S02.E08: B-I-- BIKINI U-N-- UNIVERSITY

[Drogo]

JJ convinces his parents to take him on a college visit but hides an ulterior motive. As his plan unravels, JJ enlists the help of new friend Tyson, an actor who gives the performance of his life to keep JJ out of hot water. Meanwhile, Ray goes wild when he's left home alone for the first time.

[GRChereck]

First of all, nice to see the return of the crawlspace (from 1x9, "Sled Hockey"). xD And I could see why Dylan would want to keep her snake a secret from her parents, even though (as mentioned in 1x2, "New Aide") the family had had a pet snake that got loose around the time they first moved into the neighborhood -- it makes sense that the kids wouldn't be allowed to have another if they were irresponsible enough to lose the first one.

Good ol' Kenneth -- though he wasn't mentioned in the press-release synopsis, I kinda figured he might be part of Ray's plot (their first pairing since last year's Thanksgiving episode). 'Risky Business' parodies are beyond old-hat by now, but I had to laugh when Ray screamed for "mommy!" when he skidded into the nail; and what he did for his friend's little brother was a nice touch. 

As for the main plot, I'd been looking forward to a JJ-goes-on-a-campus-visit ep since at least the end of s.1, though I didn't have high hopes for the casting of 'Bachelorette' / 'Bachelor' / DWTS alum Nick Viall; still, I thought he did an OK job for the type of role he was playing. (When the promo pix for this ep first came out, I had assumed his plot might have to do with JJ simply wanting to visit a movie set or taking Dylan to meet an actor she likes.)

I'm not sure how JJ, as a minor (if he was 16 in the pilot, he's got to be 17 by now), was able to answer an open casting-call without his parents knowing; or for that matter, how he had expected to be able to film his scene(s) without them finding out (as they were going to be on campus too). The scene where he got to operate a camera was lovely, and it's good to see him starting to show passion for something beyond chocolate and girls. :)

Based on the promo ad, I'd hoped for more from Jimya. Jimmy gave up his dream career to take a full-time job with benefits, having to do a lot of stuff he may not have wanted to but finding ways to make lemons out of lemonade (giving his co-workers nicknames, playing games like "luggage golf" with them) so he can support the family, while Maya has pretty much been living by her own rules (albeit primarily in the service of fighting for JJ to have the best life possible) for so long that taking simple orders seems beyond her by now; but I imagine she must have been doing something before she became a mother, while Jimmy was still in grad school (I find it hard to believe he would've been able to fully support them both AND keep paying tuition as an architecture intern). This episode could've been a good opportunity for them to reminisce about those early years together, offer a hint or two of Maya's education / career background, and/or raise questions about what she could do once JJ leaves home. :\

On a lighter note, I wonder if credited writer Danny Chun has seen the 1998 British comedy 'Love & Death on Long Island' -- the title "Bikini University 3" sounds like a nod to "Hotpants College 2" (the film-within-the-film that turns John Hurt's reclusive-writer character on to a teen heartthrob, played by Jason Priestley)...

Edited November 30, 2017 by GRChereck
additional thoughts

[bros402]

That was a fun episode. I would've liked more Jimmy & Maya stuff, but we will probably get more on them later in the season.

[pajamamama]

Wow. I got a chance to read the Speechless Facebook page, and the people are not too happy. They first were not too happy with the casting of The Bachelor (truth to be told, nor was I) & second they thought the subject matter was downright inappropriate & that maybe the show should be cancelled. First the casting of the bachelor guy was completely and totally UNNECESSARY. He brought NOTHING to the show. But with that point, he did not distract from the show. His role was not important enough. I sadly think this was a promotion ploy. I'm not sure our loved show is doing that well in the ratings. I hate that I NEVER see this show advertised ANYWHERE!l My 2nd point is did these Speechless complainers read the title of the episode?? It was called 'BIKINI UNIVERSITY!!! What were you expecting? Yes it's a family show but JJ is 17 and planning to go to college. Girls and parties and yes boobs are a part of a young heterosexual male's life. Where were you last year when he got DRUNK!? Shut up. 3rd point, more Kenneth. If you want your show to be funny, more Kenneth! Also Dylan is hysterical. Oh and more Kenneth.

