Kevin (Probably) Saves The World - General Discussion

[ketose]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

This was a great Christmas episode, full of warm fuzzies that were perfect for this show. My favorite thing was the people who Kevin had helped before running into him and helping him. As they said on Joan of Arcadia: ripples.

And like JoA, I liked that this episode illustrated that the journey isn't always necessarily going from Point A to Point B. Kevin's visions told him what to look for, but finding the next righteous soul wasn't as simple as going to Laos and finding a guy in a red hat and a red jacket. He had to let the experience unfold because life is more like a Rube Goldberg contraption than going in a straight line.

One of the things I love about this show is Tyler because, like Jason on The Good Place, he is delighted by everyday things that other people take for granted or don't notice. My goal in life is to be as blissful as Tyler is!

It was a nice turnaround to have Kevin so certain of his mission while Yvette was losing her faith. Even if Kevin hadn't figured out that the baby was the next righteous soul, they should both feel good that Kevin has helped other people (as we were reminded by Sam and Ben telling us how Kevin made their lives better), and that in turn makes the world a better place.

My one nitpick was Reese and Amy both assuming that wearing a wedding ring means someone isn't ready to move on. You can still love someone and honor their memory and wear a piece of jewery AND move on. But it's tv so we have to have the scene where she takes off her ring and puts it in a drawer.

I love that the first box of Christmas decorations was labeled 1 of 173.

It really is about the journey rather than the destination for Kevin. It seems like the righteous are in a unique position to do good in the world. I think it was a good compromise that Kevin found one of the 35, but it was a baby, so he's still going solo. I just hope they don't plan on all of them being babies.

I noticed the 1 of 173. I wonder if they have to be used in order.

That was actually a pretty awesome episode. It wasn't a cheat, even though it was teased that way. Dave was proved wrong. Ava has someone to watch over and Yvette learned the lesson this time.

[iMonrey]

Are we to believe that Amy, all by herself, is responsible for that elaborate Christmas display? Something of that magnitude would have taken an entire crew of people days. Just the roof alone looked as though it were covered with hundreds of strings of lights. 

Christmas miracle indeed.

[sjohnson]

Amy, and Reese, and a bucket truck, and a dedicated tool set on a very large tool belt. And more than one day, too, I think. 

But how did she pay for this, and where is the warehouse they kept it all in?

[iMonrey]

And how much time does she get off work? I can't imagine how much time it would take even two of them to string that many lights. Are we to believe they accomplished this on evenings and weekends? They must have started in January.

[sjohnson]

Still, for me it was like Legion. You knew the swans swimming on the pond were ridiculous, but it looked so cool!

[Anela]

I still love this show. Will we only be getting three more episodes when it comes back? This is one of the few shows that I look forward to. 

[Lady Calypso]

I liked this midseason finale a lot. It really cemented that as many flaws as the show has, it has just as many strengths.

I loved seeing Yvette's nightmare. I think establishing her as more than some guardian angel, or whatever, is important for the show to do, so it helped ease my annoyance/dislike of her once knowing more about her, as if she was an actual human being. I liked seeing her insecurities about finding the first righteous. I thought this was the first episode they've finally used Yvette in a way that made me like her. Also, her scene with Tyler was pretty nice. It's great to see Yvette showing herself to other people.

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And how much time does she get off work? I can't imagine how much time it would take even two of them to string that many lights. Are we to believe they accomplished this on evenings and weekends? They must have started in January.

Well, Amy is a college professor so once exam season starts for students, the professors usually have a lighter work load. So I imagine she could have started right after Thanksgiving and worked bit by bit throughout the month of December. 

I loved the return of Sam and how he ended up helping, as well as Ben and Lucille. Actually, I love continuity like this. Some shows don't bother to do this, so I'm glad this show actually brought them back in for a purpose in helping Kevin. 

I liked Amy/Reese decorating the house for Christmas. I'm going to assume the decorating took place over many days. I do like Iggy, but I get that Nate/Amy seems like the more likely pairing. And I do like Nate quite a bit. He was awfully sweet to divert traffic so Amy's work could be seen. I mean, for a TV show, it was kind of sweet. In real life, people would be pissed off to take a detour. 

So, with the first righteous being a newborn, I assume they won't have the 34 others not yet born, but are they going to come in all different ages? Also, I assume they'll speed up the process somehow. I just don't know what they'll do to get that to happen. 

