Kevin (Probably) Saves The World - General Discussion

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I really think this show would have had a shot at success if they had tweaked the premise to make it more understandable. The cast is so darn likable but here we are at the penultimate episode of the first season and we still don't really have a strong grasp of what any of this means or what the point is. The whole thing rests on Jason Ritter being an adorable goofball. If you stuck someone else into the role I doubt anyone would be watching it.

Very true. Jason Ritter's pretty much the only reason I continue to watch, as he really does make the character endearing to watch. Otherwise, the premise is weak and I get the feeling that there won't be closure for the finale, only because that's a lot to unpack in an episode.

It's a real damn shame. I really enjoyed this episode, as well. Sure, Becky's idea was really stupid, but the heart was there, I guess? Plus, it led to her realizing that she should go back to school, rather than just jumping in on inventing products that likely wouldn't get the traction. I'm guessing she'll be attending business school, rather than becoming an engineer. Business school would allow her to come up with the ideas and sell it. 

Finally, I whole heartedly liked Yvette. I guess it's her journey as much as it is Kevin's. It is sad that it truly seems like Dave is gone...unless he just happened to go back to wherever they all are from in the first place. I'll choose to believe that instead of him just not existing anymore. 

Finally! Amy and Reese catch a glimpse of Yvette! Perhaps with Yvette's newfound humanity, she might actually choose to show herself to the two of them, so Kevin stops looking insane. 

I am laughing at how quickly they've dropped Amy's second job, but I'm hoping they do explain the meteor thing next week.

[SomeTameGazelle]

The domino metaphor reminds me that I am annoyed that we haven't seen any of the other people Kevin has helped since that time Chris Cousins paid for his trip to Laos with Tyler. Is Reese still friends with the diabetic boy? And you know what, I don't understand why they made Tyler fall in love with Yvette in the first place if he is now going to get over it and fall for Becky. I don't mind digressions but at this point I don't even feel like we're going in circles.

[possibilities]

Yvette getting a paper cut, and being hungry, to me seems like early warning signs of whatever happened to Dave. He had the exact same symptoms before he disappeared. So it could happen to her, too. But she doesn't seem to be considering that a possibility. And why doesn't she? She's also accidentally being audible, and (though she may not know it yet) starting to appear on camera. I guess it started with her feeling human emotions quite a while ago, and progressed to physicality.

Another character they dropped was the girl Reese befriended at school, who had a rule of only eating leftovers and donated food for lunch. Reese also stopped stalking Kevin to figure out what his deal is. She doesn't even seem curious anymore.

Both times he found a "righteous" person to anoint, it happened because of Kevin following Tyler somewhere.

Edited March 1, 2018 by possibilities

[morakot]

17 hours ago, possibilities said:

Both times he found a "righteous" person to anoint, it happened because of Kevin following Tyler somewhere

I knew Tyler of Taylor had an important part to play!

[Lovecat]

DH and I love this show, warts and all.  We both groaned "Season Finale, nooooo!!!" in unison when the previews for next week were announced.  I'll be disappointed if it doesn't come back next season.

[UGAmp]

I hope it gets another season. If nothing else, I need more Jason Ritter and puppies! They’re so fluffy! :)

[sjohnson]

ABC didn't buy 22 episodes for a full season run. There are more BBC style short seasons as the fracturing markets reduce the amount of money, but for the major broadcast networks, 22 is still pretty standard for a fall series, I think. I think the news in May will be bad.

Edited March 4, 2018 by sjohnson

[tribeca]

So Dave is just gone ? 

Is show saying when we die nothing happens?   Or I am I over thinking this ? 

[Anela]

Finally! Of course, she didn't believe him, once he was finally able to get the truth out. I was also bothered that she didn't tell her daughter that Yvette actually existed, until she said she thought she was losing it. I wonder if now she'll have to deal with not being able to tell her daughter, if there is another season. I really want there to be one. 

I watched this with my dad tonight. He thought it was a little silly, but I said that there's always something that's so silly, that it makes me laugh, not roll my eyes or anything (as I might on another show). Like when he tried to tell his new friend what was special about him. 

[Lady Calypso]

Well, that's one way to potentially end the series. That's....kind of frustrating. Some things were kind of closed, but in general, not enough was. If this is truly the series finale, I'm not going to be thrilled with no closure. I'm hoping for at least one more season.

