S02.E01: September

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Sam has people over.

[Liamsmom617]

I can't say I don't like this show...but episodes like this, I just wonder what they were going for.

[tomsmom]

I used to really like this show but the fact that she would allow her 16yr old date a 35yr old is just gross. She should have had that talk with him and threatened him with the police as soon as it started.

[Liamsmom617]

 I agree, but I also think I get why she didn't---has Sam done so, Max would probably have run away to be with the guy. 

   Did I understand correctly that the 35-year-old guy had previously dated Macy, Sam's blonde British friend? 

[Adultosaurus]

Yeah, I think I'm out after this episode.  I mean, really?  Plus it's so not in-line with what we knew about Sam previously...good try, FX and CK.

[Jade Foxx]

1 hour ago, tomsmom said:

I used to really like this show but the fact that she would allow her 16yr old date a 35yr old is just gross. She should have had that talk with him and threatened him with the police as soon as it started.

I'm a pretty progressive mom, but no FUCKING WAY. 

The "in over my head" revelation by the daughter seemed inauthentic. 

Ugh. 

[DiabLOL]

With a show like this I really need to like her. After what she did to her mom at the end of last season I really tried to like her  but I can't. I just can't.

And yeah. I think I was supposed to find Sam all kinds of fierce and smart and scary with how she "handled" this creep but fuck that. She should have cut him off at the very start. 16 yo? Jail. Fuck over her best friend? Hell to pay.

How fucked up was it to watch Sam's good friend at the party see her ex walk in with Sam's daughter. Her 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER? 

Also, Sam's smart enough to have figured out how to obliterate this creep without tripping off her daughter.

[Liamsmom617]

Also, Duke daring her friend to put Monopoly houses in her vagina?!?! 

[Phishbulb]

Louis CK certainly isn't going out of his way to eliminate his "creepy" reputation by writing stuff like this episode (and from what I hear, the new movie he directed). 

[Blakeston]

11 hours ago, Liamsmom617 said:

Did I understand correctly that the 35-year-old guy had previously dated Macy, Sam's blonde British friend? 

Yes, which is why it was bizarre that Sam made that comment about how he had probably never dated a woman over 17 since he was 14 (or something to that effect.) The man was obviously pervy as all hell, but Sam knew that he had just dated a woman well above her teen years.

I enjoyed the first season, and I was really looking forward to this one after reading the rapturous reviews. But this just wasn't particularly funny, entertaining or insightful. I'm hoping it gets a lot better from here.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Blakeston

[pasdetrois]

How very disappointing. I eagerly awaited the return of this series but the first episode was a misfire on many levels.

Why does Sam trudge through every single scene? The cynical and exhausted mom thing can be funny sometimes, but not in such huge doses.

I know that kids in large cities are privileged and sophisticated, but I have my brat-tolerance limits as a viewer. The vagina stuff and the pervy Spaniard stuff really annoyed me. It's as if Adlon and Louis CK are out of touch with their audience.

Sam needs to get tougher with those brats.

Edited September 17, 2017 by pasdetrois

[Blakeston]

I keep thinking back to the episode last season when that cute boy (Harvey?) was interested in Max, and Sam dragged him into the basement to threaten him and point to his penis.

So that's what she'll do when an age-appropriate boy is interested in her daughter - but when it's a 35-year-old, her response is, "I need to allow it, or else I won't see her?"

[ItCouldBeWorse]

17 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

I keep thinking back to the episode last season when that cute boy (Harvey?) was interested in Max, and Sam dragged him into the basement to threaten him and point to his penis.

So that's what she'll do when an age-appropriate boy is interested in her daughter - but when it's a 35-year-old, her response is, "I need to allow it, or else I won't see her?"

I thought of that, too.

Does anyone else think that Duke is a little too precocious for her own good and the good of her friends?

[chocolatine]

30 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

So that's what she'll do when an age-appropriate boy is interested in her daughter - but when it's a 35-year-old, her response is, "I need to allow it, or else I won't see her?"

That made no sense at all. Max is still in high school and has no job - where would she have gone even if she did want to run away? Spanish guy is most likely not a US citizen, so a call to the police the minute he started perving at Max would have gotten him out of the country.

13 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Does anyone else think that Duke is a little too precocious for her own good and the good of her friends?

