800 Words - General Discussion

[bybrandy]

On 8/24/2018 at 4:54 PM, Jacks-Son said:

Please clarify what this refers to.

I am pretty sure they announced that this run of episodes (the second half of season 3) was the end.  So I'm curious if the writers knew in time to finish things off in a satisfying way.   

 

On 8/24/2018 at 4:54 PM, Jacks-Son said:

George and Katie just fit together and it's nice to see them making excuses to get into each other's personal space.

Yes!!!!    

I just got a mental image of Linday eating poor Billy alive.   Run Billy, Run.  (And I say this as somebody who likes Lindsay).   I don't know that they need to pair her after she breaks up with Arlo (or vice versa).   I mean has always been with somebody, but they've been in no hurry to pair off Siouxsie and she's a lot more fun as a character.
 

[giovannif7]

17 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

I am pretty sure they announced that this run of episodes (the second half of season 3) was the end.  So I'm curious if the writers knew in time to finish things off in a satisfying way.  

According to Wikipedia (which, on occasion, has been known to include misinformation), 800 Words was renewed for Season 4 last December by their network.

[Jacks-Son]

35 minutes ago, giovannif7 said:

 

56 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

I am pretty sure they announced that this run of episodes (the second half of season 3) was the end.  So I'm curious if the writers knew in time to finish things off in a satisfying way.  

According to Wikipedia (which, on occasion, has been known to include misinformation), 800 Words was renewed for Season 4 last December by their network.

 

Thank you.  I thought I had read that it was renewed for a 4th season.  Yes!!!

 

58 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

I mean has always been with somebody, but they've been in no hurry to pair off Siouxsie and she's a lot more fun as a character.

Siouxsie only got interesting when she decided to leave the Goth world.  Until then, everything was death & mayhem.  She lived in a dark world, but since she and Shay became friends, Siouxsie went through a catharsis and got "Shayed".  Different girl, and now her preferences are out in the open for those who had doubts (ahem!) Yes, she's a lot more fun. Almost criminally.  Now, Lyndsay, I knew she was faking the whole, "Nice guys don't like me, you're the nicest I've ever been with!" act.  The actress did a helluva job faking "faking sincerity".  Poor Arlo, I bet he doesn't even know when he starting being Lyndsay's boyfriend.  He's got that deer in the headlights expression.

[paulvdb]

3 hours ago, giovannif7 said:

According to Wikipedia (which, on occasion, has been known to include misinformation), 800 Words was renewed for Season 4 last December by their network.

If you look at the footnotes, it appears that the source for that statement has changed and is now referring to this article that says that there won't be a season 4.

[Jacks-Son]

Up......and down again.  Thanks for clearing that up.

[bybrandy]

On 8/26/2018 at 12:27 AM, Jacks-Son said:

Siouxsie only got interesting when she decided to leave the Goth world.  Until then, everything was death & mayhem.

See I loved Siouxsie from the fireworks episode.   Monty is so absurd and yet she went along with it.  I've liked her since before they eased her look.  

[Jacks-Son]

I suspect Siouxsie went along and enjoyed the fireworks shows not solely for the novelty but also for the mayhem Monty caused. Siouxsie was never part of the main story, she was just an odd Weld side character like my missing Gloria. She notably helped George get out an "800 Words" column out during the ad hoc dinner from Hell.  Even then all she wanted to contribute were dark & twisted versions of every act in the story they were writing.  Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Siouxsie, but they've seemed to rewrite the character with her remake.  Once a staunch feminist, she now feels its fun to ogle guys and objectify them, contrary to her original ideals.

[bybrandy]

On 8/28/2018 at 12:08 PM, Jacks-Son said:

Once a staunch feminist, she now feels its fun to ogle guys and objectify them, contrary to her original ideals.

Yeah, that's a good point.  Siouxsie helping George with the column will never not be funny to me.   That was a fun bit.   In the first half of season 3 I really thought she and Shay's friendship developed from a real place and then of course you would get to know more of a person and you wouldn't only see the ultra feminist creepy goth girl.   But the last two episodes have been less invested in a rounded out character for Siouxsie.  

Why is the fireman still a thing?   And he can complain about Shay all he wants she stopped herself from doing the thing he asked her not to do.  So, you know, step off yelling her about it.  I just don care enough about the fireman to care about his hurt feelings with either Shay or Hannah.   