That being said, I like how Kevin finally told Amy the truth. It was great for Yvette to pop in too to confirm. Though the dialogue from Yvette was a little too on the nose, too scripted. However, I figured someone was finding out in the finale, and thank goodness it was Amy. Now, it would be a surprise if Reese found out as well in the potential season 2 premiere. 

Otherwise, some really nice moments with Kevin/Reese and Kevin/Kristin. It just didn't feel like a season finale, let alone a series finale. I feel like I want more of Jason Ritter. He's such a charming actor and this show could really dive more into the heartfelt and serious moments, especially if they dive into Kevin as a character, and also Yvette, who I am finally enjoying. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kevin: My tie is broken.
Yvette: What are you talking about?
Kevin: The knot came undone.
Yvette: So tie it.
Kevin: I don't know how, okay? Will you do it?
Yvette: Let me get this straight. You're a grown man and you don't know how to tie a tie.
Kevin: Yes, okay? Are you paying attention? I already said that already.
Yvette: Uh, how is that possible? You were an investment banker.
Kevin: I would have it tied at the store and when it came undone, I would just throw it away.

Yvette: There's a lot of people [at this funeral]. It won't be easy to find the righteous person. You got a plan?
Kevin: I don't need one. All these poor sad people are hugging their brains out so I can just hug everyone here and this time I won't look like a weirdo.

Kevin: When I was nine, I colored my entire body with green marker because I wanted to be She-Hulk.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awwww, I loved Kevin and Barry together! Barry was not at all freaked out at waking up in a barn with Kevin wearing matching kimonos. They were hilarious when they showed up at the foot massage place together looking for his uncle's body. It was really nice to see Kevin team up with someone who wasn't actively fighting his help and have fun together. I mean, sure, you're looking for your dead uncle's body, but why not have another foot massage in case it jogs your memory?

[sjohnson]

The only constant in this show is that it loves Jason Ritter goofing. So do I. 

I think this is the end, so I suppose it's appropriate to sum up. When I try, what comes to mind is The Good Place, and why I like this show more, even if an hour long comedy has to be kind of flabby. What I think it comes down to is that this show doesn't think doing good things for your friends is the essence of virtue. Doing bad things to your friends, like taking them for granted, isn't good, of course. But being good means doing good things for strangers. And goodness is not scored. Instead of getting brownie points for having the proper commitment to recycling, reducing carbon footprints, hectoring the wasteful harming the environment, etc., efforts to do good in this show are uncertain, backfire, not obvious. Good deeds have no sales tag telling how much they cost, so you can budget. I guess I see this all as more like real life, and I relate more to it. I feel like there's more to being a good person than making friends, that making friends will of itself turn you from a demon into an angel, though it can help. Bad people have friends. 

[Caseysgirl]

I will be very disappointed if this doesn't return because it's actually more important for me the " This Is Us" which frequently stays on my DVR for a week or more. As everyone says, it's Jason Ritter's charisma that makes this show, but I have to say, the thought of replacing Yvette with Cindy was giving me angst. I also love Tyler, Amy and Nate so I'm in for another season.

[Lady Calypso]

So, here's a post-season interview with the showrunners and what could happen in season 2 if it's renewed (likely some spoilers in the article itself, especially in terms of the finale, so proceed with caution).

I won't talk anything too specific, but what I don't like about this interview is how they basically chose to end the season the way that they did without even knowing if they were getting renewed or not. They basically agree that renewal is so uncertain, yet they still chose to end the season without closing all the stories to satisfy its audience (however small the audience may be). 

No, Michele Fazekas, you shouldn't operate under the assumption that your show will be renewed for a season two. This is why fans get pissed off when a show's cancelled on a cliffhanger or without some sort of closure to the story. 

[joanne3482]

2 hours ago, Caseysgirl said:

I will be very disappointed if this doesn't return because it's actually more important for me the " This Is Us" which frequently stays on my DVR for a week or more. As everyone says, it's Jason Ritter's charisma that makes this show, but I have to say, the thought of replacing Yvette with Cindy was giving me angst. I also love Tyler, Amy and Nate so I'm in for another season.

I just had to up my DVR hold for This is Us because I've got 5 unwatched episodes sitting there and yet I watch this show in real time. I too will be sad if it gets cancelled. Jason Ritter is phenomenal. 

I do feel confused and want more answers, especially with what's going on with Yvette. 