[iMonrey]

Yvette is now actively impeding Kevin's progress. Every sign in the universe was telling him to go to Laos and Yvette was upstairs hemming and hawing and saying maybe Kevin should stay home with his sister and niece. WTF Yvette? She's been ruining his life from day 1, supposedly in the service of a higher calling, and now she's pushing him in the wrong direction away from that. 

I think the show would work ten times better if he'd been assigned a guardian angel more like Dave, who's more or less inept at the job, which would explain why Kevin is always getting in trouble. More and more I feel like Yvette just doesn't work in this story.

[ketose]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And how much time does she get off work? I can't imagine how much time it would take even two of them to string that many lights. Are we to believe they accomplished this on evenings and weekends? They must have started in January.

If you have some hooks set up for the lights, it might not take long at all. I imagine it's a lot easier to do in Texas than in a place with actual winter.

 

51 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Yvette is now actively impeding Kevin's progress. Every sign in the universe was telling him to go to Laos and Yvette was upstairs hemming and hawing and saying maybe Kevin should stay home with his sister and niece. WTF Yvette? She's been ruining his life from day 1, supposedly in the service of a higher calling, and now she's pushing him in the wrong direction away from that. 

I think the show would work ten times better if he'd been assigned a guardian angel more like Dave, who's more or less inept at the job, which would explain why Kevin is always getting in trouble. More and more I feel like Yvette just doesn't work in this story.

I think Yvette was supposed to lose confidence because of Dave, but it never seemed like things were going badly enough for her to be that indecisive. My big problem is that the universe has always made Kevin do what was necessary. It's one of the things that gives the show a strong JoA vibe.

[chaifan]

I was fully willing to suspend disbelief on the xmas decorating scenes.  I like how they morphed from the before to after shots.  I think we were supposed to believe it all happened in the time Kevin was in Laos, but I have no idea how long that was supposed to be. 

I started watching this on the late end, and binged the first few episodes on Hulu.  I was surprised to get hooked.  Is it coming back?  Was this a mid-season "finale" or a season finale?  Renewed?

[Anela]

3 hours ago, chaifan said:

I was fully willing to suspend disbelief on the xmas decorating scenes.  I like how they morphed from the before to after shots.  I think we were supposed to believe it all happened in the time Kevin was in Laos, but I have no idea how long that was supposed to be. 

I started watching this on the late end, and binged the first few episodes on Hulu.  I was surprised to get hooked.  Is it coming back?  Was this a mid-season "finale" or a season finale?  Renewed?

I read that they'd ordered three more episodes, in the past month or so. So I guess they're seeing how it goes. I haven't seen anything about it being cancelled, only that ABC put it in their worst time slot.

[paulvdb]

13 hours ago, Anela said:

I still love this show. Will we only be getting three more episodes when it comes back? This is one of the few shows that I look forward to. 

The standard episode order for new shows is 13 so I'm assuming that was also the case for this show. ABC ordered three additional episodes in November so there should be 16 episodes in the first season.

[jmonique]

"I don't interfere because it's the height of hubris to circumvent the will of the universe."

I can't believe they had Yvette say that. Seriously.

[jhlipton]

On 12/12/2017 at 8:26 PM, sjohnson said:

Yvette dancing with Tyler!

The first righteous is a baby!

I wonder if that says more about Yvette, or more about Tyler...

It could explain why the angels couldn't find the righteous, if they'd been conceived when the meteors hit (or shortly after). 

On 12/13/2017 at 8:22 AM, Caseysgirl said:

I don't know why this show isn't more popular; I dare say I will watch this before "The Good Place" or "This is Us". 

I stopped watching The Good Place about halfway through the first season and nothing I've read makes me an iota more interested in returning.

I  loved the first season of This Is Us, but have the last four episodes to watch, and just can't get excited about it.  Definitely watch this show before either of them.

On 12/13/2017 at 8:42 AM, ketose said:

It noticed the 1 of 173. I wonder if they have to be used in order.

I would imagine some need to be in order -- you can't put up the decorations around the train set until the track is laid.  So easiest jusat to do them all in order.

[paulvdb]

On 14-12-2017 at 0:15 AM, Lady Calypso said:

So, with the first righteous being a newborn, I assume they won't have the 34 others not yet born, but are they going to come in all different ages? Also, I assume they'll speed up the process somehow. I just don't know what they'll do to get that to happen.