[partofme]

I found JJ's story distasteful.   It wasn't the girls or the bikinis, I expect him to like girls, I didn't like the part where he was so giddy about putting his face in girl's boobs, came off kinda pervy and I expected better of JJ.

Edited December 1, 2017 by partofme

[Skyfall]

1 hour ago, partofme said:

I found JJ's story distasteful.   It wasn't the girls or the bikinis, I expect him to like girls, I didn't like the part where he was so giddy about putting his face in girl's boobs, came off kinda pervy and I expected better of JJ.

The same JJ that along with Ray pervs on Emma Watson?

[tennisgurl]

I would have thought that Maya and Jimmy would have been a lot more pissed off at JJ, considering he dragged them all the way to campus and had them all stressed out, just so he could be in some cheap sex comedy and stick his face in a girls breasts. I know they're pretty chill parents, but I would have expected them to be upset a bit longer, let alone going along with it. It is certainly in character for JJ to want to do something like this though, and I like that he`s a typical teenage boy, even with the wheelchair. It was a little skeevy, but I didn't think it was as bad as it could have been. 

I am right with you on the Peak TV struggle, JJ. I dont have time for work, I have TV to watch! I too would rather watch The Americans than get real things accomplished. I also liked Dylan and her snake, mainly because I asked for a snake for years when I was a kid, and my mom always said no! I would have totally had a secret snake if I was any good at lying. 

[71dude]

I think this is the worst episode since OSCAR PARTY - not a laugh to be had. It looked like something that was dictated by the network to "make it funnier". But all the shows have clunkers so I'll just hope for better things next week.

I thought we finally get a good Ray/Kenneth plot, but they blew it - Kenneth barely appeared and it turned into another "make Ray look foolish" show.

The Bachelor guy is of no relevance to me, but at least he was playing a character and not himself.

Grade: F

[GRChereck]

23 hours ago, pajamamama said:

First the casting of the bachelor guy was completely and totally UNNECESSARY. He brought NOTHING to the show. But with that point, he did not distract from the show. His role was not important enough. I sadly think this was a promotion ploy. I'm not sure our loved show is doing that well in the ratings. I hate that I NEVER see this show advertised ANYWHERE!l

Yeah, as low as my expectations were for him, he didn't blow me away or anything but I can't really say he ruined it, either... Also, I noticed this episode got a little more promotion than the show usually gets -- I first saw an ad for it Monday night during the CMA Country Christmas special, and then one each during reruns of 'The Middle' and 'Fresh Off the Boat' (the promo was also up on Twitter by Tuesday afternoon; the official SpeechlessABC feed doesn't usually post them until the day of the show), as well as a couple of preview clips that had been released to outlets like E! News (eonline.com) and PEOPLE.com. 

Personally, I'm more psyched for next week's 'Star Wars'-themed outing. Yeah, I know -- more Disney cross-promotion -- but at least there's some precedent for the DiMeos being fans (SW was one of their past Halloween family-costume themes), and I'm also looking forward to a cameo by Kevin Smith ('Clerks,' 'Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back,' etc.). Anyway, I had ABC's "Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration" special on in the background earlier, and I already saw a promo spot for "S-T--Star W--Wars W--Wars" (2x9) during the second half-hour; I'm hoping this is a good sign... :)

23 hours ago, pajamamama said:

My 2nd point is did these Speechless complainers read the title of the episode?? It was called 'BIKINI UNIVERSITY!!! What were you expecting? Yes it's a family show but JJ is 17 and planning to go to college. Girls and parties and yes boobs are a part of a young heterosexual male's life. Where were you last year when he got DRUNK!? Shut up.

One of the things I really appreciate about the show is that it does allow JJ to be more-or-less a typical teenage boy (especially one who's getting close to college-age), including the fun stuff and even some of the less-savory aspects; his basic humanity is not denied. Also, I liked that -- despite the distasteful nature of the project being filmed -- its makers took care to cast a person with a real disability for the role of a wheelchair user, and the episode called a bit of attention to that. (Similar to how, in this season's Halloween ep, JJ made reference to how disability portrayals in film are often limited to one-dimensional saints or passive victims.)