I loved the walking around with the cat tree. Those things are heavy and unweildy. I'm impressed he trekked as far as he did with it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

@sjohnson as much as I like The Good Place (and find the idea of assigning points hilarious), I agree that the way this show handles being a good person is more interesting and realistic. The point of being a good person isn’t to rack up points or make up for the bad things you did. Here the point of being a good person is to...be a good person. You know, because it makes the world a better place. I’ve tried to refrain from comparing the show to Joan of Arcadia too much but in JoA terms, ripples. There is no greater reward that Kevin is seeking. I loved when Barry started talking about how Kevin barely knew him but was helping him and Kevin just said that maybe one day Barry would do the same for a stranger.

Edited March 8, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[iMonrey]

So, that's (probably) the end of Kevin Saves the World. I'm disappointed they decided to end on a cliff-hanger. That's pretty typical for a show on the bubble because they figure it'll get fans all riled up and then we'll all write to the network and demand another season. But that's highly unlikely. 

Have we established earlier that Kevin wasn't physically able to admit the truth to Amy or anyone else? I seem to recall an early attempt on his part where he was thwarted by some sort of mojo. If so, it appears that Yvette simply allowed him to tell Amy the truth this time because she plans to leave Kevin and Amy needs to step in. Or something.

Again, I think the show just wasn't clear enough about its premise to be accessible to a mainstream audience. They really tried to tip-toe around the idea of God and religion. That's going to turn off some viewers who think it's too religious and others because they think it isn't religious enough. Lose-lose.

Jason Ritter was really the show. Cast anyone else in that role, I doubt the series would have made it past three episodes. For those who haven't seen it, he also co-stars in a Comedy Central show call Another Period. If you're jonesing for some Jason, you'll find him there, even more hilarious.

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Have we established earlier that Kevin wasn't physically able to admit the truth to Amy or anyone else? I seem to recall an early attempt on his part where he was thwarted by some sort of mojo. If so, it appears that Yvette simply allowed him to tell Amy the truth this time because she plans to leave Kevin and Amy needs to step in. Or something.

Yeah, the second episode was basically him trying to tell Amy the truth and failing miserably. I believe he also had a dream in episode 3 or 4 about telling Amy, and being disappointed that he couldn't. Yvette finally gave him permission to tell him, it seems. 

5 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Again, I think the show just wasn't clear enough about its premise to be accessible to a mainstream audience. They really tried to tip-toe around the idea of God and religion. That's going to turn off some viewers who think it's too religious and others because they think it isn't religious enough. Lose-lose.

I remember they had the name of the show originally as The Gospel of Kevin, but they likely changed it because they wouldn't get the views with its original title. But I think that also uprooted their entire premise, to the point where the showrunners lost their way with what they wanted to do, due to restrictions probably based on pre-screening of the pilot. I remember they also recast the actress of Yvette early on. So something in the initial screening wasn't appealing to the test group, so they seemed to change a lot (the meteor stuff and Amy's second job, for example). 

7 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Jason Ritter was really the show. Cast anyone else in that role, I doubt the series would have made it past three episodes. For those who haven't seen it, he also co-stars in a Comedy Central show call Another Period. If you're jonesing for some Jason, you'll find him there, even more hilarious.

Yeah, Jason Ritter is what got this season up to 16 episodes, in my opinion. His complete and utter charm was really the best part of this series.

It's not that I'm completely writing off a renewal, but I'd be very surprised.

[Lady Calypso]

Also, good news about the season finale ratings: the last two episodes raised significantly. The penultimate episode got 2.1 million viewers from 1.5 million (though that was due to the Olympics), and the finale ticked up to 2.59 million viewers and 0.7 in the demo. That's the best ratings since episode 10.

Not that it guarantees any sort of renewal, but the ratings ticking up gives a little more hope for a second season. 

[Anela]

4 hours ago, Caseysgirl said:

I will be very disappointed if this doesn't return because it's actually more important for me the " This Is Us" which frequently stays on my DVR for a week or more. As everyone says, it's Jason Ritter's charisma that makes this show, but I have to say, the thought of replacing Yvette with Cindy was giving me angst. I also love Tyler, Amy and Nate so I'm in for another season.

 

1 hour ago, joanne3482 said:

I just had to up my DVR hold for This is Us because I've got 5 unwatched episodes sitting there and yet I watch this show in real time. I too will be sad if it gets cancelled. Jason Ritter is phenomenal. 

I do feel confused and want more answers, especially with what's going on with Yvette. 