After watching this episode I actually had the same thought as jlhipton that the angels couldn't find the other righteous because they had not been born yet. So I would not be surprised if the other righteous are all babies.

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 12/8/2017 at 10:18 AM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

But since Amy was better at mini-golf than her date, I guess it wouldn't have made that much sense.  I like that Amy has the teacher-woman to chat with.  (I'm terrible at character names.)

I was hoping that she [Kristin?] would undermine Amy's stupid lie to Nate that she would be busy chaperoning by inviting the cop to chaperone too. If she actually needed chaperones (although surely she should have had enough lined up in advance for it not to be a problem) then that would have solved her problem and Amy's (#1 not wanting to play mini golf, and #2 thinking that she should for some reason hide her date with Iggy from Nate).

In terms of the play, I was distracted by the fact that for some reason there was some kind of scene change that required Reese to be onstage right in the middle of the Pyramus and Thisbe play within A Midsummer Night's Dream. There's no possible justification for that. If the Rude Mechanicals intend a scene change in Pyramus and Thisbe at that point, that's something that the actors should act. But in the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the scene stays the same, with the couples watching the play put on for them. 

Was Iggy at the play? I thought when they had the discussion that led to the plan to play mini-golf it was because they were supposed to attend the play together and then Amy was trying to create more of a date out of it and adding something afterward. If Iggy wasn't invited to the play then why not make the date for some other day?

[Anela]

I forgot to say that I got teary-eyed when he hugged the baby. I figured that was what was going on, when they rushing to deliver the baby. 

And Tyler and Yvette dancing. I wish I were as laid-back as Tyler. He just seems to be happy, no matter what. 

[jbrecken]

The Laotian couple were named Vong and Vatsana, lending support to my theory that names with V in them are somehow important. 

[RachelKM]

People already said everything I was thinking.  So I will just say I really loved this episode.  

[Prairiemakeup]

Hi, all! I’m new to this show and really enjoy it. My question is: Does anyone know the name of the John Denver song played at the end of this episode? Thx! 

[tjsmom]

Prairiemakeup, it's called Noel: Christmas Eve 1913. I squeed when the opening notes started playing! I don't know if it's on any other albums but I have it on the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas together album. Fabulous!

[Prairiemakeup]

Thanks, tjsmom! I’m off to download it now!

[ketose]

4 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I don't know how Yvette can possibly know that the baby will be alright, unless she is playing the "faith" card.  I do wonder how it is determined who is going to be the "celestial being" to watch over/lead the baby (righteous soul) into the future.  I hope it isn't Dave.  Dave seems like the type to allow people to "blaze their own trail", "determine their own destiny", which is a philosophy I very much agree with.  However, in this show that just won't work.  Yvette is just plain pushy.  Yes, she was right, but still pushy nonetheless. 

The baby really can't do anything unit she gets older.  I guess that pretty much leaves Kevin to keep on looking for more righteous souls.   I think it would have been far more interesting if the first righteous soul that Kevin found was an adult.  That way there would be two people looking for more righteous souls. 

You may have missed the end. Ava was watching over the baby.

[jhlipton]

40 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

Thank you.  Yes, I missed that.  Still would like to know how they choose who watches over whom.

Rock, Paper, Scorpion

[grawlix]

Alphabetically?

Edited December 22, 2017 by grawlix

[ketose]

My guess is that Ava was the most willing to stick with the mission, so she got rewarded with a human to protect.

[possibilities]

It would be fun to learn more about where the not-angels come from and how their system works. Are there representatives with more seniority? Do they match you based on compatibility criteria? Is it random? Does Yvette decide, since the mission was her idea? Who's their boss? Do they compete for the honor, or are they appointed, or does it happen automatically? The alphabetical idea is funny because Yvette started, so if Ava is next, someone with a Z name got skipped. That would be a story in itself. Maybe Zeke had his universe unplugged and missed the call.

[jhlipton]

On 12/22/2017 at 2:58 PM, possibilities said:

Who's the boss?

Tony Danza.  Duh.

LOL

[Anela]

I started watching from the beginning on ABC, and am wondering if we will get back to the sister having been flown out if there over "meteors". Maybe in the season finale? Although it felt different from the rest of the show.

[formerlyfreedom]

Reveling in his success after finding the first righteous soul, Kevin attempts to help a man start dating again after a bad break-up. Meanwhile, inspired by Kevin’s good deeds, Reese befriends the new girl at school. Yvette becomes concerned by Tyler’s desperate search to reconnect with the mysterious lady he met in Laos, and Amy finally finds the courage to ask Nate out on a date.