I miss Gloria.   

Billy all sideyeing Arlo I enjoyed.   I like Lindsay. i don't care enough about her to mind Arlo preferring Poppy.   That's fine.  And Arlo absolutely shouldn't break up with Lindsay over text.  But he's not being a great guy on this trip and I like that Billy sees it and is uncomfortable with it.  

 

[Jacks-Son]

5 hours ago, bybrandy said:

But the last two episodes have been less invested in a rounded out character for Siouxsie.

That's an understatement. I assume, by your combined comments, that you have seen episode 11 of season 3.  I just finished watching it and somethings are extremely fine and some things are a bit weird.  Yes, Siouxsie has been written out of character for the past few episodes, but, realistically, WHAT is Siouxsie's character?  Is she Goth/Feminist girl; Physical specimen on the practice field; Dominatrix of Real Estate; or Hot Tub Realty now.  I suspect they're trying to see what works with her character.  Horny weird girl is not a good combo, so they should lose the Joe popping out of the room because this Kiwi-Chick stuff seems like a cry for help.

The fireman???  The fireman can go play with his hose.  You know you're lame when Hannah ducks you (that's a pet peeve of mine that I'll save for later), I don't know what homeboy's problem is but I think he's a bit touched.  There was no reason for him to get all huffy with Shay.  She thought he was nice enough that she could invite him home, have a distraction with no strings attached.  He wanted a cuddle.  Don't blame the girl if she was upfront and told you that she had didn't want to cuddle and apologized.  Like the confused workout-coholic he is, he got pissed because he's a disciplined, mama's boy who is looking for his Stepford wife.

Shay meeting Ike's new thang was awkward; she DID seen nice, but as far as beauty goes, Shay has her beat, easily, Melina Vidler, is growing into a beautiful woman. (I know the actress is 25 and already a grown woman, but I see Shay ~18 yrs old) Ike is another mess; another writer's casualty of poor writing .  I'm on Shay's side on this, Ike had a near-death experience and it changed him.  I get that, but his leaving Shay because he wanted to find his way in the new life and then hooking up with an old townie IS kind of lame.

5 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Billy all sideyeing Arlo I enjoyed.   I like Lindsay. i don't care enough about her to mind Arlo preferring Poppy.   That's fine.  And Arlo absolutely shouldn't break up with Lindsay over text.  But he's not being a great guy on this trip and I like that Billy sees it and is uncomfortable with it.  

I don't like Lindsay, I think she's a manipulative young lady and doesn't really think much about anything.  Arlo had better not break up with her by text, I want to see the punches thrown. However, I think Billy gave Arlo the side-eye not because Arlo wasn't being a great guy on this trip, but because he thought that since Arlo and Lindsay are serious, he thought he'd take a chance and talk up Poppy himself.  This Arlo-Lindsay, the "Thriller in the Chicken Coop", throw down is going to be make or break for Arlo.

I'm enjoying the actual bliss emanating from Katie, Anna Jullienne is stunning, as a very happy Katie.  I'm just cheering for them and wish them luck. (or the writers luck, since they like to f'up relationships)

Now, the Hannah pet-peeve; Now, guys, (the writers) I know you guys like to have fun, especially with the fairer sex. You're doing right by Katie, camera work, makeup (or lack of) combined with Anna Jullienne's natural gorgeousness are a fine example of a tanned woman (I believe that's a tan (fake or natural) on the actress, because other photos have shown her paler AND she's a lovely person.  Buy damnit guys, Hannah is NOT a sexual plaything.  Stop making her everyone's "One Night Stand" (Quick & Easy).

Edited August 30, 2018 by Jacks-Son

[bybrandy]

13 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

However, I think Billy gave Arlo the side-eye not because Arlo wasn't being a great guy on this trip, but because he thought that since Arlo and Lindsay are serious, he thought he'd take a chance and talk up Poppy himself.

You know, that is possible.   Plausible even.  I can't remember Billy ever exchanging a line with Poppy so It didn't occur to me that he might be into her.  But I could see that.  And I'm fine with it.   Arlo has too large a percentage of the Weld high school population.  Billy deserves to be in with a chance even if I can't picture him with either of them.   

 

I totally agree about Hannah.  I have no problem with a woman having casual sex.  But that's all Hannah's been allowed to do for a while now.  And there are more rounded choices.  