I already disliked her last season, but now I can't stand her. Can't stand any of the daughters. I watched mainly for Sam last season, but her character seems to be going downhill now as well.  

[ItCouldBeWorse]

32 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Can't stand any of the daughters.

I like Frankie.  She's clearly very bright, and doesn't seem affected by Max's shenanigans the way Duke appears to be. They all mouth off to their mother at various times, so that's just the family dynamic.

[Nessie]

Ugh,  Arturo and his brother were just gross.  Agree that Sam should have threatened him with the police from the very beginning and shut down his smug ass immediately.

I couldn't stand Frankie last year, but I did like her with Jason at the piano.  I also love Phil being her normal racist self, and Sam telling her that Jason lived in Bel Air and that his grandfather was Harry Belafonte.  That was actually my only laugh of the episode.

[scrb]

23 hours ago, DiabLOL said:

With a show like this I really need to like her. After what she did to her mom at the end of last season I really tried to like her  but I can't. I just can't.

And yeah. I think I was supposed to find Sam all kinds of fierce and smart and scary with how she "handled" this creep but fuck that. She should have cut him off at the very start. 16 yo? Jail. Fuck over her best friend? Hell to pay.

How fucked up was it to watch Sam's good friend at the party see her ex walk in with Sam's daughter. Her 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER? 

Also, Sam's smart enough to have figured out how to obliterate this creep without tripping off her daughter.

I can't tell if Sam is suppose to be a bad parent or a heroic mother dealing with awful daughters and mother.

Or she's just too cool and her daughters are precocious about sex and the ways of the world.

Yeah I didn't realize the oldest girl was only 16 until the end.  And when Duke described her sister as sitting on Arturo, that would be statutory rape?

Besides going with an older pervy guy, why would that girl steal her mother's friend's boyfriend?  And if Sam doesn't object to her 16-year old girl going with some creepy old guy, what about the girl going with her friend's ex?  There may not be a girl code across generations but how about just simple boundaries?

Are they trying to say Sam handled it the right way because she allowed the daughter to figure out it wasn't for her?  Again, if the daughter was "sitting on him" in view of the younger daughter, damage is already done.

[AllyB]

6 hours ago, scrb said:

what about the girl going with her friend's ex?  There may not be a girl code across generations but how about just simple boundaries?

That's the bit I didn't get. I understand how difficult it could be to insist a 16 year old can't date someone. But what about appealing to her "woman to woman" that you don't start dating a guy who came on to you in a way that was so, so disrespectful of the woman he was dating and standing right next to at the time. Especially when they woman is someone you care about and who cares about you. Forbidding a 16 year old to do something might make things worse but treating her like an adult who you expect to refuse to participate in a scenario that's so degrading to a friend could get her right on side. And that also goes for the rest of Sam and Macy's friends. The interactions we saw with Max and her mothers friends were all lovely and huggy. It would have been more effective and realistic for them to have shown that they weren't actually ok with her treating Macy like that and were concerned about her being in a relationship with such an obvious creep. There were way more than two ways to handle the situation.

[TVForever]

22 hours ago, Liamsmom617 said:

Also, Duke daring her friend to put Monopoly houses in her vagina?!?! 

The HOTEL, no less. OUCH!! Max annoys the heck out of me, Frankie mostly leaves me with question marks, but Duke? After this episode, I'm a little bit afraid of that one. It's always the quiet ones, right?

[Nessie]

9 hours ago, scrb said:

Yeah I didn't realize the oldest girl was only 16 until the end.  And when Duke described her sister as sitting on Arturo, that would be statutory rape?

(snip)

Are they trying to say Sam handled it the right way because she allowed the daughter to figure out it wasn't for her?  Again, if the daughter was "sitting on him" in view of the younger daughter, damage is already done.

I think it's fair to assume Arturo and Max were having sex which yes, is statutory rape.  And no, IMO, Sam did not handle it in the right way, but I think Hollywood is more permissive where parenting is concerned, on screen and in real life.  I realize that is a gross generalization, but I remember being absolutely shocked years ago reading about how Linda Blair's mother let her move in with her boyfriend when she was only 16, and that's just one example.

I forgot to add earlier that I really could have done without the episode starting with Sam on the toilet.  Totally unnecessary.  Was the brief sliver of her ass the nudity we were warned about?

