Mike & Molly - General Discussion

[Actionmage]

Quote

That they were shown to have lied to the new agency in the previous episode is a HUGE issue and would get them nixed if found out much more so than the number of people living in the house.

Good to know it wasn't just me that was uncomfortable with the show implying that that was okay.  It was a headscratcher because Molly couldn't lie about whatever when it came to getting married at Peggy's church. That episode implied that she was a horrible liar. Which leads to Unfortunate Thoughts, which is not something you want as your series ends.

While I enjoyed it, the penultimate episode didn't have to have them so desperate.  Mike having the epiphany after seeing Madame Vianne was funny and Peggy's wish to do better by her grandchild was sweet. It felt like it was laughing at them, in their inability to chill. We knew that already, so aside from the two moments I mentioned, the rest felt like filler.

The last episode was sweet and totally Mike & Molly. The "game" was very funny with Carl hugging Peggy and swaying. Samuel being okay with being passed Joyce and Joyce rollin' with it  was equally funny. Vernee Watson, who I've liked since Welcome Back,Kotter , was delightful as Blanche. I don't see why her name gave Molly pause. Just because it's an older name doesn't mean it's bad, just out of favor currently.  (Again, Molly being unable to politely white lie was the point of a joke.)

IA with the poster who said that Peggy would stare down everyone  so Jim could be part of this. (If Peggy didn't have Mike, I can see her leave everything to him in her will.) I did miss Jim. Hopefully, Suzie Q can find another job we can enjoy her in soon.

The last scene with the whisper-singing was very sweet. I will miss this show as, despite my nitpicks, it was an overall sweet show. I think that's why the more mean-spirited episodes stuck out. This show was hopeful and nice and silly. May the syndication have a long run.

[LucyEth]

I loved everything about the finale.  Glad we got Harry and Nana.  Joyce and Peggy fight, very funny but then "look at our grandson" was great.  I cried when they sang the theme song to the baby.  I will really miss this show.  Loved the nod to St. William by naming the baby William.  

[Big Mother]

I'm a few episodes behind, but I'm puzzled at the sudden desperation for Mike and Molly to adopt a baby. They haven't really been trying to begin with, right? Why wouldn't they try to have their own baby first? 

[jewel21]

They tried for a long time in Season 2 I believe, but then dropped the story line.

[Beezella]

THIS is how you do a series finale! (Cough Castle cough HIMYM cough.) Not a clever surprise like The Bob Newhart show that took place at the inn, or the American version of Life on Mars, but with a lot of heart, callback to earlier characters and a lovely happy ending. That was a sweet scene between Carl and Mike, and of course the baby and pregnancy conclusion. Maybe corny and cliche, but I'll take it. A nice send off. "Life sucks, and then you die." TV shows don't have to.

[Big Mother]

That was a beautiful and heartwarming ending, awww.

Maybe there's something wrong with me though, that I found myself thinking, "Wow, what a pity that the baby went to a pregnant couple, when an infertile couple out there is dying for a baby..." ah well.

Bye bye Mike and Molly, been nice knowing y'all for a few years....

[lallalla]

In the next to last episode, I was really touched to hear how Mike's mom Peggy raised him as a single mom. It explains so much about her personality and it was very clear at that moment, if it hadn't been before, that Peggy was tough, but loving, and had to be tough to wade through all she did, especially 40-something years ago. Touched my heart.

 

It really broke my heart, as a single mom now myself, that left a horribly abusive situation after years of trying, to hear her describe not being able to be there for Mike because she has to work, made me more committed to my work that allows for more time with my children versus going for a couple of careers that would pay far more, utilize my college and graduate degrees, but provide limited time with my children.

Edited May 25, 2016 by lallalla

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Discuss any past or future projects here!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Swoosie Kurtz, Erinn Hayes, & Chris Diamantopoulos discuss their new show The Dangerous Book for Boys

[AnnaCody]

I recently watched th episode of Molly's former student who is pregnant.

My heart broke when she encouraged her to keep the baby instead of letting them have him/her.