[Jacks-Son]

1 hour ago, bybrandy said:

You know, that is possible.   Plausible even.  I can't remember Billy ever exchanging a line with Poppy so It didn't occur to me that he might be into her.  But I could see that.  And I'm fine with it.   Arlo has too large a percentage of the Weld high school population.  Billy deserves to be in with a chance even if I can't picture him with either of them.   

 

I totally agree about Hannah.  I have no problem with a woman having casual sex.  But that's all Hannah's been allowed to do for a while now.  And there are more rounded choices.

Oh, Billy is into her.  No doubt, the writers made that clear by his talking Poppy up when Arlo first remarked that he wasn't aware that Poppy was coming with them camping.  Billy said, "Poppy's not like those girly-girls from school. She'll be sweet!".  When has a boy said that about a girl and NOT be into her?

Thank you, about agreeing with me with their use of Hannah. Other than Keystone Kop-ish foil to frequent 1-night hookups; they've pretty much took 1/4 of the original Quartet and relegated her role to "Booty Call".  Although that whole "Terry-thing" kind of over-played the Hannah exposure.

[Quilt Fairy]

My DVR has informed me that on Saturday Sept 8th, one of my local (Chicago) PBS channels will be doing an all-day 800 Words marathon, all of the first 2 seasons, leading up to the first ep of season 3 on Saturday evening.

[Jacks-Son]

@bybrandy,  You were right.  Billie was acting kinky because his best friend was being a dick and he allowed it to mess with his head.  I thought Billie was upset because of the way Arlo was hogging Poppy and keeping her off the field.  Although, He still may be enamored with Poppy because I just cannot believe a human boy would faceplate and pass out because his head was overloaded with Arlo's mess.  Arlo really blew it big time, although I hope Poppy can learn to forgive him.  I got my epic throw down and I was hoping Arlo would get punched.  He REALLY deserved it.  He owes Poppy a HUGE apology.  

I'll have more after my rewatch.

[bybrandy]

13 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

 Arlo really blew it big time, although I hope Poppy can learn to forgive him.  I got my epic throw down and I was hoping Arlo would get punched.  He REALLY deserved it

Seriously, right now I think Poppy can do better but I'll get over it by next week.   And I wouldn't be surprised at all if Billy turns out to have a thing for Poppy.  There was something in his reaction to her right at the start of the episode that had me so ready to come here and say you were right about Billy but it never came up again throughout the episode.  So I guess we'll see in future.   

I wish Shay had something in her life other than interfering in Arlo's love life.  Maybe her vision of her mum will make her take some direction in her life. 

Katie and George the chill vibe still is something I enjoy.   

But really aside from Arlo acting an arse there wasn't much in this past episode. 

Well, I guess and the whole body thing.   And I guess I'm supposed to care bout Big Mac declaring independence of Weld but whatever.  

[Jacks-Son]

On 9/7/2018 at 12:25 PM, bybrandy said:

And I wouldn't be surprised at all if Billy turns out to have a thing for Poppy.  There was something in his reaction to her right at the start of the episode that had me so ready to come here and say you were right about Billy but it never came up again throughout the episode.  So I guess we'll see in future.   

On a quick rewatch, and I think I'll guess what reaction you mean, it was when she approached Arlo and Billy at school.  Arlo just got off the the school bus, Billy approached him, questioned him about his dinner with Lindsay and Poppy showed up and she said, "Hey Billy", and he practically squealed, "Poppy" with a great big smile on his face.  Is that the reaction you're talking about?

[bybrandy]

22 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

On a quick rewatch, and I think I'll guess what reaction you mean, it was when she approached Arlo and Billy at school.  Arlo just got off the the school bus, Billy approached him, questioned him about his dinner with Lindsay and Poppy showed up and she said, "Hey Billy", and he practically squealed, "Poppy" with a great big smile on his face.  Is that the reaction you're talking about?

That would totally be the reaction I'm talking about.  :)

[bybrandy]

So we finally get a scene not focused on Hanna's sex life and she loses her job for pulling the same prank that has been pulled on every sitcom ever.   But with that last scene with Tom I'm guessing it will get worked out.  I like that Tom is visiting Gloria even if it is happening off acreen.  I miss Gloria.    And I was right about Shay's mom leading her to finding a path that isn't cleaning houses and fretting about Arlo's love life even more than she does her own.  I don't need Arlo to be in the dog house forever but I do like that this wasn't all better in a flash.  Although Alpaca feeding is probably better than working in the council   George and Katie continue to be cute.  And I know I should care about what Big Mack and co are planning but I can't say that I do.   