19 hours ago, Skyfall said:

The same JJ that along with Ray pervs on Emma Watson?

"[JJ and Ray] thought I was asleep. They always talk girls when they think I'm asleep. The things they would do to Emma Watson... We have to warn her!" ~ Dylan. (Gah, I loved that episode... xD )
 

Edited December 1, 2017 by GRChereck

[Crs97]

I laughed so hard all the way through.  Kenneth hugging Ray when Ray thought the high schoolers didn’t have parties was made of win.  Maya failing to take direction; Dylan and Gertrude; Ray hosting a kids’ party; JJ justifying being in a raunchy movie by pointing out they don’t hire typical actors to play a character in a wheelchair - we needed the laugh tonight and were happy it was on the DVR.

I have no idea who the bachelor was.  Was he the fake dean?  He was fine.  No big deal.

[bros402]

47 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

I laughed so hard all the way through.  Kenneth hugging Ray when Ray thought the high schoolers didn’t have parties was made of win.  Maya failing to take direction; Dylan and Gertrude; Ray hosting a kids’ party; JJ justifying being in a raunchy movie by pointing out they don’t hire typical actors to play a character in a wheelchair - we needed the laugh tonight and were happy it was on the DVR.

I have no idea who the bachelor was.  Was he the fake dean?  He was fine.  No big deal.

Yeah, I didn't have issue with the guy who played the fake dean - I am guessing he was the bachelor. He just seemed like an actor they got to play a not-so-good actor

[kathyk24]

11 hours ago, pajamamama said:

Wow. I got a chance to read the Speechless Facebook page, and the people are not too happy. They first were not too happy with the casting of The Bachelor (truth to be told, nor was I) & second they thought the subject matter was downright inappropriate & that maybe the show should be cancelled. First the casting of the bachelor guy was completely and totally UNNECESSARY. He brought NOTHING to the show. But with that point, he did not distract from the show. His role was not important enough. I sadly think this was a promotion ploy. I'm not sure our loved show is doing that well in the ratings. I hate that I NEVER see this show advertised ANYWHERE!l My 2nd point is did these Speechless complainers read the title of the episode?? It was called 'BIKINI UNIVERSITY!!! What were you expecting? Yes it's a family show but JJ is 17 and planning to go to college. Girls and parties and yes boobs are a part of a young heterosexual male's life. Where were you last year when he got DRUNK!? Shut up. 3rd point, more Kenneth. If you want your show to be funny, more Kenneth! Also Dylan is hysterical. Oh and more Kenneth.

I love that Speechless has the guts not to turn JJ into inspiration porn. It was nice to see he and Dylan interacting with each other. I went to a school for kids with disabilities the boys would have jumped at the opportunity to do what JJ did. I had to laugh when Maya scolded JJ about not taking college seriously. The family hasn't saved any money or researched how he can attend college.

[GRChereck]

11 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I had to laugh when Maya scolded JJ about not taking college seriously. The family hasn't saved any money or researched how he can attend college.

I imagine they were probably just waiting for him to take the lead on deciding what he might like to do, rather than try to steer him towards anything (I suspect now that he's apparently interested in filmmaking, he might have his parents start looking into film schools); but yeah, in any event, they could've at least started setting some funds aside just in case. :\

[bros402]

It's hard to set aside money when you have a lot of medical bills.

Voc rehab can help pay for tuition and he can always milk the inspiration porn angle and get scholarships

[GRChereck]

8 hours ago, bros402 said:

Voc rehab can help pay for tuition and he can always milk the inspiration porn angle and get scholarships

Yep, those are some things JJ and his parents should consider looking into, especially (as I said) now they have a better idea of his field of interest so they can focus their efforts. :)

***

One more thought on the Maya/Jimmy subplot: Going into it, I wondered if it might be a reverse "S-I--Sick D-A--Day"; in that episode, she called into question his contribution to the family outside of money, and they both realized that while she's the undisputed leader of the household, he lends the comfort and support that keeps everyone happy and calm enough to help her do her job more easily. Here, he called into question her ability to handle being subordinate to others (as he has been doing in his airline job for the past 16 years, not to mention to his grad-school internship and any other jobs he may have had before then -- "some of us just have a flair for being emasculated") in case she ever needs or wants to work outside the home; but the conclusion seemed a lot less tidy / more open-ended, as I'm not sure Maya learned anything from her experience other than maybe a slightly better appreciation for Jimmy's breadwinner role ("I had no idea how hard it was to let people walk all over you!"). Still, as with JJ discovering his passion, this seems like a thread that the show should pick up again as the season goes on.

