S02.E04: T-R-- TRAINING D-A-- DAY

[Drogo]

Jimmy takes JJ camping to give him "the talk." Meanwhile, Maya trains a ragtag group of new aides; and sparks fly between Dylan and Ray's bully.

[GRChereck]

Last night, I read JRB's comments in a 'NY Post' piece that made this episode sound like it would be another "Cheater" (1x19), minus the downbeat cliffhanger ending -- an initially fun, silly outing that turns heavy when Jimmy imparts wisdom to one of his sons, only to get blindsided by unanswerable questions about JJ's future. To be honest, there was a little bit of that in tonight's Jimmy/JJ plot, but at least this time the questions came from JJ himself, and Jimmy had to deal with him one-on-one rather than defer to Maya or lean on her for backup. And as with their last major pairing, "Sled Hockey" (1x9), Jimmy still struggles with being realistic about JJ's physical limitations vs. encouraging him to live life to its fullest, wanting to protect him vs. supporting him in all things; but now I wonder how much of that struggle is rooted in how he still recalls the doctor having couched JJ's CP diagnosis in terms of "all the things he's never gonna do," and how much is rooted in Jimmy's seeming lack of faith in his own abilities. (I hope the show explores this dynamic more often, as John and Micah have such a sweet chemistry even in their most tense scenes.)

The cold open, with Jimmy giving the "birds and the bees" talk to Ray (now that he and Taylor are still a couple), reminded me a bit of "Runaway" (1x20) in how the usually thrifty dad is more apt to spend money on distractions when running into trouble with deep conversations -- much as I love Jimmy/Ray car-talks, I couldn't help thinking that a nice "robe talk" at home would've been cheaper and a lot less time-consuming. xD

As for the Maya plot, considering her whole s.1 arc of learning to trust Kenneth more and more with JJ, I thought it was sweet how Kenneth was the one to encourage the new aides (speaking of "Cheater," nice to see that English teacher with the poor grammar again!) to follow in his footsteps. 

Regarding Ray/Dylan, it struck me as odd to begin with that Ray would suddenly have a bully outside of his own siblings, but I did think it was sick-funny how Dylan was so relentless in having Brendan Brandon constantly prank Ray with her that he quickly got burned out; also, I was glad to see him get his comeuppance anyway when he was immediately caught picking on another kid (in front of an anti-bullying poster, no less). At least with the siblings, you know Ray brings a lot of stuff on himself (as we saw last week with how he used JJ), and you also know deep-down Dylan loves her brother, though she may not show it very often.

Edited October 19, 2017 by GRChereck

[Lovecat]

The bully’s name was Brandon. Brandon and Dylan. NGL, I LOL’d.

[GRChereck]

22 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

The bully’s name was Brandon. Brandon and Dylan. NGL, I LOL’d.

I must have misheard it -- that IS pretty funny. :D When my sister and I were into the first few seasons of '90210,' Dylan was her favorite while Brandon was my crush. <3

[Bobbin]

Another warm-hearted ep. Ray mature beyond his years. Character growth all around. The wife and kids challenge for J.J. is easily managed. It's his career opportunities that are greatly limited without AAC speech synthesis. And yet there is Micah, working as an actor playing a non-verbal version of himself. I wonder if Maya has given "the talk" to Dylan.

[bros402]

Good episode. Though the whole training random people to be aides thing is stretching the suspension of belief - since if the principal was rubber rooming the librarian and the teacher, she would obviously have a reason to - if they didn't need a librarian, that's what a RIF is for.

In terms of careers for JJ, I think they would need to figure out what he wants to do and go from there - if he likes the laser pointer that much, wonder if there would be a technical solution for a board to read the letters/word and type in out, like if he wanted to do a desk job. Might give him a crick in his neck, though.

[tennisgurl]

That was a really sweet episode, and it was nice to see how everyone related to each other, and how much they've grown. Maya and Kenneth and JJ and Jimmy were especially good, and shows how much things have changed for the better in their family over the year. 

I laughed super hard at the opener, with Jimmy trying to put off having The Talk with Ray (including ending up in Mexico!) and Ray being so happy that Jimmy considered it necessary! 

[kathyk24]

I thought this episode was a huge improvement over last week. I loved the Jimmy and Ray conversation. JJ must have a magical wheelchair that can survive being out all night without being charged. The Kenneth and Maya subplot was great especially Kenneth admitting how much he respects her. I think the family needs to expand the amount of disabled people in their lives it will be easier for them to answer JJ's questions.