[Jacks-Son]

Can someone please explain to me what the F’ is up with Sean? He’s getting creepier and creepier. This Ginger fascination is the tip of the iceberg. He seems so weirdly predatory as far as Arlo goes.  He needs to stop making allusions to Arlo about him and girls and romance.

The bone arc was all settled rather quickly. Bone found, search commenced for the body. Body found (off-camera) no visual confirmation. Body buried with impromptu funeral service. Done & done!

16 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

 I miss Gloria.

I’ve missed Gloria as soon as she left.  I loved her snark and willingness to pull people’s legs, George especially. Still love that she put the George-Fiona Kiss on the front page of News of the Weld, just to mess with George and enjoy his reaction. Plus her “small talk” at George & Fi’s Dinner Party. I wish her luck in her directorial debut. I would love for her to come back before the end of the season.  I’m going to miss this series. It’s not earth-shattering or groundbreaking but it gets me invested in the relationships.

Anyone know what’s up with the $750,000 Ngahuia collected?

@bybrandy, you want a chuckle, look up 800 Words on IMDB And check out cast photos and look at Constable Tom’s picture.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Jacks-Son

[Jacks-Son]

20 hours ago, bybrandy said:

So we finally get a scene not focused on Hanna's sex life and she loses her job for pulling the same prank that has been pulled on every sitcom ever.   But with that last scene with Tom I'm guessing it will get worked out.  I like that Tom is visiting Gloria even if it is happening off acreen.  I miss Gloria.    And I was right about Shay's mom leading her to finding a path that isn't cleaning houses and fretting about Arlo's love life even more than she does her own.  I don't need Arlo to be in the dog house forever but I do like that this wasn't all better in a flash.  Although Alpaca feeding is probably better than working in the council   George and Katie continue to be cute.  And I know I should care about what Big Mack and co are planning but I can't say that I do.

While I'm glad the writers have veered from the Hannah, the sex addict. Now, she's doing an admirable job of trying to patch up George and Woody's relationship, however, isn't she doing the whole getting into other people's business again.  She seems to enjoy inserting herself into other people's problems and I believe that's what's ticking Tom off.  From her dropping the ball on the George walk of shame (a fiasco), to trying to get Tom more active (admirable), to now locking up feuding best-mates after hearing the suggestion of Fi and Tracey.  The writers don't have a decent story line for Hannah.  Whatever happened to Hannah's Surf shop?  They should have stuck with that.

I don't know how to feel about Fiona.  I'm glad she may have a gentleman friend to keep her out of the George-Katie relationship, I didn't like that smile she had on her face.  I don't much like the idea of an unsuspecting donor to the sperm bank.  If she's in the relationship to get pregnant, then she needs to let the gent know what's up.

I don't think even the writers care what Big Mack is doing with The Republic of Freedonia. I know I don't

[Marydear]

This goes back pretty far. Why wasn't Billy willing to go into the Boat Club until the summer people left? This was at the same time Arlo meets Emma. Was this ever explained?

[Jacks-Son]

8 hours ago, Marydear said:

This goes back pretty far. Why wasn't Billy willing to go into the Boat Club until the summer people left? This was at the same time Arlo meets Emma. Was this ever explained?

Season and episode?  I have Acorn TV and thus access to all of the episodes thus far. Could you please specify what occasion you're talking about?  Spent an hour and 10 minutes watching the latest episode. 60 minutes watching the episode, and extra 10 minutes gathering my wits after being mesmerized by Katie's wardrobe and dance at the beginning of the episode.  Damn, can Anna Julienne get any more beautiful and sexy??

