Mike & Molly - General Discussion

[mytmo]

I only just started and love this series.  Love Vince and Peggy although I didn't like when Peggy was fired from the school cafeteria.  So much comedy gold could've been mined there.  Unapologetically laugh out loud at the non pc.

 

[TVMovieBuff]

On 1/9/2022 at 10:24 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.

I watch it as Mike & Molly are 2 people who aren't considered prime dating material by the cool kids. But who are decent people deserving of love despite not being stereotypically perfect. But they are perfect for each other.

[Gemma Violet]

I was watching the episode where Samuel loses his job at the diner and moves into Mike's apartment.  At one point, Mike says, "Look, Samuel....."  I had the close-captioning on, and the captioning said, "F*ck, Samuel...." (asterisk mine)

Geez, apparently no one proofreads these things. 

[TVMovieBuff]

On 7/17/2022 at 5:12 PM, Gemma Violet said:

I was watching the episode where Samuel loses his job at the diner and moves into Mike's apartment.  At one point, Mike says, "Look, Samuel....."  I had the close-captioning on, and the captioning said, "F*ck, Samuel...." (asterisk mine)

Geez, apparently no one proofreads these things. 

Some captioning is done by people listening and typing, but some is done by voice recognition. A computer hears, and what appears is what the computer thinks has been said. LIke here!

[Keywestclubkid]

Randomly drifting in and out of this episode of Roseanne and a familiar distinct voice catches my ear…. 

[TVMovieBuff]

Is that Rondi Reed, Peggy Biggs?

[Keywestclubkid]

3 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Is that Rondi Reed, Peggy Biggs?

Yup and I literally spit out my water and would have given my right arm to have seen this 

[TVMovieBuff]

I love Peggy she's a great character. I love her unbridled bluntness. We all wish we could be like that!

[AHandMarvelfan]

Seeing them both at heavier weights, they really do look like sisters, Don´t let the perm wig on Katy fool you.

Or maybe its just me seeing things regarding Melissa and Katy´s resemblence

[Gemma Violet]

I just learned that Reno Wilson (Carl) is the guy who played Howard, Theo's friend, on The Cosby Show.  He was the guy with glasses and a flat top.  

[mmecorday]

I don't even know why I'm thinking about this today, but does anyone else think that Molly's book was trash?

[TVMovieBuff]

20 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I don't even know why I'm thinking about this today, but does anyone else think that Molly's book was trash?

Good question. I figure it was sort of along the lines of the 50 Shades books, which I didn't read. Within Her Walls, that is. Trash is in the eye of the beholder I guess. 

Her book with Peggy about her experiences growing up in Mudlick could have been fascinating. I imagine that it was a big bestseller and solved Mike & Molly's financial problems. 

[Gemma Violet]

I disliked the Molly-quits-teaching-to-write-a-book idea.  If they wanted to take her out of the classroom, they should have made her a principal or have her get a job in the world of business and interact with wacky people in an office. 

The book changeover happened at the beginning of Season 4 when the new producer/showrunner came in, and we were inundated with so many "book" episodes, i.e. Molly has writer's block, Molly's worried that her book isn't selling, Molly travels to Mudlick, Molly goes to a writer's workshop, Molly meets her idol (Susan Sarandon), etc.  Too much book, book, book.

By the way, I love so many of the characters in this show and I wanted to point out Carl's cousin who runs the big & tall clothing shop.  He was on just a handful of episodes, but he really was a standout.  They should have had him on more.

[MaryMitch]

I liked the "book, book, book" plot line. It was different.

[GGFan]

Watching the first few episodes of the series on TV Land today and it’s funny to see how the character Joyce was first presented. She had this weird hillbilly accent going on :) Definitely glad they developed this character more. 

[TVMovieBuff]

My Favorite Moment in an episode, is in Victoria Can't Drive. Near the end, when Mike & Peggy were going another round about Mike inviting his dad to the wedding. Victoria comes in Peggy's house to use the bathroom, Mike then storms out. 

Victoria tells Peggy Mike is the guy he is, because of her good upbringing. Peggy should come to the wedding all dolled up, to show Mike's dad what she did without him. Peggy says I don't think so. Then on the ride home Mike gets a call from Peggy, saying it's ok, they will all attend the wedding. 

It is such a nice episode, and really showcases Katy Mixon as Victoria. She was always able to walk that line between blissed-out airhead weed bunny, and lovable sister. 

[MaryMitch]

She also has a great scene (either in that episode or the next) where she gives Molly the garter made from one of their dad's neckties. She gave Victoria depth.

