S05.E05: Episode Five

[paulvdb]

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Carol reveals that she's pregnant and plans on keeping the baby. Matt's father drops dead, which leaves Matt to deal with his remains.

 

I've never been a fan of episodes dealing with Matt's parents, so this was not one of my favorite episodes.

[wendyg]

I did like the way they dealt with Merc, though.

[RedMal]

Yeah, the episode was mostly frustrating and repetitive. The jokes about phone calls were fun for a couple of minutes, but too much is always too much.

However, I liked the Merc-Morning-Carol scene. Very well done. But is this really all they can think of for Mircea?

I don't know why they had to make that stupid joke at the end. The scene was powerful, but it's like they realized some point that they're supposed to make comedy.

The episode certainly felt like a turning point, like they're about to kick the final storyline going.

[lucindabelle]

Every bit o this was hilarious. The way phone calls from Linda began to be terrifying. The prop urns. 

 

The morning feveal.

"that's your show."

love!

[scrb]

Yeah I guess they got a new show premise out of the phone calls thing.

Matt showed some humanity in the end.

I guess the show was dedicated to the actor who played his father?

[xaxat]

1 hour ago, RedMal said:

I don't know why they had to make that stupid joke at the end. The scene was powerful, but it's like they realized some point that they're supposed to make comedy.

At first I didn't like (too obvious), but I think it went with the theme of Matt's relationship with his dad. His father managed to turn every happy memory Matt had of him into shit.

(Was that a David Rothko painting in "Matt's" kitchen?)

[iMonrey]

I had forgotten that Alex Rocco passed away in 2015 - which is when this episode was filmed. Still don't understand why Showtime sat on this season for 2 whole years. Anyway, it made for a nice tribute. I actually thought the pass-the-buck phone calls was pretty hilarious with Linda unable to understand anything Sean and Bev were saying (although they could have spelled out "Uber" and "Kia" instead of just repeating it over and over). Also, I actually started to believe that maybe Merc was telling the truth and Morning just made the whole thing up, until she walked into the room. That was hilarious.

But the ending with the ashes blowing all over Matt - I saw that coming a mile away and I wish they hadn't done that. It was such a nice moment up to that point and the way-too-obvious gag kind of ruined it.

[txhorns79]

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However, I liked the Merc-Morning-Carol scene. Very well done. But is this really all they can think of for Mircea?

I loved that scene, and how Merc just gave up and fled. 

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I had forgotten that Alex Rocco passed away in 2015 - which is when this episode was filmed. Still don't understand why Showtime sat on this season for 2 whole years.

Is that true?  I had no idea they just sat on this season.  

Edited September 26, 2017 by txhorns79

[ganesh]

Yeah, but it fit with the theme of the dad.

The show pitch wasn't too bad. I think that could be decent. I like the idea that we're actually watching the show they finally produced though. 

I thought the phone jokes were hilarious because Bev and Sean had such glee in handing the phone over. 

[QQQQ]

Joey was not my favorite Friends character but I absolutely love how Matt combines shades of Joey's idiocy with flashes of brilliance. 

Edited September 26, 2017 by QQQQ

[lambertman]

When Matt came up with "Racing Whores", my wife asked "Isn't that Top Gear?"  :)

[Dandesun]

Merc getting caught was magnificent! I was not remotely expecting Morning to step out in the middle of all of that. Merc finally just going 'I got nothing' and walking out... yes. That whole bit was hilarious.

As was Matt dealing with his father's death. When it came down to him just scooping ashes out of the barbecue to put in two different urns to send them to his mother and Linda... so wrong but so right. Although my sister was all 'you don't get ashes out of a propane barbecue!!' I mean, she's right but we let it go because the rest of it worked. We were both expecting a Big Lebowski shout out with the ashes at the end, though. I mean, you could see that one coming. Not to mention, you know, we live in California. It is downright rare to be standing on the shore and not having the wind blowing from off-shore. Sure, it happens, but it's not common at all so, yeah, the ashes are not going to wind up anywhere but in your face.

And in Matt's case, all over you and in your clothes and everything.

But now they have a show... progress! The question is: can they manage to keep the network from interfering and fucking it all up? AGAIN? 

Speaking of which, will we get an update on the abject failure that is Timothy at some point because I really want that to happen for some fallout to happen there.

[xaxat]

Was one of the earlier pitches about a show featuring a man at three stages of his life? Or did I imagine that? I ask because I saw this ad for a new CBS show.

[paulvdb]

No, I think it was about three alternate versions of how the man's life could have turned out but all at the same stage of his life.

[kieyra]

I feel like that's about the third time in a year or so I've seen the "father dies/son doesn't react, ends up with cremains in his face" gag. There has to be some other beat that can be used to tell that story.