[aradia22]

I really like this show so it's probably going to get cancelled. It's not a laugh riot for the whole running time but it does consistently make me laugh each episode. The cast, particularly the lead, is really likable. I'm curious about how Cristela Alonzo would have been because I just saw on the wiki that she was the original Yvette. I don't see that at all. The person I keep seeing in that role is Yvette Nicole Brown. Anyway, it was nice to see them finally make real progress on finding one of the Righteous since they've been spinning the last few episodes. It felt like he already had enough clues. I wonder what the show's plan is. They can't think they're going to get 35 seasons. But I'm here for as long as it's this good. 

I'm not really into Yvette and Tyler though. I hope they find him another nice girlfriend in Texas. I'd feel bad if he kept pining for her forever.

Also, just wanted to note that while it was sweet, I thought it was OoC and not great for Nate to have created that detour apparently to the "middle of nowhere" so the drivers would see Amy's house. That seemed like an abuse of power vs. for example hanging up signs in town inviting people to visit. 

I'm not sure I'm in on all the righteous being babies. It makes sense but it would get awfully repetitive for Kevin to be around for a lot of deliveries or around a lot of newborns. Maybe they could put enough of the emphasis on him helping the parents so he would have an excuse to hug all those babies but it just seems forced.

Edited December 28, 2017 by aradia22

[KaveDweller]

On 12/21/2017 at 4:53 PM, icemiser69 said:

Thank you.  Yes, I missed that.  Still would like to know how they choose who watches over whom.

Ava and Dave are the only one's that have been cast. Dave isn't interested in watching over anyone, so that leaves Ava.

Maybe they'll start to cast more as they find more righteous and we'll get answers to more questions about them. I'm curious about it too.

[ketose]

Interestingly enough, when I saw the new girl at lunch, I thought Anorexic, poor and then urban forager just before they mentioned it.

[formerlyfreedom]

As the newest substitute teacher at La Salle High School, Kevin tries to help an introverted student named Adam become more self-assured and popular. However, to do so, he must first pull off the second greatest freshman prank in the school’s history. Meanwhile, Yvette contemplates life after the mission, and Amy and Nate struggle to plan the perfect first date.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yvette: Now light has banished the shadows and illuminated the truth. Friends, meet the righteous soul who will save the world. Probably.
He looks-
Yvette: Weak. Vapid. Grotesque even. Yes, but when this man is awake, he is a machine. He's at one with the universe, a divining rod for righteous souls waiting to be anointed.
I was going to say he looks like a nice guy but I'm sure he's the stuff you said as well.

Kevin: Doing your homework on the way to school. Classic move.

Tyler: I was a traveler in Laos hitting the hotel bar in search of a scorpion bowl. You're a beautiful lady with soulful eyes and hands as soft as tissues with lotion in them.

Kevin: Is that a henley? I used to wear those all the time. Are you into baseball?
Reese: Shhh!
Kevin: I am talking to my new friend!

Kevin: You know who is not very happy? His wife and kids. A little lesson - don't fake your own death. It's harder than it looks.

Kevin: You don't have to find a soul mate, just someone who you don't mind talking to for a few minutes.

Kevin: I'm disgusted and impressed at the same time.

Amy: Now what's the lesson you learned?
Nate: Never play pool with an engineer.
Amy: It's all about geometry!

Nate: That must have been weird going on a double date with your ex and your sister.

Kevin: I can hear my rib parts.
Amy: People don't have rib parts. They have ribs. Chicken nuggets have rib parts.

[Nate and Amy find Kevin making snow angels on the carpet]
Nate: Yup, that's definitely a concussion.

Kevin: People are always going to need help and I can't just look away and pretend not to notice. Not anymore. I have to do the right thing and sometimes the right thing sucks.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know I was supposed to feel for Charlie because he was sad about his breakup, but I found myself annoyed with him at the thrift shop. If hearing your song is sooooo upsetting, then either try to turn it off yourself or go outside for three minutes until it's over. But don't just stand inside the store and whine at a stranger to hurry up and turn it off, especially when it's clear that's what he's trying to do.

I thought Kristin taught English, but now she teaches history? Maybe I'm just remembering the earlier episodes incorrectly. One of the drama girls who is friends with Reese said she had to go see Kristin about the critique she wrote of the school play so is that because Kristin is the drama advisor or was that an English assignment?