[mmecorday]

Quote

Katy Mixon as Victoria

She is such an underrated actress. Victoria has a good heart. The weed helps her cope with what she does for a living.

[Ria]

On 5/24/2022 at 12:57 PM, TVMovieBuff said:

I watch it as Mike & Molly are 2 people who aren't considered prime dating material by the cool kids. But who are decent people deserving of love despite not being stereotypically perfect. But they are perfect for each other.

It started that way and that’s what I like too. But it soon changed into Molly being a big “catch” that Mike had to cater to because she had other options while Mike was a loser who’d end up back alone in his crappy apartment without her. We got reminded over and over how she was a strong independent woman and Mike was so lucky to have her. In reality she went from loving and caring to selfish, narcissistic, bossy and often angry, who only became a writer because she could live off Mike’s money and sponge off her mom, with piles of credit card debt, who did nothing around the house while Mike was working all day and went out shopping and partying with her mom and sister. $600 boots? $30 an hour yoga classes? Mike would give her money to give to her mom and she’d spend it on herself. I can’t imagine anyone even bought her two crappy sounding books. She was even willing to raise her children in a house with alcoholics and drug users rather than save money and move out. Watching it in reruns now and by midway through the series she not nearly as nice a person as when she was a school teacher who had finally found love after maybe being alone for a long time. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Ria

[Gemma Violet]

3 hours ago, Ria said:

It started that way and that’s what I like too. But it soon changed into Molly being a big “catch” that Mike had to cater to because she had other options while Mike was a loser who’d end up back alone in his crappy apartment without her. We got reminded over and over how she was a strong independent woman and Mike was so lucky to have her. In reality she went from loving and caring to selfish, narcissistic, bossy and often angry, who only became a writer because she could live off Mike’s money and sponge off her mom, with piles of credit card debt, who did nothing around the house while Mike was working all day and went out shopping and partying with her mom and sister. $600 boots? $30 an hour yoga classes? Mike would give her money to give to her mom and she’d spend it on herself. I can’t imagine anyone even bought her two crappy sounding books. She was even willing to raise her children in a house with alcoholics and drug users rather than save money and move out. Watching it in reruns now and by midway through the series she not nearly as nice a person as when she was a school teacher who had finally found love after maybe being alone for a long time. 

She certainly had her moments and she picked a lot at poor Mike, but conversely, she tried very hard to get along with Peggy (with a few slip-ups here and there).  I think anyone who can get along with Peggy even some of the time earns a few points in Heaven.  Lol.

[readster]

The wife and I are watching the show now on Max and we are now almost finished with season 1. We kind of agree on how Molly was with Mike and how Mike was really swinging the bachelor life, but Mike was at a stage in his life where he wanted to get a serious relationship and move on. Molly's money habits really didn't start kicking into later in season 2 and by the time they were married and Molly's debt was revealed to Mike. I mean really that's where there should have been more focus on paying off the debt, which at the time of Molly still teaching and Mike working and living pretty much rent free at Molly's mom's house. They could have made a major dent in things. Yet, went into: "Molly can't control herself." 

[Gemma Violet]

3 hours ago, readster said:

there should have been more focus on paying off the debt

And it should have started with going on a reasonably-priced honeymoon instead of a trip to Paris.  Mike came into the marriage having to pay off Molly's enormous debts, and then she strong-armed him into a Paris trip he knew they couldn't afford.  She didn't think twice about the cost (or about Mike being afraid of flying).  I love this show, but sometimes Molly annoys me--like when she, Victoria, and Joyce started going out drinking every night, and Mike and Vince had to eat things like a can of lentil soup or beets and nuts.  The ladies never even brought back some restaurant food for the guys. Molly wasn't teaching (and not writing much in that time period) and so there was no reason Mike had to come home with nothing to eat.  One day I could accept, but several days in a row?  No way.  I was on Mike's side for that. 

As far as I know, Mike can't cook, but does anyone remember if Vince can cook?  If there was ever a scene indicating Vince can cook, then I guess he could have cooked something for himself and Mike during that week.  I'm pretty sure Mike couldn't boil an egg.  But Vince was eating beets and/or nuts, so it seemed like he couldn't cook.

[readster]

The entire thought process of Molly leaving teaching in a personal sense made sense. In 2023, you have teachers (I'm a teacher still working) quitting for various reasons. Yet, Chuck Lore wanted to make fun of the 2008 and have Molly quit to become a writer was really kind of just stupid. Even when she did hit her publishing deals, she kept blowing her money. I got the car, as Mike's was seriously DOA, but couldn't part with it. Though great idea with just replacing and rebuilding the engine. 