[kathyk24]

I don't blame Maya for not working when her kids were younger. They would have spent part of their income on childcare and it would have been difficult to find a sitter comfortable caring for JJ. I think Maya could find work advocating for other special needs families.

[bros402]

2 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I don't blame Maya for not working when her kids were younger. They would have spent part of their income on childcare and it would have been difficult to find a sitter comfortable caring for JJ. I think Maya could find work advocating for other special needs families.

She would definitely be an interesting professional advocate - but so many schools have heard of her, which might color their perception of her clients.

[alexvillage]

On 11/30/2017 at 4:48 PM, pajamamama said:

Wow. I got a chance to read the Speechless Facebook page, and the people are not too happy. They first were not too happy with the casting of The Bachelor (truth to be told, nor was I) & second they thought the subject matter was downright inappropriate & that maybe the show should be cancelled. First the casting of the bachelor guy was completely and totally UNNECESSARY. He brought NOTHING to the show. But with that point, he did not distract from the show. His role was not important enough. I sadly think this was a promotion ploy. I'm not sure our loved show is doing that well in the ratings. I hate that I NEVER see this show advertised ANYWHERE!l My 2nd point is did these Speechless complainers read the title of the episode?? It was called 'BIKINI UNIVERSITY!!! What were you expecting? Yes it's a family show but JJ is 17 and planning to go to college. Girls and parties and yes boobs are a part of a young heterosexual male's life. Where were you last year when he got DRUNK!? Shut up. 3rd point, more Kenneth. If you want your show to be funny, more Kenneth! Also Dylan is hysterical. Oh and more Kenneth.

Have not seen the episode, did the people complaining about the theme find it racy? 

If so, that's the usual infantilization and desexualization of disabled people. If this is the case, I think the producers and writers should actually double down on this and keep pushing those imposed ableist boundaries.

[GRChereck]

9 hours ago, alexvillage said:

Have not seen the episode, did the people complaining about the theme find it racy?

Not to give away too much, but the recapper at Tracking Board (who's otherwise been a lot less hard on the show than the s.1 critic, grading most of the s.2 episodes A to B+ -- this got a straight B) seemed bothered by the implication of such rare conscientiousness in disability representation and hiring coming from (of all things) the makers of a sleazy, tasteless college romp -- a move she called both "truly bold" and "lamer than anything."

I guess I could sort of see that, and it would've been nice if JJ's newfound passion could've been sparked by something more original or more relevant to current pop-culture; but by the same token, I think the unspoken irony of a piece of old-fashioned sub-'Animal House' / 'Revenge of the Nerds' / 'American Pie' raunch being more progressive in dealing with disability than many prestige / "Oscar bait" projects (which have often been guilty of cripface, inspiration porn, depressing / tragic portrayals, etc.) is at least as funny and ballsy as anything that actually happens onscreen in the episode. :D

Edited December 3, 2017 by GRChereck
clarity

[msrachelj]

On 11/30/2017 at 9:00 PM, tennisgurl said:

I would have thought that Maya and Jimmy would have been a lot more pissed off at JJ, considering he dragged them all the way to campus and had them all stressed out, just so he could be in some cheap sex comedy and stick his face in a girls breasts. I know they're pretty chill parents, but I would have expected them to be upset a bit longer, let alone going along with it. It is certainly in character for JJ to want to do something like this though, and I like that he`s a typical teenage boy, even with the wheelchair. It was a little skeevy, but I didn't think it was as bad as it could have been. 

I am right with you on the Peak TV struggle, JJ. I dont have time for work, I have TV to watch! I too would rather watch The Americans than get real things accomplished. I also liked Dylan and her snake, mainly because I asked for a snake for years when I was a kid, and my mom always said no! I would have totally had a secret snake if I was any good at lying. 

she said the snake escaped because something like, i didn't know you had to feed them. tired of stupid animal neglect/abuse jokes. so the idiot gets another snake she has to hide and i sure hope she has a bigger enclosure for it. warm lights etc. just sick of the ignorance when it comes to "pets" and wildlife. teach the  kids watching something , not feed their ignorance or apathy.