I don't know what the regulations are in Texas, but in California you can't just become a substitute teacher like that. And if you are applying in a nicer school district, there are even more requirements.

It was interesting to see Yvette feel so guilty about Tyler. Remember in the earlier episodes she said that she and the others don't feel emotions the way humans do and then she started feeling some emotions which she assumed was a result of being on earth. I'm glad she now has the capacity to feel guilt because she's right - it would be terrible to crush someone like Tyler. So I guess they're going to become pen pals? Heh, I hope they discuss why they are writing old fashioned letters instead of emails or texts.

Edited January 3, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Lady Calypso]

I don't know if I liked this episode all that much. It was ok, funny in some parts, sweet in some other parts, but overall, not my favourite.

I was getting real annoyed by Charlie in the thrift shop. Yeah, buddy, Kevin is making all the radios and music players in the store play that one song. He's a magician, or managed to know exactly what song would piss you off and rigged them all to do it. The scene also went on way too long. 

I'm really confused on what subject Kristin teaches too. I thought she taught English, but then there's also been talk of her doing drama, and now History? Maybe Kristin just teaches a few subjects. 

So, what, Kevin can become a sub like that? Well, it is nice for Kevin to finally have a job that's not running around, so that'll be different to see...if he sticks with it for more than an episode.

A lot of romance this episode, specifically with Kevin and Kristin. I guess, after basically ignoring them since episode 2, they're bringing back that romantic arc. I do get highly annoyed when things conveniently stop the couple from actually getting together. I mean, I appreciate that Kristin doesn't want to date because she's still dealing with the loss of her mom, but how convenient that Kevin is about to ask her out and gets interrupted. As much as I hate the notion that he'll wait until she's ready (it seems a little stalker'ish, like Yvette and Kevin both said), I guess it is happening. The whole plot just frustrated me. I like Kristin and I like Kevin, but I prefer them as friends. 

What I did like was Reese's plot with the new girl Jessica. Sure, the girl was a little weird and I've never heard of urban forager, but I'm glad Reese realized how rude she was really being and how it isn't easy to do the right thing. That was actually a nice plot for Reese. 

I also did not mind Yvette's plot either. She hasn't quite grown on me yet, but she's getting there. Her guilt about Tyler was interesting. Also what was nice was Yvette showing herself to another human again. I guess she'll become more comfortable with doing so.

I did get a chuckle out of the opening, with the other angels coming to see Kevin. I know that wasn't all of the angels, but it was nice to see some of them.

And surprise, surprise, Kevin screws up somehow and gets hurt. Twice this episode! The show seems to love to hurt Kevin.

[possibilities]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't know what the regulations are in Texas, but in California you can't just become a substitute teacher like that. And if you are applying in a nicer school district, there are even more requirements.

I was shocked by that, actually. Everywhere I've lived, subs are fully qualified teachers who just don't have a full time placement.

I feel bad for Tyler. He seems like someone who would find a silver lining in everything, but won't being pen pals just string him along and make it worse? He's going to want to see her again, not just exchange letters. I don't know what they've got planned, but I don't want to see him living a delusion, and it doesn't look like Yvette's planning to tell him the truth, either.

But the Tyler situation made me realize that Yvette might actually have good reasons for not appearing to people, which is something I didn't understand before. I had thought she was making Kevin's life much harder by staying invisible to others. But now I'm not so sure.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My guess is that Yvette's plan was to write to Tyler (so that he doesn't search for her for years) and then as they correspond, she will give him a reason why they can't be together, whether it's the distance or she meets someone else (or maybe she just plans to be a jerk in her letters so that he doesn't like her anymore). But the second part of my guess is that she will end up totally falling for him and not be able to go through with her original plan.

[possibilities]

What if someone takes a photo of Yvette when she's appearing to someone, though? People are selfie-monsters. I was worried that Tyler would walk into the "Beer Garden" (why were they all drinking what looked like Hawaiian Punch very un-beerlike glasses at a "Beer Garden"?) while Yvette was talking with Sad Dude, and see her there, or that someone would snap a photo and he'd see it on their Facebook page or something and know she was a local.