I loved the walking around with the cat tree. Those things are heavy and unweildy. I'm impressed he trekked as far as he did with it. 

Same here. I initially avoided certain episodes (like someone losing a parent, in the first season - too soon after losing my own), but this year, when they were so focused on what killed what's his name, I was out. I watched a few episodes, like one where I was stuck away from home, and had no access to my DVR, when the family had a therapy session, because that was something close to home, that I'd wanted in the past, and then the next one had me sobbing all the way through, so I wasn't going to watch them lose their dad. 

This show, as I said before, was just silly enough, not in an eye-rolling way (at least for me). Because of Jason Ritter, and I liked Kevin's family, and his friends. I also like that they didn't just skip around things, but it wasn't *too* heavy, even when they talked about suicide. I thought dad might like the show, because he's a bit like Jason Ritter - silly. My mum was, too. 

I hope it gets another chance. I don't like the way it ended so abruptly. That should have been the second-to-last episode, I think. Or halfway through two hours (which we wouldn't have received, because it wasn't This Is Us). I love both this, and The Good Place. Every episode, something tickles me and cheers me up, and I do like people doing nice things for others. I know Amy was thought to be the real choice, but I think Kevin showed himself to be more of a people person, even if he was supposed to be selfish. The fun guy from high school, who got creative when pulling pranks, and had a girlfriend and a social life. He just wasn't the nicest person, but he wasn't shy, he just jumps into the task. 

These are people I wouldn't mind being around "in real life". they have their issues - I didn't like Amy blowing up at her daughter, but I did understand why she was upset. If she was talking about bad people having guardian angels, but not good ones like her husband, I hope she wasn't talking about her brother as the bad person. He didn't murder anyone. 

I'm not religious, and I've actually been offended by the personal un-christian actions that have come from those that I know in my own life - or know through others. They thought of themselves, not other people - were incredibly selfish. They went along with lies, and sneaking around, because it benefited them, and so on. I know a few good ones, too, but why I started out talking about this, was that the talk of the universe wanting Kevin to do this or that, never bothered me, and I laughed so hard when Yvette smiled Kevin for what he'd done. I wish I could do that. 

[possibilities]

I really like this show, too, and am dreading the cancellation everyone has been predicting. I know it's flawed, but so is everything, and I would like to see it continue. I've been looking forward to it every time it airs and have always enjoyed it.

I was surprised by how quickly Tyler got so serious with Becky. It makes his devotion to Yvette seem like just a pattern for him, and not actually an effect of her supernatural awesomeness or personal qualities.

3 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

I loved the walking around with the cat tree. Those things are heavy and unweildy. I'm impressed he trekked as far as he did with it. 

And did lunges!

I loved that Barry called him "Kelvin."

[KaveDweller]

During that scene with Kevin and Reese, I realized that I don't remember much physical contact between them (or with him and Amy). Have we seen him hug either of them? Because I kind of thought that was going to happen and see that one of them was a righteous.

I liked that Kevin was finally able to tell Amy, but why wasn't he able to tell Barry? Shouldn't some other guardian angel have appeared to be Barry's guide like we saw that other woman watching over the baby? Or is Kevin still the only one who gets to know and have to search for other righteous? And these new righteous have some other job?

[Anela]

He was a righteous soul? I thought Yvette said something happened because of her powers being off. Or was that just that she wasn't with him?

That reminds me: I didn't realize at first, that the dead man's eyes opened, because of Yvette being on the fritz. How Kevin was trying to get people away, in case they could see it. 

[ketose]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

@sjohnson as much as I like The Good Place (and find the idea of assigning points hilarious), I agree that the way this show handles being a good person is more interesting and realistic. The point of being a good person isn’t to rack up points or make up for the bad things you did. Here the point of being a good person is to...be a good person. You know, because it makes the world a better place. I’ve tried to refrain from comparing the show to Joan of Arcadia too much but in JoA terms, ripples. There is no greater reward that Kevin is seeking. I loved when Barry started talking about how Kevin barely knew him but was helping him and Kevin just said that maybe one day Barry would do the s

Another similarity to JoA is that the show also ended with God telling Joan that she had people around her to help her fight evil (her high school friends).

I still think the show had too many gimmicks. "Promised Land" had 3 seasons and all they did was drive around in an RV and help people. The Righteous stuff (which almost would have been a better title) doesn't make a lot of sense. With Amy on the team, it's going to be more like that CSI: Righteous show that they alluded to earlier in the season.