[iMonrey]

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The show pitch wasn't too bad. I think that could be decent. I like the idea that we're actually watching the show they finally produced though. 

I thought it was funny that Matt balked at the suggestion he should play the father until Sean pointed out it was the better part, and then he was all like "Oh, right!" 

[meowmommy]

I didn't understand "we can't have a funeral for him because he's being cremated."  Both my parents were cremated after we had funerals for them. 

Crying now because the ashes made me think of my beloved kitty who passed five months ago and his cremains are on a shelf in the closet with his brothers' because I've never been able to decide what to do with them.

On 9/25/2017 at 0:36 PM, iMonrey said:

I had forgotten that Alex Rocco passed away in 2015 - which is when this episode was filmed. Still don't understand why Showtime sat on this season for 2 whole years.

I think there's always been a huge lag between filming and airing of this series.  I just recently started rewatching from the beginning and I was surprised at how much younger Matt looks in season 1 than he does now.

[Nordly Beaumont]

5 hours ago, meowmommy said:

I just recently started rewatching from the beginning and I was surprised at how much younger Matt looks in season 1 than he does now.

That's funny - I've been re-watching too and was struck by the same thing! I guess it has been quite a few years, six is it?

[iMonrey]

The show filmed once a year during the first four seasons, and aired later that same year. This season was filmed back in 2015. Nobody knows why Showtime sat on it - the renewal was announced back at the end of Season 4. So no, it wasn't always this way. And yeah, I've noticed Matt looks older too (his hair in particular is much thinner on top).

[RedMal]

27 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

The show filmed once a year during the first four seasons, and aired later that same year. This season was filmed back in 2015. Nobody knows why Showtime sat on it - the renewal was announced back at the end of Season 4. So no, it wasn't always this way. And yeah, I've noticed Matt looks older too (his hair in particular is much thinner on top).

There was almost two year break between seasons 2 and 3 also.

[sum]

Actually the filming was started in April 2016. It's still unusual to sitting on it for over a full year though. It's even worse for the British audience, as this series won't air until next year.

Edited September 28, 2017 by sum

[lucindabelle]

On 9/27/2017 at 2:28 PM, iMonrey said:

I thought it was funny that Matt balked at the suggestion he should play the father until Sean pointed out it was the better part, and then he was all like "Oh, right!" 

That was brilliant, brilliant comic timing. I had to replay it, it was so good.

Am I the only one who loved the show "Joey?"

 

Matt LeBlanc is just a hilarious actor. And when he does show that he's smart or decent-- like when he arranged for Sean and Beverly to skate together in season two. Or sent the mattress. And smart, like knowing "History Boys." Those surprises 100 percent make the show and are a subtle commentary about Hollywood too, and assumptions.

I do agree the ashes is an old gag but it made me laugh anyway.

[iMonrey]

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Am I the only one who loved the show "Joey?"

I liked it well enough and thought it had an excellent ensemble cast with Jennifer Coolidge and Drea de Matteo. I think it was probably doomed from the start because it was never going to be Friends so it had an uphill battle living up to expectations.

It was far and away 1000 times better than "Man With A Plan" though. It baffles me how dreck like that manages to stay on the air. It's like Matt LeBlanc left this show and made a real life "Pucks."

Edited September 29, 2017 by iMonrey

[Snickerdoodle]

Alright, I thought the thing at the end with the ashes was funny.  It really made me laugh because here's Matt having a poignant moment and bam! it backfires.

 

I also loved the bit where Sean realizes what the show should be. "And you're the father!"  Matt's reaction was great, especially when Sean told him it was the better part.

 

I just love me some Matt LeBlanc.  I have, on occasion sat through dreck like Man with a Plan. 

[AAEBoiler]

Another great episode! The best thing was Bev's unaccented pronunciation of "Uber".

[anniebird]

I thought this episode was hilarious - I immediately watched it again.

[msrachelj]

On 9/27/2017 at 4:59 PM, meowmommy said:

I didn't understand "we can't have a funeral for him because he's being cremated."  Both my parents were cremated after we had funerals for them. 

Crying now because the ashes made me think of my beloved kitty who passed five months ago and his cremains are on a shelf in the closet with his brothers' because I've never been able to decide what to do with them.

I think there's always been a huge lag between filming and airing of this series.  I just recently started rewatching from the beginning and I was surprised at how much younger Matt looks in season 1 than he does now.

sorry about your kitty. mine passed months ago also. we made a memorial shelf for his ashes and trinkets and poems etc. with our favorite photos on the wall. display your kitties remains with a tribute to them. fur babies are family.