It seemed like this week's mission was meant to catalyze Amy and Nate having a date, since that's what triggered the vision. I guess it also wanted Sad Dude to get back with his ex, since it kept playing that song, also. But Kevin has no idea that Amy and Nate were part of it; he wasn't forced to do that like he was forced to do other things. I guess the force is only for when he doesn't see it on his own and needs hints and/or pushes. I wonder if they will show him needing fewer anvils and being able to pilot his own missions more, or if they ind the wacky gags too funny to abandon.

3 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

But the second part of my guess is that she will end up totally falling for him and not be able to go through with her original plan

I actually wondered if her questions about how to get over it were not so much motivated by guilt as by her actually pining for him herself.

[iMonrey]

Quote

It seemed like this week's mission was meant to catalyze Amy and Nate having a date, since that's what triggered the vision. I guess it also wanted Sad Dude to get back with his ex, since it kept playing that song, also.

This really wasn't very clear. Kevin himself seemed to have the impression that his mission turned out to be getting Charlie back together with his girlfriend, but I came away thinking his real mission was actually getting Amy to agree to go on a date with Nate. Maybe it was both? If it was, Kevin and Yvette didn't seem to notice or acknowledge the latter.

Yvette continues to annoy me. What was the point of chaining that key to a giant cinder block Kevin had to lug around all day? Where does Yvette get off bringing a dozen of her colleagues into the privacy of Kevin's bedroom while he's sleeping so they can look at him like a bunch of perverts? (As a man, I couldn't help wondering "what if he's got morning wood?")

Does anyone else think Reese is going to turn out to be one of the righteous? I can see them planning something like that for the series finale, although I'm guessing the network will pull the plug on this show before they ever get around to something like that.

[sjohnson]

Pretty sure it was the Universe/God who sent the big box of throwaway, and cinderblocked the key to it. 

The theme of the night was re-committing to old relationships: Charley to his ex, Amy to Nate, Kevin to Kristin. 

Whether Yvette has really found her righteous has been an open question from the beginning, as far as I'm concerned.  And I tend to think it was always an error to pick Kevin, it was supposed to be Amy I think. 

I do not think Yvette wrote to Tyler. I think some other person has written, whether by mistake or in hopes of taking advantage somehow of somehow so flagrantly desperate. I cannot think of anything that Yvette could write that would not lead to Tyler strapping on snowshoes...which I think of because snowy could =Canada. 

Pretty sure the show will be canceled, very much hoping the showrunners give it a tolerable finale, no cliffhanger. They do love their cliffhangers.

[KaveDweller]

12 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't know what the regulations are in Texas, but in California you can't just become a substitute teacher like that. And if you are applying in a nicer school district, there are even more requirements.

I guess it depends on the area, but there aren't always tough requirements. In NJ, I knew people who signed up to do it on school breaks before they even graduated college. Or who did it while unemployed (from a job in a totally unrelated field). The requirements at the time were basically taken some college courses and don't have a criminal record. I didn't think Texas would be that laid back about it, but I did a search and found this site that says it basically just requires a bachelors degree in any field.  With a recommendation from Kristen, Kevin seems likely to get the job.

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

This really wasn't very clear. Kevin himself seemed to have the impression that his mission turned out to be getting Charlie back together with his girlfriend, but I came away thinking his real mission was actually getting Amy to agree to go on a date with Nate. Maybe it was both? If it was, Kevin and Yvette didn't seem to notice or acknowledge the latter.

I didn't think it was clear either, maybe it was multiple things? That's the first time they haven't made it very clear, but it does seem that he helped a bunch of people with his group hang idea.

20 hours ago, ketose said:

Interestingly enough, when I saw the new girl at lunch, I thought Anorexic, poor and then urban forager just before they mentioned it.

Urban forager is a real thing? Okay, then. I thought poor and then anorexic during the scene.  I figured they wouldn't get as cliche as anorexia, but thought poor was still an option.

[theatremouse]

16 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't know what the regulations are in Texas, but in California you can't just become a substitute teacher like that. And if you are applying in a nicer school district, there are even more requirements.

I'm not familiar with TX, but I've lived in several states where the requirements were the same as @KaveDweller indicated: bachelor's degree and pass a background check. You basically just "sign up". Teachers without full time placements are also in the pool, and if I recall correctly, get first dibs, but it was very common for there to be way more subs needed on any given day such that the regular ol' whoever-signed-up were frequently called in.

4 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Urban forager is a real thing? Okay, then. 

Also sometimes referred to as a "freegan".

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 1/3/2018 at 10:06 AM, possibilities said:

I was shocked by that, actually. Everywhere I've lived, subs are fully qualified teachers who just don't have a full time placement.