I need to stop watching feel good shows on ABC. They killed Selfie, too.

[Shellie]

It's a testament to Jason's acting ability that I had seen several episodes of this show before reading a comment about his being in Parenthood, and I had to look up the cast to see which character he had played. I used to watch that show fairly regularly. It was a *smack head* moment when I saw him in the cast photos and remembered him as Lauren's fiance.

[Anela]

I was just going to post that interview - almost posted it in the episode thread. I like that "our franchise is kindness". I've seen the actress who plays Amy, post that she was glad that their show promoted kindness, last October. 

I really like these people. Please renew, ABC. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Have we established earlier that Kevin wasn't physically able to admit the truth to Amy or anyone else? I seem to recall an early attempt on his part where he was thwarted by some sort of mojo. If so, it appears that Yvette simply allowed him to tell Amy the truth this time because she plans to leave Kevin and Amy needs to step in. Or something.

 

12 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yeah, the second episode was basically him trying to tell Amy the truth and failing miserably.

 

7 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I liked that Kevin was finally able to tell Amy, but why wasn't he able to tell Barry?

Yvette told him very early on (I think in the second episode) that he couldn't tell anyone about her, his mission, the righteous souls, etc. He disobeyed her and tried to tell Amy but due to whatever magical voodoo Yvette has, it resulted in Kevin confessing to something he did instead. I think that first time he confessed to reading her diary in high school. He tried to confess again when they had the backyard campout and the same thing happened. He wasn't able to tell Barry for the same reason. It wasn't until the end of the episode when Yvette allowed him to tell Amy the truth.

6 hours ago, ketose said:

I need to stop watching feel good shows on ABC. They killed Selfie, too.

I still miss Selfie!

[vibeology]

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I still miss Selfie!

I will forever miss Selfie! And Pushing Daisies and GCB and Better Off Ted and Don't Trust the B and Trophy Wife and Galavant. ABC and I have a love/hate relationship. I love their quirky shows and I hate the way they treat them.

I really hope this isn't the end for Kevin. I want more! Jason Ritter excels at physical comedy. There were so many great moments just in this episode. I died as he was lunging for Leslie Jones. I also love how well developed the friendship is between Kevin and Yvette. I need to know what's going on with her so she can stick around and they can be friends forever.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

17 minutes ago, vibeology said:

I will forever miss Selfie! And Pushing Daisies and GCB and Better Off Ted and Don't Trust the B and Trophy Wife and Galavant. ABC and I have a love/hate relationship. I love their quirky shows and I hate the way they treat them.

Can I add My So-Called Life and Eyes to your list of dearly departed ABC shows?

I agree that Jason Ritter is so great at physical comedy. He is clearly not afraid to throw himself around, but he also has great timing when he does it. But more importantly, he comes off as genuine which I think is the main reason I kept watching this show. I think it's the same reason why I had a hard time believing that he was supposed to be such a jerk before his suicide attempt. Yvette, Amy, and Kevin kept saying that he'd been a jerk but even in the first few episodes he came off as more obliviously self-centered than deliberately cruel.

[Anela]

2 hours ago, vibeology said:

I will forever miss Selfie! And Pushing Daisies and GCB and Better Off Ted and Don't Trust the B and Trophy Wife and Galavant. ABC and I have a love/hate relationship. I love their quirky shows and I hate the way they treat them.

I really hope this isn't the end for Kevin. I want more! Jason Ritter excels at physical comedy. There were so many great moments just in this episode. I died as he was lunging for Leslie Jones. I also love how well developed the friendship is between Kevin and Yvette. I need to know what's going on with her so she can stick around and they can be friends forever.

 

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Can I add My So-Called Life and Eyes to your list of dearly departed ABC shows?

I agree that Jason Ritter is so great at physical comedy. He is clearly not afraid to throw himself around, but he also has great timing when he does it. But more importantly, he comes off as genuine which I think is the main reason I kept watching this show. I think it's the same reason why I had a hard time believing that he was supposed to be such a jerk before his suicide attempt. Yvette, Amy, and Kevin kept saying that he'd been a jerk but even in the first few episodes he came off as more obliviously self-centered than deliberately cruel.

I loved Pushing Daisies, and My So-Called Life. I haven't seen the others, but I stopped watching most network shows, since things were getting cancelled all over the place. Like Limitless, on CBS. 