At the same time I found myself thinking the seeds that she sowed believing the Bible's scripture: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.Galatians 6:7

Edited September 26, 2019 by AnnaCody

[zillabreeze]

Well this chat is dead in the water.  I've just been running it in the background for funny noise lately and feeling judgey.🤣

So.  There's a distinct line of either writer "issues" or Melissa Mc getting full of herself.  The season ends with the Wedding, then Bam!.  Writing tanked, cast started phoning it in and it was all  Melissa doing stupid slapstick physical comedy, with canned guffaws.  Yuck.

The early writing was pretty thoughtful, smart and original.  It sure didn't bow out that way.

I did just re-remember how very much I enjoyed Cleo King (Carl's Grandma) voice!!!   I always assumed that she had a presence in the Gospel world.  Went web looking for some tunes and got squat.  That's a total shame.  

[readster]

11 hours ago, zillabreeze said:

Well this chat is dead in the water.  I've just been running it in the background for funny noise lately and feeling judgey.🤣

So.  There's a distinct line of either writer "issues" or Melissa Mc getting full of herself.  The season ends with the Wedding, then Bam!.  Writing tanked, cast started phoning it in and it was all  Melissa doing stupid slapstick physical comedy, with canned guffaws.  Yuck.

The early writing was pretty thoughtful, smart and original.  It sure didn't bow out that way.

I did just re-remember how very much I enjoyed Cleo King (Carl's Grandma) voice!!!   I always assumed that she had a presence in the Gospel world.  Went web looking for some tunes and got squat.  That's a total shame.  

It didn't help that the writers were: "Well we are tired of having them stable, let's throw in student loans, Molly saying the "hell with teaching" and losing all her benefits and even those subplots with her trying to be an assistant/vice principal. Need drama and now they are married, let's give the excuse: "We don't know how to write these characters." Or the fact they just HAD to move in with Molly's mother, which still made no sense. 

[CrazyMoon]

They moved in with Molly's mother due to Molly's overwhelming debt load and refusing to rein in all the shopping....her monthly credit card payments were more than they would be paying in rent. Watching her try to manage on Dave Ramsey inspired budget would have been worth a few laughs...hindsight....

I also enjoyed Cleo King's overall performance...She was bluntly honest "You think lightening is going to strike this big barn twice?" when talking wit Mike about proposing to Molly. I love a great gospel voice...hers is killer

[zillabreeze]

2 hours ago, CrazyMoon said:

They moved in with Molly's mother due to Molly's overwhelming debt load and refusing to rein in all the shopping....her monthly credit card payments were more than they would be paying in rent. Watching her try to manage on Dave Ramsey inspired budget would have been worth a few laughs...hindsight....

I also enjoyed Cleo King's overall performance...She was bluntly honest "You think lightening is going to strike this big barn twice?" when talking wit Mike about proposing to Molly. I love a great gospel voice...hers is killer

I think you're right.  The "drama" got very contrived.

Grandma always in a hurry to get back upstairs with Brother Heywood was a good giggle.

"How are you Grandma?"   "Oh, I'm right with my savior and tight with my bookie!" 😂🤣😂

I'd love to see her in something new!  She has great comedic timing.

It just floored me that I found no Gospel songs by her.  I had assumed that she was a professional singer that just happened to act.

[readster]

8 hours ago, CrazyMoon said:

They moved in with Molly's mother due to Molly's overwhelming debt load and refusing to rein in all the shopping....her monthly credit card payments were more than they would be paying in rent. Watching her try to manage on Dave Ramsey inspired budget would have been worth a few laughs...hindsight....

I also enjoyed Cleo King's overall performance...She was bluntly honest "You think lightening is going to strike this big barn twice?" when talking wit Mike about proposing to Molly. I love a great gospel voice...hers is killer

The problem was all of a sudden Molly has all this debt and of course it was: "She's a teacher, don't you get it, she's poor and she likes to go on vacation and buy over priced crap." 

[CrazyMoon]

15 hours ago, readster said:

The problem was all of a sudden Molly has all this debt and of course it was: "She's a teacher, don't you get it, she's poor and she likes to go on vacation and buy over priced crap." 

Molly's debt wasn't 'all of a sudden', it was written as part of her character. It's mentioned frequently...and that she owes her mom money. Mike managed on his salary and had a nice nest egg growing. Molly didn't have a clue how to manage money. 