I was mildly shocked that Kristen just asked Kevin to mind her class for a few minutes on a whim. If she can't leave them alone to go check on something, can she ask someone who isn't another teacher or admin, who hasn't had a background check or any type of vetting, to take charge of her classroom? That struck me as surprising.

[KaveDweller]

8 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I was mildly shocked that Kristen just asked Kevin to mind her class for a few minutes on a whim. If she can't leave them alone to go check on something, can she ask someone who isn't another teacher or admin, who hasn't had a background check or any type of vetting, to take charge of her classroom? That struck me as surprising.

That I was surprised about, I doubt that's something teachers are supposed to do. But I guess she trusts him personally, even if it was technically against the rules. It's not like she asked a stranger.

It was also weird, because did that mean she had known some other class was without a teacher and was just letting them sit there alone? When I was in high school, I remember that we weren't supposed to go into a classroom if no teacher was present. It was some liability thing.

[Nessie]

On 1/3/2018 at 6:56 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I know I was supposed to feel for Charlie because he was sad about his breakup, but I found myself annoyed with him at the thrift shop. If hearing your song is sooooo upsetting, then either try to turn it off yourself or go outside for three minutes until it's over. But don't just stand inside the store and whine at a stranger to hurry up and turn it off, especially when it's clear that's what he's trying to do.

I thought Kristin taught English, but now she teaches history? Maybe I'm just remembering the earlier episodes incorrectly. One of the drama girls who is friends with Reese said she had to go see Kristin about the critique she wrote of the school play so is that because Kristin is the drama advisor or was that an English assignment?

I don't know what the regulations are in Texas, but in California you can't just become a substitute teacher like that. And if you are applying in a nicer school district, there are even more requirements.

It was interesting to see Yvette feel so guilty about Tyler. Remember in the earlier episodes she said that she and the others don't feel emotions the way humans do and then she started feeling some emotions which she assumed was a result of being on earth. I'm glad she now has the capacity to feel guilt because she's right - it would be terrible to crush someone like Tyler. So I guess they're going to become pen pals? Heh, I hope they discuss why they are writing old fashioned letters instead of emails or texts.

OMG right?  I was almost yelling at the tv for him to just leave or turn it off himself.  How was it Kevin's problem?

As for the sub thing, I have a friend who retired from working in the credit card service department for a major bank, then applied to be a sub to fill his time.  All he needed was a Bachelor's degree and to pass a background check, like others have said.  But then, we're really hurting for qualified teachers around here, unfortunately.  As an aside, he has since retired from subbing because he got sick and tired of the kids' bad attitudes and lack of respect (which may have something to do with the lack of teachers).

On 1/3/2018 at 11:06 AM, iMonrey said:

Does anyone else think Reese is going to turn out to be one of the righteous? I can see them planning something like that for the series finale, although I'm guessing the network will pull the plug on this show before they ever get around to something like that.

I do! I do!

[RachelKM]

This wasn't the best episode.  But I still find this show completely charming.  And I absolutely love any scene with Kevin and Reese.  I really liked her arc in this episode.  And I appreciated that she made an effort to get the rest of her group on board with inviting the new girl to the table.  It showed a real thoughtfulness to realize that it was important for the girl (don't remember her name) to feel actually welcomed and not just like Reese was wedging her into the group.  She wanted her to be accepted and comfortable once there. That is the difference between "doing something nice" and being kind.

On 1/3/2018 at 8:49 PM, theatremouse said:

Also sometimes referred to as a "freegan". 

I don't think I have ever hated a word more.

Edited January 5, 2018 by RachelKM
weirdly deleting portions of my post

[Caseysgirl]

Have we heard whether this will be renewed or not?

[iMonrey]

Quote

Pretty sure it was the Universe/God who sent the big box of throwaway, and cinderblocked the key to it.

Well, what's the difference if it's Yvette or "the universe" doing these things to Kevin? I mean, either way they're screwing with his life for no discernible reason (other than to get a laugh). And do Yvette and "the universe" work in tandem or are they independent of one another? If "the universe" is sending Kevin all these signs and messages, what does he even need Yvette for? Can't "the universe" essentially fill the same role as she does? That's the whole problem with the flimsy, vague premise of this show. We're just supposed to sort of go along with it even though it doesn't make any sense.

The show really coasts on Jason Ritter's likability and the good will we have to (most of) these characters.