[morakot]

OT, but the description of the points system for assessing goodness in The Good Place comes from the very definition of an unreliable narrator. :-)

As for Kevin (Probably), the series has always felt like a perfectly pleasant, fun, meander through a meadow. There's never really been a true goal (I mean, they're searching for the righteous while living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and relying on Kevin's "visions" for clues), there's not a lot of conflict (Tyler forgave Kevin pretty quickly when it wasn't needed for the plot), and, as I've said before, I have no idea what could happen from episode to episode, except that I do enjoy watching it.

A friend in the UK told me about a realtime documentary on TV about a group of reindeer herders moving their herd. There was no narration, or any dialog except for brief conversations in an incomprehensible dialect (to him). It was just people moving around, dealing with the cold, getting the tents up and down, and walking through snow and ice. He said it was remarkably compelling even though nothing much really happened.  

This series is a little like that. :-)

Edited March 8, 2018 by morakot
One more thing...

[KaveDweller]

22 hours ago, Anela said:

He was a righteous soul? I thought Yvette said something happened because of her powers being off. Or was that just that she wasn't with him?

That reminds me: I didn't realize at first, that the dead man's eyes opened, because of Yvette being on the fritz. How Kevin was trying to get people away, in case they could see it. 

Yvette didn't know where he was because her powers were off. But yes, he was a righteous soul (I think). Kevin hugged him and they did that same camera zoom, followed by a cut to Kevin waking up the next morning with amnesia that they did with the other two righteous souls. Then Kevin made a comment about how he thought he'd be able to tell Barry the truth because of who he was. And we knew there was going to be a righteous soul at that funeral.

15 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

 

 

Yvette told him very early on (I think in the second episode) that he couldn't tell anyone about her, his mission, the righteous souls, etc. He disobeyed her and tried to tell Amy but due to whatever magical voodoo Yvette has, it resulted in Kevin confessing to something he did instead. I think that first time he confessed to reading her diary in high school. He tried to confess again when they had the backyard campout and the same thing happened. He wasn't able to tell Barry for the same reason. It wasn't until the end of the episode when Yvette allowed him to tell Amy the truth.

I still miss Selfie!

I know Yvette said he couldn't tell anyone and Kevin was physically able to do so. But my question was why would he not be allowed to talk to another righteous soul about their being righteous souls? What's the point of identifying these people if they aren't allowed to know about it.

[tribeca]

Really enjoyed this episode.   “Calvin” and his new friend were both very likable.  

Amys anger about guardian angels was very relatable.   Reese was sweet when she was upset and upsetting her mom.   Kevin and Reese have a nice relationship.   Some one asked if Kevin and Reese ever hugged.  Felt like the conversation that had should have ended with a hug.  

Taylor really is a ride or die friend    Even liked Kristin in this episode    

I hope this show is renewed and would like to think there is s little righteous in all of us.     

[lark37]

ABC will probably not save Kevin unfortunately.  Kevin Saves the World is definitely my "feel good" show, and it seems to me that the world could use more feel good shows.  This is Us just tries too hard I think.  ABC also cancelled prematurely, IMO, another feel good favorite of mine, Eli Stone.  My most recent favorite feel good show, Hart of Dixie, probably only lasted a few seasons because it wasn't on one of the big four networks.  My hope for "Kevin" is that a network like the CW picks it up for another season.  This season ending episode was fine as a season finale, but it definitely doesn't work as a series finale--too many loose ends!  Fingers crossed that someone picks it up for a least a half season.  

PS I wanted Reese to be the one to find out the truth rather than Amy!

[Anela]

4 minutes ago, lark37 said:

ABC will probably not save Kevin unfortunately.  Kevin Saves the World is definitely my "feel good" show, and it seems to me that the world could use more feel good shows.  This is Us just tries too hard I think.  ABC also cancelled prematurely, IMO, another feel good favorite of mine, Eli Stone.  My most recent favorite feel good show, Hart of Dixie, probably only lasted a few seasons because it wasn't on one of the big four networks.  My hope for "Kevin" is that a network like the CW picks it up for another season.  This season ending episode was fine as a season finale, but it definitely doesn't work as a series finale--too many loose ends!  Fingers crossed that someone picks it up for a least a half season.  

PS I wanted Reese to be the one to find out the truth rather than Amy!

I wanted Reese to find out, too. 

I also loved Hart of Dixie! I miss it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

9 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

my question was why would he not be allowed to talk to another righteous soul about their being righteous souls? What's the point of identifying these people if they aren't allowed to know about it.