Speaking of Katie, I'm torn about her involvement in the Laura's killer's son situation.  While I'm a big fan of forgiveness and I can understand one not wanting to keep the pain of Laura's loss going and giving in to getting closure via letting the court decide the future of the driver who knocked Laura down.  I don't think Katie should have gotten involved.  She should have let George and the kids work their way through it.  Good advice from Fiona to Katie about Katie needing to be willing to express her own feelings regarding Laura's death, however, speaking your mind is good advice when done in a neutral manner.  There was no way Katie was going to come out looking good by involving herself in the Turner family's latest drama. Katie and George are still in their courting stage.  Heavy subjects should be handled delicately. Her intentions were honorable, but her methods were unappreciated.  One doesn't invite warring parties to a dinner under the guise of a general get together when the intent is to force the warring parties to confront each other.  Although, Shay was a bit blunt and rude to Katie after the dinner gone astray, her assessment as to Katie's motive may have some truth to it.  Was Katie's attempts to get the two sides talking and understanding each other for the family's benefit or was it to close the Laura story and insert her candidacy as a Laura replacement.  It may not have been her intent, But it CAN be viewed by Shay , who is hurt and perhaps feeling a bit betrayed (Shay) by someone she considered a friend (Katie). It was a no-win situation and Katie should have avoided her natural inclination to broker peace by staying out of it.

Truthfully, the writers have this itch to fvck shit up and create unnecessary drama. Two episodes left and we've got Laura stuff coming up now??

[IrishPirate]

I'm annoyed by the timeline. The driver of the car has spent two years incarcerated, so Laura has been dead for at least two and a half years. Yet the conversations kept saying she'd been gone two years.

George uprooted the family and moved rather quickly in the first season. Was there ever any mention then about the court case? 

Both George and Shay have run through a number of "significant others" in this timeline, without much serious reflection, no matter how much time George spends on his surfboard.

Katie conveniently forgets she has a son in her rush to move in with George.

At this stage of the game, there could have been characters developed beyond the cartoon stage, but I think the word went out to wrap it up.

Katie (Anna Julienne) can be seen in "The Blue Rose." Totally different character.

[Jacks-Son]

2 hours ago, IrishPirate said:

George uprooted the family and moved rather quickly in the first season. Was there ever any mention then about the court case

No, of course not.  This is an entirely new situation drummed up by the writers to create drama with the Turner family.  What's Weld without a little familial turmoil? However, I can commiserate with George wanting to leave Australia behind along with his painful memories of not being there to prevent Laura from being knocked down. 

2 hours ago, IrishPirate said:

Katie (Anna Julienne) can be seen in "The Blue Rose." Totally different character.

That sounds ominous! I know Anna Julienne doesn't look like Katie IRL.  That, I believe, is a Hollywood tan (which looks great on her, BTW) I know she's also Blonde-ish (another wonderful addition to her appearance).  Hopefully, you mean she's not the sweet, loving, Katie Bell from "800 Words"?  I'm not a New Zealander, nor am I an Australian, so I'm unfamiliar with the acting credentials of any of the cast. Even those McLeod's Daughters that everyone seems to have heard of.  Strangely, the only actor I'm familiar with is Benson Jack Anthony (Arlo). He played a gifted character who could read minds, in "The Legend of the Seeker".  Everyone else is new to me.

[bybrandy]

I've had a hard time getting as into this season because of a lot of reasons but am sad about the week being the final.  

[Jacks-Son]

6 hours ago, bybrandy said:

I've had a hard time getting as into this season because of a lot of reasons but am sad about the week being the final.

Yeah, I will be sad to see it go also.  The writers seem to be trying to finish off all the leftover stories, but I don't like this Shay direction.  It's good that she wants to do something with her life other than monitor Arlo's and George's love life, however, it seems to me that her being a lawyer is just an effort to distinguish herself as NOT! like her dad and Katie but LIKE her mom.  While Shay is rather smart, I never understood why she had trouble with school.  I think her whole life up until this point is her living up to others' standards.  Ike, her dad, Arlo, her mom.  She was just focused on boys, no longer living in Australia, boredom with school.  I don't know why the writers are going down this path with Shay, it's not something that can pay off in a single episode, but I guess they're trying to give us hope for her character.

Anyone know what this land deal by Big Mac is all about?  I get the impression that they've managed to sell off unincorporated Weld land to the highest bidder for $750,000.  I don't see how that is legal.  It's NOT their land to sell unless the've formed some corporation and secretly bought off land.

[Luke the man]

On 06/09/2017 at 6:42 PM, paulvdb said:

This topic is for discussion about season 3 episodes. The season starts September 12 on Channel 7 in Australia. Please don't read this topic if you haven't watched all episodes that have aired on Channel 7 and don't want to be spoiled.

What happened with the town being used for a satellite launch? Did they stop Big Mac and the kiwi girl from doing it?