[AllyB]

1 hour ago, Nessie said:

I forgot to add earlier that I really could have done without the episode starting with Sam on the toilet.  Totally unnecessary.  Was the brief sliver of her ass the nudity we were warned about?

And why did she stand up from the toilet and immediately attack whatever was in there with a plunger? It just made no sense unless she found the toilet clogged and decided to pee in it before sorting it out.

[Jeanne222]

I saw an advertisement for this show.  Taped it and watched it and love it.  I'm only one episode in but I hope to find a place to watch season one so I can catch up!

[TeapotWakeen]

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  I'm only one episode in but I hope to find a place to watch season one so I can catch up!

That's exactly my situation, Jeanne222. I saw the commercial, set the Tivo, got the season one finale, and the season two opener. Spent all day today on PutLocker watching the entire first season. (It's also on Hulu, and you can buy episodes various places) So, I'm all caught up, and now have read all the back comments here, ready for Season 2, episode 2!!

[Irlandesa]

On 9/15/2017 at 0:02 AM, Jade Foxx said:

The "in over my head" revelation by the daughter seemed inauthentic.

I think that was the optimal reaction Sam hoped the daughter would have.  And yes, it did seem inauthentic which is why I wouldn't recommend following Sam's parenting model. That said, I'm going to analyze it taking her daughter's reaction at face value because, while rare, I do believe it's a possible conclusion.

Other than way she reacted last season to a potential romantic partner for her daughter, I found how she handled this interesting.  16 isn't the age of consent in CA but it is in many states and numerous industrialized countries, including Spain. Knowing her daughter, Sam made a calculation that she'd ultimately grow tired of a sleazy 35-year-old and that would be better for Sam's relationship with her daughter than digging her heels in would be.  It allows her to keep a closer eye on what is exactly happening in the relationship which might be harder if they were at odds.

[Mumbles]

What I find so puzzling about this show is after last season's episode where Max was told by her guidance counselor she was screwing around so much she probably wouldn't go to college, and she herself seemed to admit she was a fuckup, she doesn't seem to have taken that relevation to heart.

And yeah I found the "little girls inserting Monolpoly pieces into their vaginas" thing disturbing. Kids are curious, but if I knew a kid who thought about doing something like that I would wonder if there was abuse going on.

If I knew Sam, I would be terrified of her because she has this habit of being really nice and smiley  just before she rips you a new one. I would always find it hard to ascertain where I stood with her and would walk on eggshells around her.

[Drumpf1737]

I hate everyone in this show especially the kids. Last year I at least enjoyed Sam in spite of the kids, now I'm just annoyed at everyone and everything here.

[Ms Lark]

Given all the critical acclaim this show has received, I thought I was the odd man out in hating this season opener. I can't think any of this was a good thing. Glad to know I'm not alone!

[txhorns79]

I have been catching up on the show with Amazon, and this episode was extremely frustrating.  I don't believe for a moment that Sam would ever allow her 16 year old daughter to date a 35 year old.  I do not believe for a moment that Sam would ever offer some bs excuse like, "If I don't allow it, she'll leave" as a reason to allow this relationship to continue.  I think all parents have moments of bad parenting, but this was just so out there as to make me wonder what Sam could possibly be thinking, and would she really have just allowed this to go on if her daughter hadn't essentially begged her to end things.   

[ErinV]

On 9/16/2017 at 1:30 PM, AllyB said:

And why did she stand up from the toilet and immediately attack whatever was in there with a plunger? It just made no sense unless she found the toilet clogged and decided to pee in it before sorting it out.

And then just left without washing her hands!  And went to prepare food!  

[SoMuchTV]

On 9/16/2017 at 1:30 PM, AllyB said:

And why did she stand up from the toilet and immediately attack whatever was in there with a plunger? It just made no sense unless she found the toilet clogged and decided to pee in it before sorting it out.

 

On 12/4/2017 at 9:38 AM, ErinV said:

And then just left without washing her hands!  And went to prepare food!  

Just now watching this, but I agree - eww!  This wasn’t the first time they’ve shown her plunging the toilet, either. My only guess was that the flushing mechanism was broken, and this was a regular thing. But that doesn’t really make sense. Surely there’s more than one bathroom in that house...?

Edited August 2, 2020 by SoMuchTV