Kevin’s job is simply to find the other righteous until there are 36 total which will restore balance to the universe. Yvette never said that the previous 36 knew of each other or even that they were each aware that they were the righteous. Even if Kevin’s group will all be told that they’re the righteous, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Yvette is going to put Kevin in charge of righteous orientation. Heh, can you imagine that?

If I recall correctly, Kevin didn’t tell Shea that she was one of the 36 righteous either. 

[ketose]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Kevin’s job is simply to find the other righteous until there are 36 total which will restore balance to the universe. Yvette never said that the previous 36 knew of each other or even that they were each aware that they were the righteous. Even if Kevin’s group will all be told that they’re the righteous, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Yvette is going to put Kevin in charge of righteous orientation. Heh, can you imagine that?

If I recall correctly, Kevin didn’t tell Shea that she was one of the 36 righteous either. 

In the episode, Yvette told Amy that the righteous souls help the world just by being there. They may not ever know what they are. The whole thing where the angels / warriors actually come to earth and protect the righteous seems to be a new development because the righteous souls couldn't be found. That part of the story is also a little hazy.

[iMonrey]

And that, right there, is the main problem with the show. It's mission is just too ill-defined. What do the "righteous souls" even do? How do they make the world a better place, especially if they aren't even aware they're righteous souls? More to the point, why wasn't whatever this latest one is supposed to contribute to the universe already doing it until Kevin hugged him? Is he "dormant" in some way until another righteous soul hugs him? Why? What happened to the other 35 righteous souls? Did they die, or did they just never get hugged? Who hugged Kevin?

See, there's just too much about this show that doesn't make any sense. And that's . . . too bad, because I say that as someone who enjoys it for the most part. But you can see how easily confused a new viewer would be. 

Edited March 9, 2018 by iMonrey

[KaveDweller]

13 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Kevin’s job is simply to find the other righteous until there are 36 total which will restore balance to the universe. Yvette never said that the previous 36 knew of each other or even that they were each aware that they were the righteous. Even if Kevin’s group will all be told that they’re the righteous, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Yvette is going to put Kevin in charge of righteous orientation. Heh, can you imagine that?

If I recall correctly, Kevin didn’t tell Shea that she was one of the 36 righteous either. 

He didn't tell Shea, and I thought that was weird at the time. It made sense that he wouldn't tell the baby anything, but I wondered why Shea didn't get told anything too.

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And that, right there, is the main problem with the show. It's mission is just too ill-defined. What do the "righteous souls" even do? How do they make the world a better place, especially if they aren't even aware they're righteous souls? More to the point, why wasn't whatever this latest one is supposed to contribute to the universe already doing it until Kevin hugged him? Is he "dormant" in some way until another righteous soul hugs him? Why? What happened to the other 35 righteous souls? Did they die, or did they just never get hugged? Who hugged Kevin?

See, there's just too much about this show that doesn't make any sense. And that's . . . too bad, because I say that as someone who enjoys it for the most part. But you can see how easily confused a new viewer would be. 

Also, how does hugging Kevin make a difference? There were no righteous souls, then Kevin hugs them and they become righteous, but don't get told they are righteous and don't do anything? Is it just that Yvette and the others lost track of who was righteous and want Kevin to help know who they are? That's not really saving the world it is just helping the guardian angels do their job. Like you say it makes no sense.

It is a very charming show though.

[Driad]

Years from now, when we remember this show, we may think "I liked it, but I really didn't know what was going on, and I don't think the writers did either."

[ketose]

Then again, Pushing Daisies never made much sense, and people just liked it because of the cast. Mission shows are tough because they have to make up rules and quotas arbitrarily. Plus, most of the ones I watched (Tracker, Now and Again, Brimstone) all got cancelled after one season.

[Shellie]

This show of course reminds me of much older ones I watched sporadically years ago: Touched by an Angel, and Highway to Heaven.  This one seems a tad more complex, but more similar to TBAA.

[justmehere]

I figured that Yvette, in her mission, "activated" Kevin. He didn't require a hug from another righteous soul. As for the righteous not doing anything -- the point was made that they help the world with their presence. It's a ripple effect. Ever been around someone who just seemed to radiate happiness or joy or kindness? It's who they are, and you want to be around them because it makes you feel good. And then maybe you are nice to the next person you see. Or, you smile at someone, just because. It can lift their day, just being acknowledged, and the ripple begins. Helping doesn't necessarily require big charitable works or overt actions. Those small acts, or simply radiating positivity ... they have an effect. Don't need to know you're on a special mission to do that. Maybe the hug/activation switches them on so that they do share naturally in that way, or it enhances their effect, but even without detailed exposition, it made sense to me.