[Jacks-Son]

21 hours ago, Luke the man said:

What happened with the town being used for a satellite launch? Did they stop Big Mac and the kiwi girl from doing it?

Did you post this in another forum? I thought I saw this post in another forum and questioned what the heck this comment was doing in the forum.  Anyway, just saw the series finale and was somewhat disappointed.  Although there were no cliffhangers,  per se, and the episode closed up any lingering open stories including providing Fiona with a nice, strapping, adolescent boy to raise. The whole episode was a cliché in storybook endings.  I'm surprised it didn't end with, "And they lived happily ever after!"  Even Lyndsay got a happy ending. Billy had a "late night", whatever that implies.  Jan is getting Zac On Demand Sex. Hannah, got promoted from sex bot to humanoid police rookie. And Katie lives in the shittiest house-truck/house ever built. Series went out with a drizzle.

[ichbin]

22 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

"And they lived happily ever after!"

I didn't really expect anything different from this show. The only character who didn't end up all "happy, happy, joy, joy!" was Monty, although he did get some affirmation from his father so he didn't wind up totally excluded.

On 10/2/2018 at 10:14 PM, Luke the man said:

What happened with the town being used for a satellite launch? Did they stop Big Mac and the kiwi girl from doing it?

If they tied that plot line up I missed it too.  

I think they were wise in ending the show when they did.  It probably deserved to get booted sooner, but it was nice that they tied things up for the fans.

[Jacks-Son]

Why do I feel like I wasted my time with this series?  While it was interesting to watch and I enjoyed the characters' dynamics, ultimately, it wasn't a very memorable series and one that I will not be contacting show runners or sign a petition to save the show.  The ending was just blah! and very anticlimactic.  The Jan/Lyndsay partnership came out of the blue and was nothing more than a sidenote just to say that the character had an arc. Why would anyone want Lyndsay to work with them in a publishing company?  You saw what she did with "News of the Weld", imagine if she wormed her way into the writers' logon page for stories.  So, Shay and Siouxsie are just going to hobo their way around the world, after which Shay will return to get her HS diploma and pursue a degree in law? Yeah, right, good luck with that, it's just an empty plot addition.  This season should have added a few more episodes to give the series a true wrap up rather than this quickie finale.  I know the show had to close up shop but why so quickly?  Did the writers and show runners expect a renewal?  Why did this finale only get 1-2 episodes of pre-setup?

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, Jacks-Son said:

The Jan/Lyndsay partnership came out of the blue and was nothing more than a sidenote just to say that the character had an arc. Why would anyone want Lyndsay to work with them in a publishing company?

She's genuinely good with kids, though.   We saw that in a previous episode.  Jan needed somebody.  Lyndsay felt trapped living up to the reputation she always had as the town bitch and needed a chance to start over.   I liked that ending for Lyndsay but then I liked Lyndsay.   

 

I don't get the impression at all that Shay was going back to school when she got back.  I thought she was going off to have an adventure and to find herself.   That she needed to have some experiences and have some stories so she'd have stories to tell, see some things so she'd have things to paint/sculpt.. whatever.  She admitted school wasn't her thing and then asked George what was. But clearly it wasn't going to be school.   

 

They expected a renewal.  Season 4 was supposed to be a time jump 1 year later and how did all the choices they made in the finale work out, so presumably not all of them would have been great choices.     

 

I genuinely liked the finale.  Sure it was bubble gum and feel good and nothing life shattering happened but I got to spend some episodes with characters that amused me.  Will it stick with me for years?  Probably not.  But it kept me entertained for a number of hours and that's really all I need.   

[Jacks-Son]

Yes, you're right, Shay did admit towards the end that she wasn't cut out for school. Her character went through a slight maturation so I had hopes for her.  She seemed very level-headed and wasn't prone to rash decisions unlike her Boo.  That's why her final acts, in the past few episodes, seemed a bit OOC.  While Jan DID say she primarily wanted Lyndsay to be an Au Pair, and she is good with "babies".  No evidence so far how she would be when they're in their "Terrible Two's", that's a rough job, so I don't know if the character, as depicted has the strength and intelligence enough to be responsible for two toddlers at once. As for an apprentice in the publishing house, uh no!  It's nice to project for her future but I have little interest in her character.

22 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

I genuinely liked the finale.  Sure it was bubble gum and feel good and nothing life shattering happened but I got to spend some episodes with characters that amused me.  Will it stick with me for years?  Probably not.  But it kept me entertained for a number of hours and that's really all I need.   

