S02.E10: S-I-- SILENT N-I-- NIGHT

[Drogo]

After leveraging JJ in an attempt to land a family dog, Dylan takes a vow of silence to better understand what it is to be her brother. Ray brokers a meeting between his girlfriend's mother and Maya, only to realize they have a history. Jimmy drives Kenneth crazy by gaming a supermarket giveaway to score free Christmas turkeys.

[Chit Chat]

I think that was the best episode of the season.  Well done, writers!  Kudos to all.  To experience how he hears himself was brilliant.  Great first film, JJ!

[Nordly Beaumont]

I laughed out loud when Sarah Chalke said "the mom looks like a biter" and Minnie stepped in and did that 'bite-bite' move. Also when Dylan hit her head and Ray said "felt that one!"

Then sobbed out loud when JJ's voice said "I love you mom" - yes, well done, show. Very eye opening.

[Chit Chat]

14 minutes ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

Then sobbed out loud when JJ's voice said "I love you mom" - yes, well done, show. Very eye opening.

Yes, that melted my heart!  That was the best gift he could give his family.  

[GRChereck]

Now THIS is more like it! Massive improvement over s.1's Christmas episode. 

-- The "Dead to Maya" wall is still going strong, and apparently she's added to it since we last got a good look at it. xD

-- I was kinda hoping Maya's rivalry with Melanie (Taylor and Logan's mom) would give some sort of clue as to the JJ/Logan feud, but it seems unlikely, considering it went back ten years (when the boys would've been about 6 or 7) to a specific incident involving one open spot in a special school that both mothers wanted. Still, I thought their plot tied nicely with...

-- JJ/Dylan: Empathy and forgiveness are touched upon here, too, as well as the extra challenges JJ faces as a nonverbal person. Though Dylan knew what JJ really wanted (and she eventually got him the camera), she still tried to use him for her own gain first -- not unlike Ray in "H-E-R--Hero" (1x12) and "J-J's D-R--Dream" (2x3), but her going the extra mile (a vow of silence) to try to understand JJ's experience seems like whatever she learned will have a better chance of sticking.

-- JJ has already signed up for a film class! They really are following through on the filmmaking thing (from 2x8); his use of voice-over narration to express his thoughts was a brilliant touch. I wonder if he and his dad will find something to bond over in their both being kinds of visual artists (JJ with his films, Jimmy with his architecture background and wheelchair-costume designs)...

-- Jimmy/Kenneth: As with "S-U-R--Surprise" (1x17), my two faves both annoyed and learned about each other. While their barbecue feud and trash-talk bonding were played for pure laughs, though, I found this plot as sweet as it was funny. Nice to see Jimmy has been figuring out what sort of boss he wants to be (his own dad had worked for a boss that would give his employees a turkey at Christmas), and Kenneth finally got a chance to be an "office Santa." :) 

-- Not sure yet how I feel about the family having a dog -- I keep going back to the argument in the Prom episode... (Kenneth: "The fact that Maya would not be able to keep a dog alive is not a reason she shouldn't get one. The court rules Maya can get a dog." Maya: "Yesss. I'm going to have a dog for a little bit.") :D

Edited December 14, 2017 by GRChereck

[71dude]

Quote

Now THIS is more like it! Massive improvement over s.1's Christmas episode.

And over the last two dismal weeks as well. Funny, heartwarming and down-to-earth - that's all I ask.

[Mystery]

That was amazing. I was embarrassed at tearing up until I saw that Minnie Driver was, too, and she'd probably done the scene a few times already. 

Was that Micah's voice?

 

eta: I listened to some videos of Micah and I guess not; IMDB didn't credit anyone for the voiceover. Sadly, one lady is listed as "Old Pregnant." 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Mystery
clarification

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Dylan threw all her summer earning out the window, but if they are going to forget about that, then her initial desire to spend all that money on a bigger-size wardrobe to prank Ray just shows that she doesn't seem to share the family feeling that they could use a bigger income.

[paulvdb]

I liked the episode until the end. I'm not a dog person and just once I'd like to see a character on tv stick with their decision to not want a dog. But of course this is tv so I was not surprised when JJ got the dog.

[GRChereck]

13 minutes ago, paulvdb said:

I liked the episode until the end. I'm not a dog person and just once I'd like to see a character on tv stick with their decision to not want a dog. But of course this is tv so I was not surprised when JJ got the dog.

Also, I guess it'll be interesting to see how they'll get around violating their lease...

[GRChereck]

43 minutes ago, Mystery said:

eta: I listened to some videos of Micah and I guess not; IMDB didn't credit anyone for the voiceover. Sadly, one lady is listed as "Old Pregnant." 

In the scene where JJ was in his film class, he had a classmate reading some lines -- I'm guessing that's who was doing the V/O.

As for "Old Pregnant," that was a callback to 2x3 when Jimmy was calling his co-workers different nicknames -- that was one of them, along with "Too Handsome" (the smiling black guy), "Undercover Boss," "Long Hair Bald," etc.