As for our good buddy, Vince. Yeah, she showed he could cook, mix a drink and was almost uncanny how he could talk himself out of things. However, to this day, the entire: "I'm still married to a woman 30 years older than me" was like such a: "We have to make conflict and we have no idea what to do with Vince, so let's throw out a secret marriage he blurts out." 

[TVMovieBuff]

I figured Vince's estranged wife was about 15 years older than him. 

I also figured that Molly's credit card debt was paid off with the big advance she received for her first book, at the writer's seminar. 

As for the Paris honeymoon, well, maybe they got a good deal. It's a honeymoon, it's only once, and all that. They planned to have kids, then not do anything but that for the next few decades, so it was a swan song. 

I understand panic attacks all too well, I have had them. But I am not afraid of flying. I figure if it's your time, you will go somehow. You can't refuse to live for fear of dying, in a situation like a plane trip. But that's just me. 

We saw that Mike needed a push to do most everything, at first from Carl, then from Molly!

Edited June 20, 2023 by TVMovieBuff

[Gemma Violet]

40 minutes ago, TVMovieBuff said:

But I am not afraid of flying. I figure if it's your time, you will go somehow. You can't refuse to live for fear of dying, in a situation like a plane trip. But that's just me. 

I love flying too, but I can understand how some people are afraid, and so I felt for Mike, especially since Molly didn't seem to care that he had this phobia.

[mmecorday]

Quote

 Yet, Chuck Lore wanted to make fun of the 2008 and have Molly quit to become a writer was really kind of just stupid.

It would have made sense if all along she had wanted to be a writer. Initially when she quit teaching she wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. 

[bluegirl147]

I've said before the show changed from what it was originally.  At first it was a nice story about two people who found each other and them interacting with the people in her life. But then it turned into Molly's antics and Mike's reaction to them. When that happened I found myself better entertained by the supporting cast.

[readster]

I also kind of didn't get Mike's life at home. In the first season when he was sick and Peggy said that Mike was using coffee filters for toilet paper and half the time in season 1-2 Carl and even Grandma were: "How the hell did you survive on your own? You don't know how cook soup?" We got that Mike ate out a lot and even Peggy's cooking is why he was so overweight and Molly's was just from poor choices as pointed out by Joyce. The series as it went really did get into the heart of the supporting characters. I mean Carl's backstory of why his mom left and her health issues. Peggy coming from an abusive home and Joyce basically learning after most of her life to be "a certain way" basically said: "The hell with it, life is too short." 

Victoria's backstory was... interesting. I get that Joyce didn't want her living in a horrible apartment or neighborhood. But see how Molly screwed up finances lead her to not get herself in debt. But also finally coming to realize that trying to be like her mom and just "enjoy life" really didn't get her anywhere. Plus at one point, all her pot was going to lead to debt if not for Joyce not charging her for room and board and just cooking or buying groceries like Molly. Hell, Molly could have gotten herself out of debt pretty fast if she wouldn't have been a spender over the smallest things. The vacations with one thing, I have known many teachers before they got married or settled with a better half loved to get out and about even if it was for a convention for a weekend in a city. They really took the time to get away, especially administrators. 

[mammaM]

Had to drop a note, flipping channels (yes, I'm still do that, I'm old), and one of my favorite scenes was on. Mike, Carl and Vince, in the back of limo pretending to be earth, wind and fire singing September😂💗😎  🎶Do you remember? The twenty-first night of September?🎶

[Gemma Violet]

I also love the scene of Mike, Carl, Vince, and Samuel singing Calypso on top of the roof.  And then Carl's grandma climbs up the ladder and joins them. 😄

[mammaM]

On 3/13/2024 at 5:05 PM, Gemma Violet said:

I also love the scene of Mike, Carl, Vince, and Samuel singing Calypso on top of the roof.  And then Carl's grandma climbs up the ladder and joins them. 😄

Another classic😎

[Gemma Violet]

I haven't been to this thread in a while even though I still watch M&M reruns each weekend.  Regarding the above songs, just wanted to add 'Elvira' to the list. 

[mmecorday]

I also loved it when Nana was singing "God Bless the Child" in the episode where Carl finds out his mother is alive but she dies before he gets to the hospital. 

[Gemma Violet]

Wow, two hours after I posted about Elvira, I learned that Joe Bonsall of the Oakridge Boys passed away.  He sang lead on Elvira.