I didn't dislike the series, it's just that I expected more payout and it just sort of withered away. I would have watched a season 4 and it would have been interesting to see where the character's choices led them in life.  It's always cool to see those kind of progressions. Especially, it would have been nice to imagine a George, Jr., as a blend of George and Katie; or perhaps a little Katie, Jr., someone for Shay to be a role model for.

This was supposed. to be a signature series, billed as the #1 comedy by Yahoo!7.  I just thought the studio would put out and invest time & money in the series; not to let there #1 series die on the vine.

[bybrandy]

6 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

No evidence so far how she would be when they're in their "Terrible Two's", that's a rough job, so I don't know if the character, as depicted has the strength and intelligence enough to be responsible for two toddlers at once. As for an apprentice in the publishing house, uh no!  It's nice to project for her future but I have little interest in her character.

My memory and I could be faulty here is that she worked at a child care center so I image she had experience with toddlers too.  And while I absolutely agree hiring Lyndsay could be a nightmare I worked for a while as a nanny and my first job I had literally NO experience.  Seriously.  Mom was desperate.  I was broke..   It worked out great.   And when I needed my next job I had experience and references.  Could have gone the other way.  Didn't.  Lyndsay's desperate for a change.   Jan's desperate and probably suffering from some Post partum depression or some PTSD from her birth experience.  She's not necessarily making great decisions.   But I get why she'd make that decision.  She was close with Big Mac when she lived in Weld before.  She might have a different view of Lyndsay from that, too.  

[Jacks-Son]

1 hour ago, bybrandy said:

She was close with Big Mac when she lived in Weld before.  She might have a different view of Lyndsay from that, too.  

Yes, there's that to take into account.  Nobody has experience before their first job; that's how you learn.  Each job adds a new experience to those who are willing to work through them.  As a normal teen, my first job was as a typical camp counselor and with each job since then I leaned how to navigate my way through life.  Respect to you as a nanny and kudos for successfully dealing with the tough choices in life While I love kids, in this time of my life, I'm glad I'm no longer raising them and all of mine are grown adults.  If Lyndsay can handle adolescents good for her, I always thought of her as an airhead and too self-centered.

I may have led someone to believe that I was disappointed in the series as a whole.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  I loved the series and while the comedy and the relationships were engaging and I enjoyed discussing different scenarios and characters as if they were real life neighbors, for me, there was much greater value in the series.  I was born and raised in New York City, and truthfully had little knowledge of Australia and New Zealand.  Honestly, they are two countries that I did not spend much time thinking about, except when some movie depicting those countries became popular and then I would take passing interest.  However, with 800 Words, I got to see and hear what New Zealanders sounded and acted like and it was enlightening. I've had a few conversations with New Zealanders in this very forum, and the experiences were pleasant and informative. (Natalie & Paulvdb) Also, I got to see, at least on television, some beautiful countryside and shoreline, and I got to learn that there are people there called the Māori, and they have a rich history and belief system that I never knew anything about before watching the show. So, I did enjoy the series, just not the finale.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Jacks-Son

[Jacks-Son]

I was searching for a forum where posters were discussing "800 Words" and discovered this forum where most comments were disparaging and described the show as a straight rip-off of another series called "SeaChange".  Has anybody heard or seen of "SeaChange"?  There's also another AU show called, "East of Everything" that is being compared to "800 Words".

 

Australian Forum Discussing 800 Words

Edited October 10, 2018 by Jacks-Son

[windsprints]

I've never heard of Sea Change. The show reminded me a bit of Everwood. I enjoyed the show all the way through and will miss it.

Edited October 14, 2018 by windsprints

[Jacks-Son]

5 minutes ago, windsprints said:

The show reminded me a bit of Everwood. I enjoyed the show all the way through and will miss it.

@windsprints  What show is this that reminds you of Everwood, :"East of Everything"?  Everwood was a show that introduced me to some fan favorites like: Emily VanCamp (I still follow her wherever she goes, except for her latest venture, "The Resident" because I don't like the jerk who played Logan, on Gilmore Girls; Chris Pratt (the lovable lunk), Sarah Drew, (Everybody seems to hate April from "Grey's" but I've loved her ever since Everwood; and Sarah Lancaster (Chuck's sister) and a major babe!