[Skyfall]

ABC comedies sure have it against fitted sheets!

[bros402]

5 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I thought this episode was a huge improvement over last week. I loved the Jimmy and Ray conversation. JJ must have a magical wheelchair that can survive being out all night without being charged. The Kenneth and Maya subplot was great especially Kenneth admitting how much he respects her. I think the family needs to expand the amount of disabled people in their lives it will be easier for them to answer JJ's questions.

Maybe JJ is made of solar panels that charge the chair

:P

[Shenanigan]

I just want to give a shout-out to the Stripes music used in the aide training montage!

[GRChereck]

25 minutes ago, Shenanigan said:

I just want to give a shout-out to the Stripes music used in the aide training montage!

Good ear! :) I'm liking the music cues so far this season -- "Brandy" put to great use twice in the season premiere, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (aka the '2001' music) in 2x2 (when Jimmy was starting his shower only to catch Dylan playing with the sprinkler in the yard), Joe Esposito's "You're the Best Around" from 'The Karate Kid' in 2x3 (when Jimmy was winning back the employee he fired), and now this. But I'm still hoping we get to hear more of Jimmy's musical taste on the show, too (past episodes have given shout-outs to XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear, the Ramones and Henry Rollins)...

[71dude]

Agreed - this is my favorite episode of the season so far - and those were Micah's own stunts!

I thought Ray and Brandon would team up and pull one over on Dylan at the end.

[Minerette]

21 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

JJ must have a magical wheelchair that can survive being out all night without being charged.

I use a power chair myself, and with the proper batteries they can go 12-15 miles on one charge. More than enough to last all night. 

[possibilities]

On 10/19/2017 at 9:13 PM, kathyk24 said:

I think the family needs to expand the amount of disabled people in their lives it will be easier for them to answer JJ's questions.

It's a real problem that they don't. It doesn't fit with their characters at all, and it's also a disservice to the story.

I don't enjoy Dylan bullying Ray.

[neuromom]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

It's a real problem that they don't. It doesn't fit with their characters at all, and it's also a disservice to the story.

I don't enjoy Dylan bullying Ray.

I can understand some brother/sister harrasment at home..but it did bother me when it ended up at school.

JRB and Micah are just magic!

[alexvillage]

On 10/19/2017 at 2:45 AM, bros402 said:

In terms of careers for JJ, I think they would need to figure out what he wants to do and go from there - if he likes the laser pointer that much, wonder if there would be a technical solution for a board to read the letters/word and type in out, like if he wanted to do a desk job. Might give him a crick in his neck, though.

The consultant for the show uses some similar AAC and has an aide who reads her words. I don't know if she has a more "ordinary " type of job though. JJ can work and have PCA's with him for many hours, so in theory he could do whatever he decides and is qualified for. Of course, that's the theory. Most disabled people who need PCA's live in a constant fight to keep their right to live in their own homes and not be institutionalized, and PCA hours are often cut. Many end up having friends who help out to cover the hours. 

 

As for JJ's wheelchair, I know someone who had one running for about 21 hours without recharging and for people who like to go camping, portable generators are a good solution (although pretty expensive, I think)

[GRChereck]

On 10/20/2017 at 5:38 PM, Minerette said:

I use a power chair myself, and with the proper batteries they can go 12-15 miles on one charge. More than enough to last all night. 

 

On 10/21/2017 at 7:08 AM, alexvillage said:

As for JJ's wheelchair, I know someone who had one running for about 21 hours without recharging and for people who like to go camping, portable generators are a good solution (although pretty expensive, I think)

Good to know! :) I was just reminded of the Christmas episode ("Choir"), when the chair ran out of juice by the time Jimmy rode it all the way up to the school -- but there, I recall thinking both he and Maya seemed exceptionally scatterbrained (even by their usually flaky standards) in that ep anyway, so it would not surprise me if they had forgotten to have the battery recharged the day before.

ETA: Of course, JJ ended up getting a new power-chair a couple episodes later ("Hero") -- it's possible that it could've come with a longer-lasting battery or something.

 

On 10/21/2017 at 0:17 AM, neuromom said:

I can understand some brother/sister harrasment at home..but it did bother me when it ended up at school.

