroll3]

Yes Andi!  Go get yourself some chocolate girl!!  Loved the caricature kid; he was adorable.  And they certainly had more chemistry than she and Jonah do.  

[vmcd88]

Finally a place where adults can discuss this show.  My daughter has me all wrapped up in this damn show.  When will there be a new episode.  I want to know what Andi decides.  

[Skyfall]

4 hours ago, vmcd88 said:

Finally a place where adults can discuss this show.  My daughter has me all wrapped up in this damn show.  When will there be a new episode.  I want to know what Andi decides.  

Unknown at the moment.

[WildFlower87]

1 hour ago, Skyfall said:

Unknown at the moment.

New episodes will begin airing in June

[Skyfall]

55 minutes ago, WildFlower87 said:

New episodes will begin airing in June

Timeline can change and there is no set date yet.