[windsprints]

8 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

@windsprints  What show is this that reminds you of Everwood, :"East of Everything"?  Everwood was a show that introduced me to some fan favorites like: Emily VanCamp (I still follow her wherever she goes, except for her latest venture, "The Resident" because I don't like the jerk who played Logan, on Gilmore Girls; Chris Pratt (the lovable lunk), Sarah Drew, (Everybody seems to hate April from "Grey's" but I've loved her ever since Everwood; and Sarah Lancaster (Chuck's sister) and a major babe!

800 Words. It & Everwood had the common thread of the father taking the children to live somewhere completely different after their mother dies, the family learning to live without her, their friendships & relationships with people in the town they moved to, etc. Jack's relationship with his children was far stronger than Andy's at the start & there are differences but Everwood immediately came to mind when I first watched 800 Words.

[screengem]

 Also, I got to see, at least on television, some beautiful countryside and shoreline, and I got to learn that there are people there called the Māori, and they have a rich history and belief system that I never knew anything about before watching the show. So, I did enjoy the series, just not the finale.

 

Just finished the series on Acorn TV.  While the last episode of the season wasn't supposed to be the LAST, it turned out that it was.

I miss it already.  Really glad Acorn TV has other kiwi programming to watch.

[chitowngirl]

800 Words is coming to UP channel on July 24!!

[Anela]

On 5/17/2020 at 9:21 AM, screengem said:

 Also, I got to see, at least on television, some beautiful countryside and shoreline, and I got to learn that there are people there called the Māori, and they have a rich history and belief system that I never knew anything about before watching the show. So, I did enjoy the series, just not the finale.

 

Just finished the series on Acorn TV.  While the last episode of the season wasn't supposed to be the LAST, it turned out that it was.

I miss it already.  Really glad Acorn TV has other kiwi programming to watch.

I finally have Acorn, for a couple of months, so I've been watching again, too. 

[proserpina65]

On 7/31/2017 at 10:23 AM, Nadine said:

I've always been Team George and Fiona *ducks* but I wouldn't be surprised if they go with Katie as being the eventual person he ends up with. Regardless Robbie needs to be kicked to the side.

I was so Team Fiona that I was furious when he chose Katie.  Not that she's a bad person, she's a nice person.  I just think she and George had nothing in common other than being in Weld and having teenaged kids.  Imo, the camping episode proves why they really don't work as a couple.  But at least he didn't end up with Jan.

That was the one thing my best friend said when I got her started with the series: "Please tell me George doesn't end up with Jan!", and as adverse to spoilers as I am, I couldn't torture her with that possibility.

 

I got into this series after a covid-enforced viewing of Xena Warrior Princess reignited my long dormant hots for Erik Thomson, and I bought the dvds.  I am so glad I did, because I really enjoyed it.

[proserpina65]

On 10/11/2017 at 10:51 PM, Jacks-Son said:

Just finished the latest episode. Holy crap!! Woody is a total mess.  This episode was hilarious, but I have no sympathy for Woody.  He created this mess and made ALL the wrong decisions.  He keeps asking George to accompany him everywhere but he refuses to actually take George's advice.  It's like he's talking over people and not hearing what they are saying.  I know that's classic Woody, but these are life-altering decisions and need reflection, not impetuous behavior.  The secret was not containable and that should have been obvious from the start especially with their whatever-you-call-it-vine.

That is one of my favorite episodes.  Woody just doesn't do reflection, so that didn't bother me, and the whole road trip was hysterical.  I think Smiler is my soulmate, because the whole "every animal in Australia is going to try to kill me" is very much my thing.  Doesn't keep me from wanting to go there, though.

[proserpina65]

On 10/19/2017 at 3:24 AM, Jacks-Son said:

this episode, without meaning to, showed me again how easy-going George and Katie are with each other.

To me, it shows the exact opposite, that it doesn't really work between them.  But that may just be my Fiona prejudice showing.

On 8/28/2018 at 1:08 PM, Jacks-Son said:

Once a staunch feminist, she now feels its fun to ogle guys and objectify them, contrary to her original ideals.

Idk, it's entirely possible to be a staunch feminist & ogle and objectify men.  I do it all the time.

[proserpina65]

I would've like to have seen how Big Mac's launchpad plan developed because, even though he went about it in his usual underhanded way, I really like the idea.