[msrachelj]

On 12/1/2017 at 4:31 PM, GRChereck said:

I imagine they were probably just waiting for him to take the lead on deciding what he might like to do, rather than try to steer him towards anything (I suspect now that he's apparently interested in filmmaking, he might have his parents start looking into film schools); but yeah, in any event, they could've at least started setting some funds aside just in case. :\

in my world it's hard to imaging how anyone in the working class can set aside money for college. even with a decent job, everything is so expensive, from television to cell phones, to mortgages, electric , gas, oil, insurance, taxes, cars etc etc. my parents didn't do it for me and that was years ago when things were supposedly "better". any child that gets a free or partially free ride from his parents should realize what an enormous gift this is. not gonna happen with the demaio  family. they are surely living paycheck to paycheck. big problem in this county and now it's only going to get worse.

[Gothish520]

On 12/8/2017 at 7:21 AM, msrachelj said:

in my world it's hard to imaging how anyone in the working class can set aside money for college. even with a decent job, everything is so expensive, from television to cell phones, to mortgages, electric , gas, oil, insurance, taxes, cars etc etc. my parents didn't do it for me and that was years ago when things were supposedly "better". any child that gets a free or partially free ride from his parents should realize what an enormous gift this is. not gonna happen with the demaio  family. they are surely living paycheck to paycheck. big problem in this county and now it's only going to get worse.

Absolutely. It kind of amazes me when people complain "Why didn't the parents start a college fund?" - um, because they have to pay the rent/mortgage, household bills, put food on the table, clothe their children, etc etc etc - and yes, maybe occasionally go to a movie or out to dinner. Even those of us living paycheck to paycheck deserve a little "matinee and early-bird special" fun once in a while. And with a disabled child, my guess is the DiMeos had precious few of those nights.

[bros402]

12 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

Absolutely. It kind of amazes me when people complain "Why didn't the parents start a college fund?" - um, because they have to pay the rent/mortgage, household bills, put food on the table, clothe their children, etc etc etc - and yes, maybe occasionally go to a movie or out to dinner. Even those of us living paycheck to paycheck deserve a little "matinee and early-bird special" fun once in a while. And with a disabled child, my guess is the DiMeos had precious few of those nights.

Yeah. My parents had around $100,000 in medical debt starting 3 months after I was born. They paid the most they could every month - and they would probably still be paying it today if not for the generosity of the hospital that cared for me for the first three months of my life - they received a large donation and forgave the bills of many patients, including me.

[neuromom]

On 12/18/2017 at 11:52 PM, bros402 said:

Yeah. My parents had around $100,000 in medical debt starting 3 months after I was born. They paid the most they could every month - and they would probably still be paying it today if not for the generosity of the hospital that cared for me for the first three months of my life - they received a large donation and forgave the bills of many patients, including me.

That’s great, Bros! Yea, people with special kids don’t always have the resources for anything besides the basics. I am fortunate that my parents and grandmother are both willing to provide financially for my son. The HMO only provides Pharma meds or doctor visits, or shots, or whatever...but they provide absolutely ZERO to the therapies and alternative meds that are actually HEALING my kid. Without the financial support, I shudder to think what his life would be like if I didn’t have finances to help him...yet thousands of parents and kids are in that boat, and it makes me very very sad. 

[bros402]

13 hours ago, neuromom said:

That’s great, Bros! Yea, people with special kids don’t always have the resources for anything besides the basics. I am fortunate that my parents and grandmother are both willing to provide financially for my son. The HMO only provides Pharma meds or doctor visits, or shots, or whatever...but they provide absolutely ZERO to the therapies and alternative meds that are actually HEALING my kid. Without the financial support, I shudder to think what his life would be like if I didn’t have finances to help him...yet thousands of parents and kids are in that boat, and it makes me very very sad. 

My grandparents offered to pay off the debt, but my parents didn't want to accept financial help. They were happy enough to have them babysit :D