Season 5 Discussion

[msrachelj]

On 5/5/2018 at 10:50 PM, ShowsILoveToHate said:

I must be the only one who doesn't mind Erica's singing.  I've known since the first episode that she's been a professional singer. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayley_Orrantia

I wonder if they're taking her in a singing as a career direction because of the fact that the actress has that talent to offer.  

From what I remember reading, Erica isn't based on an actual family member of Adam Goldberg.  I wonder if the writers just don't know what to do with her, since there aren't any "true life" stories to go by.  ?? 

Does anyone know if this show is being renewed??

wow, very surprised she is a professional singer. she sounds like any ol person with a decent singing voice. it's not strong and not melodic. 

[Ravon Okiro]

From TV Guide:

Barry tries to come up with the ultimate senior prank when Lainey moves back to town.  Erica tells Murray her decision about her future in college.

Discuss the season finale here.

[babs j.]

The writers of last night's episode seem to have forgotten that Erica has worked for pay when she was in high school. 

[71dude]

Is Barry ever graduating from high school?

[readster]

1 minute ago, 71dude said:

Is Barry ever graduating from high school?

That's like saying the show has a specific year set in the 80s and their "we need a 90s spin off no matter what" would be logical. They will stay in the 80s until the show is cancelled. 

[nilyank]

3 hours ago, babs j. said:

The writers of last night's episode seem to have forgotten that Erica has worked for pay when she was in high school

True, but that wasn't to pay rent, food and everything that her parents provided for her. 

 

2 hours ago, 71dude said:

Is Barry ever graduating from high school?

He must be. He is a senior, they had senior ski trip that was cancelled due to weather, he was part of senior pranks and they had their senior prom.

They just did not have his graduation as part of this season. Next season, he will in college as the real Barry became a doctor and he will need to continue his education on the show. Hopefully the JTP all attend the same school.

Don't know how this engagement with Lainey will turn out but she will.be a teacher on the show with the Coach and Tim Meadows character so we will find out soon enough.

Edited May 17, 2018 by nilyank

[Traveller519]

The opening in the hallway was great, it kept making me laugh. The JTP "this was a good year" highlights ("Naked Nana!") The Jamie Weissman cameo (I'll come back to that), Matt Bradley's usual Greek Chorus-ing of the whole events, but my favorite little gag was Barry calling Adam "Douche-Box" while he worked his Hi-C juice-box.

I can't say I'm thrilled about the "coming back home" story. I know it made it difficult to write Erica, having her away, but it made for some nice progression with the rest of the cast, especially allowing for the Bev-o-lution, which gave Murray more to do, and Adam room to breathe. I do really wish we had explored more of Barry out on his own, and perhaps interacting more with Jamie. We really only got one episode of him coming to terms with Lainey being gone, and then pretty much ignored him dealing with that through the rest of the season. During the dorm-party episode it seemed like they were okay with being apart and leading their own lives too. I mention it because the show handled Adam and Dana's plight and growing apart so well. It will be interesting to see how the show will chase this engagement story.

I really enjoyed having Bev's smother-ness dialed down this season, and got a great payoff when she was forced to "put her foot down" for the first time. It wasn't her usual guilt trip approach to discipline. So watching her figure it out on her own terms was entertaining. And it was nice to watch Murray follow his own advice back-off and let her come to terms with it.

Pops mystification and what's transpiring around him continues to delight me. Part of me thinks that's George actually observing what's going on around him

[tennisgurl]

Oh yeah, this engagement is already poorly conceived. Oh Barry, this will so not end well. Much like this Erica plot. I get that it was hard to write for her while she was at college, but this just seems to be backtracking on all the development she and the family in general had. Besides, Barry will have to go to college next season anyway, right?

Pops is always the highlight of any episode "This is hard to watch"

I am honestly amazed they picked up the 90s spin off, because its one episode aired was pretty awful. Maybe the show will be better? And, as I actually remember the later parts of the 90s, its going to be weird seeing things that I actually get nostalgic for, like other people do for the 80s stuff on this show. But it will inevitably be weird for me to stuff I was too young to remember right next to stuff from, like, 1998 when I was a kid old enough to remember stuff. 1990 something indeed. 

[Phishbulb]

40 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I am honestly amazed they picked up the 90s spin off, because its one episode aired was pretty awful. Maybe the show will be better? 