[Bobbin]

Someone pass the tissues, please.

Hearing how J.J. sounds to himself in his mind was beautifully done (Micah can talk, but with effort -- the boy who did the voice over was literally pitch-perfect). In a way, it reminded me of the St. Elsewhere ep, when Dr. Westphall's autistic son Tommy (Chad Allen) suddenly started talking like a mature 13-year old -- in his dad's imagination, as it turned out.

Maya would cheat "the system" to give J.J. an advantage, but I can't believe she would ever cheat another special needs child for J.J.'s benefit like Logan's mother did. Point: Maya.

That's a big dog, hard to hide from the landlord. J.J. really could benefit from a service dog, especially now that he's starting to think seriously about independent living. That's not the same as a family dog, of course.

[bros402]

That episode was great. I loved seeing Sarah Chalke on my TV again, especially since I rewatched Scrubs earlier this year on Netflix.

[alexvillage]

Reading the synopsis didn't make me very hopeful for this episode. It sounded a lot like "A Very Special Episode". Pretending to have a disability for one day type of narrative is a peeve of mine. I could pretend to be disabled but I would know that after the pretending time was over, I would not face the same barriers. For people who already understand this, the project does not add up. For people who do this only for inspiration porn motives, will go back to being ableist, even if they don't realize that. Based on my experience as an observer, it fails every time.

Reading the comments, it makes me hopeful that it was done in a new and honest way, with the input of the people who are supposed to have their input - disabled people themselves.

I also hope that the focus on the speaking part was well done, with emphasis on how frustrating it is to deal with societal discrimination, instead of the supposed desire of non-speaking people have to be able to speak. 

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, alexvillage said:

Reading the comments, it makes me hopeful that it was done in a new and honest way, with the input of the people who are supposed to have their input - disabled people themselves.

I think you'll like it once you see it.  It was very thoughtfully done.  I'm sure that Micah had a lot of input into how it was written and shot.  They've said in interviews how they defer to him on where to draw the line with some of the humor.  Sounds like his input is very important so as not to offend him or anybody else.

 

6 hours ago, GRChereck said:

Also, I guess it'll be interesting to see how they'll get around violating their lease...

They'll just put a vest on the dog that reads "Service Dog," and figure the owner of the house won't know any better.  ;)  Maya will make it happen!  

[Gulftastic]

Blimey, I teared up lots at JJ's film. What a lovely Xmas episode that was.

Lots of LOL moments. Ray's flirting crossing the line, Kenneth eating the receipt, Maya's bite-bite all stood out for me.

[GRChereck]

8 hours ago, Bobbin said:

Maya would cheat "the system" to give J.J. an advantage, but I can't believe she would ever cheat another special needs child for J.J.'s benefit like Logan's mother did. Point: Maya.

That's a big dog, hard to hide from the landlord. J.J. really could benefit from a service dog, especially now that he's starting to think seriously about independent living. That's not the same as a family dog, of course.

Very good point about the Maya/Melanie conflict; though they didn't seem to actually patch things over (as JJ and Dylan did with their own rift), at least Ray stood up for his mom for once (he's come a long way from ratting her out at the supermarket), he got a rare "I'm sorry" out of her, and his and Taylor's bond was further strengthened (even if their moms still won't get along / will be avoiding each other). :) Also, I wonder if a family-dog storyline might build towards JJ warming up to the idea of wanting a service dog (as long as it's his own choice and not something forced on him) -- and/or possibly Maya trying to train it to do service-type things herself...

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

They'll just put a vest on the dog that reads "Service Dog," and figure the owner of the house won't know any better.  ;)  Maya will make it happen!

That's pretty much the only thing they can do. :D Granted, I would think the owner might try to look into the situation just to make sure, but I could see where Maya's fighting-for-JJ tactics would come in handy. (Though now I do kinda wonder how JJ was able to get the dog in the first place AND keep it a secret from the rest of his family until just the right moment... plus, I wonder if the added expense of this pet will inspire Maya to seek at least part-time work outside the home -- which I think would be a neat follow-up to her and Jimmy's argument in 2x8, when they were considering how to pay for college for JJ...)

4 hours ago, alexvillage said:

Pretending to have a disability for one day type of narrative is a peeve of mine. I could pretend to be disabled but I would know that after the pretending time was over, I would not face the same barriers...

I think the Dylan "vow of silence" plot showed some awareness of this -- the temporary-disability experience never could've made her fully grasp what JJ's life has been like, and she admits that, but she does figure out what specifically upset him about what she did, and she makes it up to him by proving that she had heard him earlier about what he really wanted. :)

[Mystery]

14 hours ago, GRChereck said:

In the scene where JJ was in his film class, he had a classmate reading some lines -- I'm guessing that's who was doing the V/O.