 

Yeah, while I was fine with how that plot turned out, I must admit I was a little put off at first that Dylan would choose to collaborate with the school bully, rather than stand up to him with something like, "I don't want anybody messing with my family -- only I can mess with my own brother!" 

 

On 10/20/2017 at 4:54 PM, 71dude said:

Agreed - this is my favorite episode of the season so far - and those were Micah's own stunts!

I thought Ray and Brandon would team up and pull one over on Dylan at the end.

Mine, too -- despite some of Dylan and Maya's more off-putting behavior, I thought it was ultimately one of the sweetest episodes yet. 

A Ray/Brandon team-up to turn the tables on Dylan would've been fun. :D

Lovely comment from Mr. Feinberg! :) 

Edited October 22, 2017 by GRChereck
clarity; additional thought

[bros402]

18 hours ago, alexvillage said:

The consultant for the show uses some similar AAC and has an aide who reads her words. I don't know if she has a more "ordinary " type of job though. JJ can work and have PCA's with him for many hours, so in theory he could do whatever he decides and is qualified for. Of course, that's the theory. Most disabled people who need PCA's live in a constant fight to keep their right to live in their own homes and not be institutionalized, and PCA hours are often cut. Many end up having friends who help out to cover the hours. 

 

As for JJ's wheelchair, I know someone who had one running for about 21 hours without recharging and for people who like to go camping, portable generators are a good solution (although pretty expensive, I think)

I think I remember the show saying at some point that they had disability consultants from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, maybe she works for them?

[readster]

7 hours ago, bros402 said:

I think I remember the show saying at some point that they had disability consultants from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, maybe she works for them?

Which is a good thing, but sadly the show does fall in other traps sometimes about defining logic to make a plot work. Like with the school being oblivious to IEPs and even the family's constant moving around all these years. Some people wish they could do that until they found the right place or companies are that flexible in having employees quit or just jump to a new location without saying: "Don't think so."

[GRChereck]

5 hours ago, readster said:

Which is a good thing, but sadly the show does fall in other traps sometimes about defining logic to make a plot work.

And break with reality for the sake of laughs (what TV Tropes calls the Rule of Funny), as the show's own creator and writers will be the first to admit. :D

Seriously, though, the one plot so far that's really got me puzzled is the whole "training dead-weight school staff / faculty to be new aides" thing (started in 2x2 and continued in this ep), and yet I'm still interested to see where the writers are going with it... (I kinda wish some site would do a "writers-room walk-through" for the show -- like Den Of Geek did for the last couple seasons of the FOX comedy 'The Last Man on Earth' -- if only to get some explanation of how this particular storyline came about and why they went this route.)

 

5 hours ago, readster said:

Like with the school being oblivious to IEPs and even the family's constant moving around all these years. Some people wish they could do that until they found the right place or companies are that flexible in having employees quit or just jump to a new location without saying: "Don't think so."

I think it was implied in the previous episode that Jimmy's been working with the same people "for a really long time" -- I'm guessing even while the family was moving around a lot, he was staying at the same job the whole time. :\ 

Edited October 22, 2017 by GRChereck

[Mystery]

On 10/20/2017 at 7:00 PM, possibilities said:

I don't enjoy Dylan bullying Ray.

That was the weakest story line for me;  in fact, when that part started, I turned off the episode and waited several days to finish it. I loved the other story lines. I assume they were trying to find something for Dylan's character to do, but for me it fell flat. The other characters seemed to be stretching themselves a bit, but she didn't. 

I did laugh at the principal's indignation about bullying happening right in front of the anti-bullying poster. 

[bros402]

15 hours ago, readster said:

Which is a good thing, but sadly the show does fall in other traps sometimes about defining logic to make a plot work. Like with the school being oblivious to IEPs and even the family's constant moving around all these years. Some people wish they could do that until they found the right place or companies are that flexible in having employees quit or just jump to a new location without saying: "Don't think so."

They have moved around enough for them to never spend two years at the same school, but not enough for Jimmy to have to change jobs (I believe they said he had been working there for 18 years? Or 20?). Since California has huge districts - maybe they have stayed in the same district, just different schools?

I think an IEP meeting could make for great comedy.

[kathyk24]

I hate the explanation of why the family has moved so much. JJ is the one who needed to change schools not the entire family. I had to switch schools due to the local schools being inaccessible. The writers could explain the families financial situation by saying that Maya stayed home to raise her kids.