[marypat57]

I really enjoyed watching this show, but it lost some of its attraction for me when Molly climbed out the classroom window and suddenly left her teaching job.  As a teacher myself, while I may have thought about doing it , I don’t think I could have actually done it. 😊  She could have launched her writing career part time after school , weekends or on vacations.  There are many teacher who make a respectable part time income on such platforms as Teacher Pay Teachers and YouTube.    
 

Anyway, I really liked the finale.  I believe that William might have been Molly’s father’s name...    

[readster]

1 hour ago, marypat57 said:

I really enjoyed watching this show, but it lost some of its attraction for me when Molly climbed out the classroom window and suddenly left her teaching job.  As a teacher myself, while I may have thought about doing it , I don’t think I could have actually done it. 😊  She could have launched her writing career part time after school , weekends or on vacations.  There are many teacher who make a respectable part time income on such platforms as Teacher Pay Teachers and YouTube.    
 

Anyway, I really liked the finale.  I believe that William might have been Molly’s father’s name...    

Yeah, when they decided Molly was going to leave teaching like that. Especially, when at one point she was trying to be a VP so she could you know pay off her debts. To just be: "Now, I'm going to be a writer!" Was just out of left field and also how the show really didn't know the state of teachers in Illinois, because you know, I am one. 

[marypat57]

@readster:  I taught for 27 years in Brooklyn in a building that was over 100 years old.  Windows were gated (even on the 4th floor) so I couldn’t have climbed out.  
I’m in my 4th year of retirement.  I miss most of the kids, many of my colleagues, but NOT the 60 mile a day round trip, getting up at 4:20 am, the endless paperwork and scripted curriculum mandates....

Anyway, I liked Molly better as a teacher...

[readster]

24 minutes ago, marypat57 said:

@readster:  I taught for 27 years in Brooklyn in a building that was over 100 years old.  Windows were gated (even on the 4th floor) so I couldn’t have climbed out.  
I’m in my 4th year of retirement.  I miss most of the kids, many of my colleagues, but NOT the 60 mile a day round trip, getting up at 4:20 am, the endless paperwork and scripted curriculum mandates....

Anyway, I liked Molly better as a teacher...

So, there is hope I'll make it there one day? I actually recently completed my doctorate, but I'm still a classroom teacher. 

[BooksRule]

A couple of days ago, I watched the episode where Peggy's bathtub fell through the ceiling into the first floor and she didn't have running water for a while.  I have to get my main water line that runs out to the street replaced in the next day or so (hopefully tomorrow, but it might stretch out to the next day) and the water's been turned off since this morning.  

So I just realized that I will have to be taking a 'whore's bath' tomorrow morning (just like Peggy), but at least I'll be in the bathroom and not in the kitchen (if you're not taking it in the kitchen does that make it not a whore's bath?). :) 

[CrazyMoon]

If you're in the bathroom it's just "washing up"...

[barshi50]

Pulling this thread up to the top as TVLand has started showing it.

[Gemma Violet]

57 minutes ago, barshi50 said:

Pulling this thread up to the top as TVLand has started showing it.

Thanks!  I had looked for it and never could find it.

[TVMovieBuff]

6 minutes ago, Gemma Violet said:

Thanks!  I had looked for it and never could find it.

Has TVLand started? I know about Nick At Nite, and FYI does too. 

I love the show, it's so blue though! Love Peggy.

[Gemma Violet]

30 minutes ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Has TVLand started? I know about Nick At Nite, and FYI does too. 

I love the show, it's so blue though! Love Peggy.

Yes, it started on TVLand last Saturday.  It plays in the afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays.  It looks like they cover about a season each weekend.  This weekend is Season 2 and the beginning of Season 3. 

I agree it's blue.  I'm surprised that some of the stuff made it through the network censors on its original run. Lol 

[CrazyMoon]

4 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

Yes, it started on TVLand last Saturday.  It plays in the afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays.  It looks like they cover about a season each weekend.  This weekend is Season 2 and the beginning of Season 3. 