[jhlipton]

On 3/9/2018 at 2:39 PM, KaveDweller said:

He didn't tell Shea, and I thought that was weird at the time. It made sense that he wouldn't tell the baby anything, but I wondered why Shea didn't get told anything too.

The baby was given a guardian to protect and guide it.  I thought the other members of the squad were supposed to be assigned as well.

On 3/9/2018 at 4:02 PM, ketose said:

Then again, Pushing Daisies never made much sense, and people just liked it because of the cast.

I wasn't really confused by Pushing Daisies -- he could save one life, but only by taking another.  The conflict came from who to save and who to kill.

[wayne67]

On 12/1/2017 at 3:45 AM, joanne3482 said:

I kind of wish they'd follow up with some of these people he's helped. Well, not follow up exactly, but it is a small town. At some point he should be bumping into these folks at the grocery store or whatever. 

It would be nice if they followed up on his case of the week so that we got a better idea as to whether his activities are having any meaningful impact on the world or whether it's just a stepping stone to getting enough spiritual power to find the back up Righteous souls in order to save the world/restore balance from whatever killed the last batch.

Amy is boring and annoying. I really hope they add something more to the character sometime soon or it's going to be a pain to get through her scenes. 

[wayne67]

Yvette is the worst. She needs to either be helpful or be quiet. Her condescending and overbearing attitude has gotten old. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Then again, Pushing Daisies never made much sense, and people just liked it because of the cast.

Pushing Daisies was pretty basic. Ned could bring the dead back to life simply by touching them. That made him useful in solving murder mysteries. No, there was no explanation why he had that power, but the show itself made sense based on that principal. Kevin simply doesn't. 

Quote

I figured that Yvette, in her mission, "activated" Kevin. He didn't require a hug from another righteous soul. As for the righteous not doing anything -- the point was made that they help the world with their presence. It's a ripple effect. Ever been around someone who just seemed to radiate happiness or joy or kindness? It's who they are, and you want to be around them because it makes you feel good. And then maybe you are nice to the next person you see. Or, you smile at someone, just because. It can lift their day, just being acknowledged, and the ripple begins. Helping doesn't necessarily require big charitable works or overt actions. Those small acts, or simply radiating positivity ... they have an effect. Don't need to know you're on a special mission to do that. Maybe the hug/activation switches them on so that they do share naturally in that way, or it enhances their effect, but even without detailed exposition, it made sense to me.

That's nice speculation but the show never really explained any of that. Plus it contradicted itself right out of the gate - Kevin was the last righteous soul but then it became his job to find the other righteous souls. What? Either's he's the last one or he's not. If they exist why does he need to find them and hug them? What happens when he finds the other 37 or however many there are supposed to be? Is he off the hook? If one of them dies does he get called back into active duty? What if all of them die? The world ends?

Too many questions, not enough answers. We're just supposed to be content with the Kevin being adorable and goofy and people thinking he's crazy because he's talking to an invisible friend and gets in wacky trouble every week. Which - fine. Jason Ritter is eminently watchable, no question there. But it seems like they had something more concrete in mind then watered it down to appeal to a broader audience and wound up with something way too vague.

[theatremouse]

We'll never find out now but I still think any contradiction that came out of Yvette's mouth was probably a reveal about her character rather than a plot hole. She's always been telling him whatever she thought would get him to do what she wanted.

[wayne67]

While I enjoy Kevin and his attempts to do the right thing in the face of Yvette's uselessness and vague universe hints, the show only gets more frustrating with each episode.

We still don't know what happened to the other 35 Righteous souls.

We don't know what the Righteous Souls are supposed to do to restore balance to the universe. 

We don't know why Kevin isn't getting an assist from the recently awakened adult Righteous Soul.
We don't know why Kevin blacks out after triggering a Righteous Soul  

Amy is mostly boring and adds very little to the continuing main plot. Apparently she forgot all about the miracle where her daughter was saved from a grisly death.

Yvette can't protect Kevin from mortal harm if she's losing her invulnerability and yet she's selfish and stupid and doesn't tell him that.