[GRChereck]

10 hours ago, Mystery said:

I assume they were trying to find something for Dylan's character to do, but for me it fell flat. The other characters seemed to be stretching themselves a bit, but she didn't.

Yep, another thing that rubbed me the wrong way about this Ray/Dylan plot was that it sort of went against the character growth she showed regarding their relationship in the latter half of s.1 (especially in "Valentine's Day," "Prom" and "May-Jay"). :\ 

[possibilities]

18 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I hate the explanation of why the family has moved so much. JJ is the one who needed to change schools not the entire family. I had to switch schools due to the local schools being inaccessible. The writers could explain the families financial situation by saying that Maya stayed home to raise her kids.

In many places, you have to go to the school that is assigned to you based on your address. If they wanted to get JJ into a different school, then they would have to move and all the kids would have to go to a different school. I don't know if that's true of CA but it's true a lot of places. Not every state has school choice.

[bros402]

5 hours ago, possibilities said:

In many places, you have to go to the school that is assigned to you based on your address. If they wanted to get JJ into a different school, then they would have to move and all the kids would have to go to a different school. I don't know if that's true of CA but it's true a lot of places. Not every state has school choice.

It's true in NJ, too. I don't think many states, if any, allow you to just choose a school in the district you want to go to (well, outside of magnet high schools and stuff) - but it sounds like JJ has gone to private schools (probably through an OOD placement on an IEP, since I cannot see them paying the 100k a year, minimum, for tuition at the kind of school JJ would need) his entire life up to that point.

 

On 10/23/2017 at 2:36 AM, kathyk24 said:

I hate the explanation of why the family has moved so much. JJ is the one who needed to change schools not the entire family. I had to switch schools due to the local schools being inaccessible. The writers could explain the families financial situation by saying that Maya stayed home to raise her kids.

Maya probably just annoyed the private schools to the point where she wasn't welcome, so she uprooted everyone. They definitely seem like this might be one of the first homes they have owned - maybe they owned one when JJ was little, then started to move around, probably just rented for a while if they weren't sure about the school, then they saw the worst house in a good neighborhood and jumped on it. Since I cannot imagine them getting 9 or 10 houses/mortgages in 9-10 years.

[alexvillage]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

In many places, you have to go to the school that is assigned to you based on your address. If they wanted to get JJ into a different school, then they would have to move and all the kids would have to go to a different school. I don't know if that's true of CA but it's true a lot of places. Not every state has school choice.

True in Florida. You cannot choose your school even if live literally in the same block of our neighborhood school. See "I Stand With Henry" about a - at the time - 12 year-old boy who had to fight for months for the right to receive an education in the school he wanted

[possibilities]

16 hours ago, bros402 said:

it sounds like JJ has gone to private schools

I didn't catch that.

[SnarkySheep]

All I could think during the time Jimmy was trapped was "how convenient he was in a huge clean restroom, not a stinky little port-a-potty!"

[bros402]

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

I didn't catch that.

They've said this is the first time JJ has gone to a mainstream school - not a mainstream class.

 

6 hours ago, SnarkySheep said:

All I could think during the time Jimmy was trapped was "how convenient he was in a huge clean restroom, not a stinky little port-a-potty!"

Same - but a porta potty would have been easier (but oh so disgusting) to get out of. He'd have a chance at toppling it if he could get JJ to help ram it

[neuromom]

On 10/23/2017 at 6:15 PM, possibilities said:

In many places, you have to go to the school that is assigned to you based on your address. If they wanted to get JJ into a different school, then they would have to move and all the kids would have to go to a different school. I don't know if that's true of CA but it's true a lot of places. Not every state has school choice.

Where I am in CA, you can switch schools only if your school is deemed “overcrowded” and there is space at the school you want to attend that is outside your area.

Since we live near a university town, where the schools are deemed “higher quality” (based on test scores or what not), people DO cheat..by using their work address or addresses of family members to get into the prime schools.

ironically, those are the schools that are LEAST accepting and tolerant of severe special needs kids. :-( (I’ve been to.d by people in that district it’s because special kids affect the test scores and ranking of the school)

Edited October 28, 2017 by neuromom

[Gulftastic]

As a Brit watching this show can I just say how much I love it when Maya uses proper English slang and swear words. 'Arse' is always a favourite, but she managed to add a 'bugger off' this episode. Good work!

 

And good episode. Not my favourite Dylan plot, but I loved Jimmy and JJ in the woods.