I agree it's blue.  I'm surprised that some of the stuff made it through the network censors on its original run. Lol 

I'm very happy this one is back on reruns...It was a great little show. It has a very realistic tackiness about it that makes me laugh out loud. I'm usually not a fan of vulgar, which this show certainly can be, but it's buried in the humor rather than being lead by vulgar. Carl's grandma is my favorite. 

[TVMovieBuff]

Here is something really goofy. I am obsessed by Peggy's collection of romance novels on her bookshelf. I have even gone so far as to peer at them close up to see if I can make out any titles. 

If I worked on the crew at that show, I would be borrowing those books. 

Carl's grandmother is beyond great. Did you know she is only 6 years older than Reno Wilson, and plays his grandmother?

[CrazyMoon]

2 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Carl's grandmother is beyond great. Did you know she is only 6 years older than Reno Wilson, and plays his grandmother?

Shows what a fabulous actress Cleo King really is. And I love her voice. The scene where the men are hiding on the roof singing "Calypso" and she comes up the ladder and drowns them all out...

 

[Egg McMuffin]

I like this show and it should have gone on for another year or two. The ratings were still decent, Melissa McCarthy said she was willing to keep going even though her movie career was taking off. But Warner Bros had enough episodes for syndication and CBS wasn’t willing to pay a higher license fee for more episodes. Too bad.

I like the cast a lot, though I agree the writing can be a bit vulgar. The one weak link in the cast, to me, is Mike himself, Billy Gardell. I find him to be a pretty limited actor and I’m surprised to see him as the lead of another sitcom.

[CrazyMoon]

I'm near San Francisco and we've been slammed by "cyclone bomb" storms since Saturday...and yesterday my tankless water heater went out...so guess who has been having to have the 'whore bath' for the last two days....Plumber came this morning, did a simple reset and we're good to go...Peggy Biggs should be an inspiration to us all!

As for Billy Gardell being the 'weak link' as an actor...I disagree...He's "everyman" in one form or another. All the other versions of whackadoodle play around him. Without his characters' stablility the shows wouldn't carry at all...

 

[TVMovieBuff]

22 hours ago, CrazyMoon said:

As for Billy Gardell being the 'weak link' as an actor...I disagree...He's "everyman" in one form or another. All the other versions of whackadoodle play around him. Without his characters' stablility the shows wouldn't carry at all...

 

There has to be a "sane center" in a show with extremes of character, for them to bounce off of; to show what's conventional, so that the weird stands out. It's also called the straight man. if I have offended LGBTQAI sensibilities I am sorry.

[Egg McMuffin]

Oh, I agree on the straight man character angle - the show needs one. I just don’t find him to be a particularly good or appealing actor. But just one person’s opinion…

Edited October 28, 2021 by Kyle

[ifionlyknew]

Billy Gardell is from Pittsburgh so he would call into a local radio station and talk sports. Having listened to him on the radio I can say he was effectively playing himself when he played Mike. Billy and Mike are just regular guys. 

[Gemma Violet]

As a new viewer of Mike & Molly, I loved Seasons 1-3 and was looking forward to the rest of the series.  I'm now a few episodes into Season 4 and it's like night and day.  There's now a big emphasis on Melissa McCarthy's physical slapstick comedy.  I know around the time Season 4 originally aired, she had become a big movie star, so I assumed they wanted to dwell on that aspect at the expense of good writing.  I checked Wikipedia and sure enough, regarding Season 4, it said (bolding mine):

Quote

On March 27, 2013, CBS announced that Mike & Molly would return for a fourth season during the 2013–2014 television season. On May 17, 2013, Mark Roberts stepped down from showrunner duties to focus on other projects. Al Higgins replaced him for Season 4. The series received a 22-episode order from CBS for its 4th season. The show's fourth season premiere took place on November 4, 2013 at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT, in the time slot vacated by 2 Broke Girls when it moved to 8:30 pm ET/7:30 pm CT, replacing the canceled sitcom, We Are Men.  Following the breakout feature film success of McCarthy (Identity Thief, The Heat), Lorre intended for the show to more prominently feature her in season 4. In promos leading up to the season 4 premiere, CBS billed the series as "the new Mike & Molly." Though the cast and setting remains essentially the same, the "new" refers to Molly quitting her teaching job and pursuing a career as a writer.