From the descriptions I've read about it, it seems like they might be abandoning many of the elements that existed in the original pilot, like Nia Long as Tim Meadows' sister and the girl who was her daughter and was "narrating" the show from the present, Adam Goldberg-style. In fact, I don't see any indication that any of those three actors (the mother and the two daughters) are still part of the show. It seems like the show has been retooled to focus more on (now) Principal Glascott, Coach Mellor, and Lainey who has become a teacher. 

[flyingdi]

Won't Lainey have to go back to college to become a teacher?  What's she teaching?  Who is the girl living in Erica's house.  Is she the same girl who used to talk about her stepfather or is she new since college?

[biakbiak]

23 minutes ago, flyingdi said:

Won't Lainey have to go back to college to become a teacher?  What's she teaching?  Who is the girl living in Erica's house.  Is she the same girl who used to talk about her stepfather or is she new since college?

She was Erica's roommate in college. I was hoping the upside of them bringing her back home was that the other Erica would be gone from the show.

[dcalley]

Pops: "I just remembered: I don't wanna be here for this."

Edited May 17, 2018 by dcalley

[JennyMominFL]

I the 80s we said, The Prom. Not Prom

[Ravon Okiro]

On 5/10/2018 at 7:23 AM, Bazinga said:

I thought the recent Florida happenings ended up being based on Eric and was worse then actually shown.  Correct me if I am wrong.  I do think that was the only time Eric has been brought up in real life.

It was.  And Eric even appeared in an interview at the end of the episode, talking with Hayley, who plays Erica.

[lh25]

13 hours ago, JennyMominFL said:

I the 80s we said, The Prom. Not Prom

I wonder if that was a regional thing?  Granted I graduated in '81, but remember it just being Prom.

[TV Diva Queen]

14 hours ago, JennyMominFL said:

I the 80s we said, The Prom. Not Prom

I read this like "Sorry not sorry", and thought that so weird.  :)  1982.  Chicago.  Prom.  LOL

[alexa]

Can we safely say the "Erica singing at the end of the epidose" thing has been overdone now?  It was fine once or twice, but it has no impact whatsoever if so many episodes end the same way.  How many opportunities would a normal person find to sing in front of a group as her character has, lol?

I also didn't think it fit Erica to have her just expect her mom to pay for her gig at a different school.  I know she is spoiled at times, but typically she would have been a bit insulted that her mom paid off the principal, much less then say to her mom, well pay another school for me to perform.  I just don't like where they have gone with this whole thing.  And I hope every episode is not about her breaking out in song next season.

[galaxychaser]

This episode was pretty funny.

 

My favorite characters are Adam and Pops. I'm sick of Barry and Erica.

[galaxychaser]

I love this episode! Saw it 3 times. Beverly sure is flexible. You go girl. Funnies episode of the season.

[galaxychaser]

I'm so tired of Erica's singing all the time... Tv writers stop! Real bad move to quit college.

[incandescent]

"Are you actually bonding with him over getting fired? What is wrong with you?! I've babysat, I've tutored, I've sold hot dogs on sticks and oranged thousands of Juliuses. And in all that time, you never showed me a shred of respect."

-Erica Goldberg, Season 2

[Accidental Martyr]

Why was the principal’s car parked at school overnight?

[DrSpaceman]

The show is really losing me.

On top of the horrible girl band, now an engagement of two kids just out of high school?

And wait, Lainey is a teacher on the other show?  I agree with whoever said that one episode I saw was awful, I can't believe they are making more.  I lost interest in about 5 minutes. 

None of this makes sense 

I recall it being called both Prom and The Prom, either was acceptable.  What we didn't have, thank god, was "promposals".  Uggh.  

[biakbiak]

36 minutes ago, DrSpaceman said:

agree with whoever said that one episode I saw was awful, I can't believe they are making more.  I lost interest in about 5 minutes. 

They retooled it, changed the focus to concentrate on the teachers and shot another pilot. 

[ZeroDiscipline]

On 5/21/2018 at 10:50 AM, DrSpaceman said:

What we didn't have, thank god, was "promposals".  Uggh.  

I KNOW! I can't imagine going through something like that as a teenager, it was hard enough at it was, what are kids doing?

[Robert Lynch]

I wonder what 80s movie tribute episode they would do as the new season opener...any thoughts?

[ZeroDiscipline]

On 5/28/2018 at 7:03 AM, Robert Lynch said:

I wonder what 80s movie tribute episode they would do as the new season opener...any thoughts?

It's Sixteen Candles!