I'm really disappointed.  Not to take away from Melissa's talent at physical comedy, but the writing was so great the first three season, there was no need for the physical comedy.  If they wanted to feature her more, they could have give her more scenes, but leave out the physical stuff. 

An example of Season 4 shenanigans is one episode that takes place almost entirely at a funeral home (her sister Victoria works there) and the majority of the episode revolves around Molly reacting to being around dead bodies and ends with her and Victoria getting inside coffins and scaring the janitor.  They even showed Molly bumping into a table which caused a body to be flung to the floor.  

ETA:  I just went back and read this thread and I see I'm not the only one who was bothered by this change in Molly.

  

Edited November 6, 2021 by Gemma Violet

[AHandMarvelfan]

On 4/3/2018 at 2:54 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Discuss any past or future projects here!

Katy Mixon is portraying Betsy Faria in the mini series "The thing about Pam"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10074253/Katy-Mixon-unrecognizable-Betsy-Faria-onset-Renee-Zelwegger-crime-drama.html

 

[Gemma Violet]

Quote

As a new viewer of Mike & Molly, I loved Seasons 1-3 and was looking forward to the rest of the series.  I'm now a few episodes into Season 4 and it's like night and day.  There's now a big emphasis on Melissa McCarthy's physical slapstick comedy.  I know around the time Season 4 originally aired, she had become a big movie star, so I assumed they wanted to dwell on that aspect at the expense of good writing.

I'm quoting myself to say I'm halfway through Season 5 and things have calmed down a bit with Molly--less slapstick.  The writing is still good.  I think I'm going to enjoy the rest of the series.

[TVMovieBuff]

One of the best arcs on this show or any other is Gerald McRaney as Mike's Captain who becomes enamored of Peggy Biggs. 

They didn't do the thing every show is guilty of: using him too much. When other shows hit upon a character and actor who click, we get inundated with them.

I still crack up over some of his lines. 

"...you and that Party Girl you married...."

[Gemma Violet]

This is becoming one of my "rewatch" shows like Everybody Loves Raymond.  I've seen all the M&M episodes when TVLand started running them last October, but now I find myself turning on the show on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to catch some episodes again.  (I had no idea they were also on Nick at Night until I happened to catch them in the middle of the night a couple of time when I couldn't sleep.)

Today I caught the one where Mike meets his aunt for the first time and loves spending time with her since she has the opposite personality of his mom--his mom being negative and bitter and his aunt being fun and friendly--until he finds out that his aunt was treated totally differently than his mom when they were growing up.  It was sad and touching at the end.

 

 

[SmithW6079]

I liked the show when it was about two fat people meeting and falling in love. Then they started focusing on Molly's family too much, and went completely off the rails when Molly quit her job. I had stopped watching by then.

As mentioned above, suddenly Melissa McCarthy was this movie star (albeit in stereotypical "fat girl" roles, which meant she was the comic relief), and the producers didn't want her to be the "straight man" anymore to her crazy family; they wanted to capitalize on her comic slapstick shtick.

[ifionlyknew]

12 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

I liked the show when it was about two fat people meeting and falling in love. Then they started focusing on Molly's family too much, and went completely off the rails when Molly quit her job. I had stopped watching by then.

As mentioned above, suddenly Melissa McCarthy was this movie star (albeit in stereotypical "fat girl" roles, which meant she was the comic relief), and the producers didn't want her to be the "straight man" anymore to her crazy family; they wanted to capitalize on her comic slapstick shtick.

I didn't mind the show focusing on Molly's family.  But I didn't like it when they had Molly quit teaching and decide she wanted to be a writer. And yes they had her doing much more physical comedy which they didn't need to do. The show was funny because of the scripts. Or at least it was before they started screwing with what had been working for three or four seasons. 

[TVMovieBuff]

i feel as if Molly & Peggy's book about Peggy's life, was a big bestseller and everyone benefited. This show is ripe for not a reboot, but a one-time reunion show about how their lives are now. 

Everyone is still alive, I think, so that would work. Mike & Molly could have their own place, with 2, maybe even 3 kids. The finale of the one-shot show could be everyone moving in with M&M for some reason, leaving it, they are all living together again, but in a much bigger place. Molly has subsequent bestsellers. 

[CrazyMoon]

On 2/6/2022 at 10:55 AM, TVMovieBuff said:

i feel as if Molly & Peggy's book about Peggy's life, was a big bestseller and everyone benefited. This show is ripe for not a reboot, but a one-time reunion show about how their lives are now. 

Everyone is still alive, I think, so that would work. Mike & Molly could have their own place, with 2, maybe even 3 kids. The finale of the one-shot show could be everyone moving in with M&M for some reason, leaving it, they are all living together again, but in a much bigger place. Molly has subsequent bestsellers. 

I can see that working. Mike & Molly (not surprisingly) met their weight loss goals when they moved away from their triggers. They have two kids "William", now called "Will" & little Margaret "Maggie"...(Billy Gardell took a Type II diabetes diagnosis seriously and has lost 150#). Mike (surprisingly) made detective. Carl & Victoria have 2 kids and still no clue...Grandma McMillan is the only one with any sense; she & Brother Heywood made it legal & she is officially First Lady of the church. Peggy remains in her house & is as demanding as ever Joyce & Vince remained in the house as long as they could then moved to assisted living; they have kicked out of 3 facilities for 'conduct unbecoming'...Victoria & Carl live there now. 

[Keywestclubkid]

Watching this and for the life of me I can’t remember what happened to Peggy’s bf that was Mike’s caption. He just seemed to vanish .. 

[JAYJAY1979]

So to capitalize on Melissa McCarthy's stardom, they resort to the very stereotypical slapstick that afflicts plus size performers.

[CrazyMoon]

19 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Watching this and for the life of me I can’t remember what happened to Peggy’s bf that was Mike’s caption. He just seemed to vanish .. 

Peggy kicked him to the curb...the tornado episode was his last appearance. 

[Keywestclubkid]

2 minutes ago, CrazyMoon said:

Peggy kicked him to the curb...the tornado episode was his last appearance. 

lol this was so confusing cause when she dates the man from her church who she made wait 5 years to get some of her goodies I was like wait what about Mikes boss lol

[AHandMarvelfan]

I see a few of you mentioning how a potential reunion could look like and I think those takes are interesting

Here is my version of a spinoff from Mike and Molly that I would like to see.

I know its unrealistic to bring back Mike and Molly with Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as regulars with them being busy filming other shows and movies, but I would love to see a Mike and Molly spin-off focused on Victoria and Carl, I´m sure they could do something story wise with writing some kids in the show and heck even make a story on the lovely and now plus size Victoria.

And maybe have Melissa and Billy guest star in some episodes to give the extra Mike and Molly sparkle.

[Keywestclubkid]

A few ground rules:

No biting

No spanking

And hey not there means, hey not there. Other then that enjoy my secret garden 

[candall]

On 1/9/2022 at 9:24 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I liked the show when it was about two fat people meeting and falling in love. Then they started focusing on Molly's family too much, and went completely off the rails when Molly quit her job. I had stopped watching by then.

As mentioned above, suddenly Melissa McCarthy was this movie star (albeit in stereotypical "fat girl" roles, which meant she was the comic relief), and the producers didn't want her to be the "straight man" anymore to her crazy family; they wanted to capitalize on her comic slapstick shtick.

On 3/7/2022 at 7:58 PM, JAYJAY1979 said:

So to capitalize on Melissa McCarthy's stardom, they resort to the very stereotypical slapstick that afflicts plus size performers.

Both so true.  I loved the show when Mike and Molly had to deal with the eccentricities of their friends and family, and also their own body issue struggles.  Then Melissa McCarthy made a splash at the box office and suddenly Molly couldn't walk across the room without a big whacky face-plant.  Hyuk hyuk hyuk.  (sarcasm)

     It's a shame.  Some of Molly's funniest lines were delivered under her breath to Peggy.  Hollywood is really selling her short by restricting her to the zany fat girl roles--she's fully capable of being much more subtle.

 

Strangely, I prefer big doofus Mike to the very reasonable Bob.