As for "Old Pregnant," that was a callback to 2x3 when Jimmy was calling his co-workers different nicknames -- that was one of them, along with "Too Handsome" (the smiling black guy), "Undercover Boss," "Long Hair Bald," etc.

 

14 hours ago, Bobbin said:

Someone pass the tissues, please.

Hearing how J.J. sounds to himself in his mind was beautifully done (Micah can talk, but with effort -- the boy who did the voice over was literally pitch-perfect). In a way, it reminded me of the St. Elsewhere ep, when Dr. Westphall's autistic son Tommy (Chad Allen) suddenly started talking like a mature 13-year old -- in his dad's imagination, as it turned out.

Maya would cheat "the system" to give J.J. an advantage, but I can't believe she would ever cheat another special needs child for J.J.'s benefit like Logan's mother did. Point: Maya.

That's a big dog, hard to hide from the landlord. J.J. really could benefit from a service dog, especially now that he's starting to think seriously about independent living. That's not the same as a family dog, of course.

GRCHERECK, thanks so much for the clarification about JJ and about poor "Old Pregnant," who I was still feeling bad for! 

BOBBIN, I was thinking the same thing during the episode: Maya would do anything to make the system work for JJ, but I just don't think the show has ever shown her in the light of screwing another parent. 

[bros402]

One thing I was thinking about Dylan not being able to understand what JJ goes through - she was about to write those cards. JJ could never do that. He could dictate to to a scribe, but that isn't the same as being able to get your thoughts out without assistance. I have that all the time at doctor's offices. I can't write legibly - my mom acts as my scribe, will only write what I tell her to write. My dad, on the other hand, will just start writing stuff and try to editorialize.

[tennisgurl]

...Who put those onions here? I think they're affecting my eyes. JJ showing everyone how he sounds in his head, and telling his family how he thinks about them, was just so heartwarming and surprising. That voice did sound like what I imagine JJ would sound like. I especially loved when he said something like "thanks for the camera sis" to Dylan, it just killed me. In a good way. Really, I liked all of the plots this week, they were fun, but all ended on happy, touching notes. 

It was nice to see Sarah Chalk show up, and I hope she comes back at some point. Maybe she and Maya can patch things up? 

Awesome first film JJ! 

[Crs97]

Quote

Reading the synopsis didn't make me very hopeful for this episode. It sounded a lot like "A Very Special Episode". Pretending to have a disability for one day type of narrative is a peeve of mine. I could pretend to be disabled but I would know that after the pretending time was over, I would not face the same barriers. For people who already understand this, the project does not add up. For people who do this only for inspiration porn motives, will go back to being ableist, even if they don't realize that. Based on my experience as an observer, it fails every time.

Reading the comments, it makes me hopeful that it was done in a new and honest way, with the input of the people who are supposed to have their input - disabled people themselves.

I thought they did a great job with it and laughed each time her vow of silence actually benefitted her.  The look JJ gave her each time . . . she understood that she would never really get it.  JJ’s film was unexpected and very moving.

The history between Melanie and Maya was unexpected; what a witch to mislead Maya on the application date.  We know Maya wouldn’t do that.  When she found out the new students’ needs could affect JJ’s benefits, she found employees and trained them for the new students rather than leave them in the lurch.  I was so happy that Maya was willing to apologize again for Ray and Ray stood up for Maya instead.  Melanie looked like she felt guilty when she realized who Maya was.  It will be curious to see if they revisit because Melanie was certainly trying to justify her behavior at the end.  Maya’s apology was perfect in that she didn’t treat a guest in her home well.  No mention of forgive and forget;  we mama bears have long memories.

Jimmy and Kenneth scenes are always gold.  Maya and Ray scenes are always awesome: “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “It’s a free one.  Just enjoy it.”  Her smile at him was lovely.  JJ and Dylan were strong.  This show continues to make me happy on all the levels!

[GRChereck]

3 hours ago, Crs97 said:

The history between Melanie and Maya was unexpected; what a witch to mislead Maya on the application date.  We know Maya wouldn’t do that.  When she found out the new students’ needs could affect JJ’s benefits, she found employees and trained them for the new students rather than leave them in the lurch.

Another good point. :) For all her rule-bending and -breaking, and as over-the-top as her behavior has sometimes been when it comes to fighting for JJ, it's nice to know there are some lines Maya won't cross when dealing with her fellow special-needs parents. (Even in the infamous Oscar-party episode, though she clashed with a mom whom she saw as too unbelievably perfect, it had to do with Maya feeling insecure about her own household-running abilities, rather than the two of them competing over resources for their children.) 

[71dude]

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/wednesday-final-ratings-dec-13-2017/

Finally, a slight ratings uptick - best showing since Oct 4!

[neuromom]

I agree with everyone that this was a great episode. And I cried at JJs film, because I could totally see my son on that!

the only issue I had was with the service dog. You don’t just “get a service dog”. You have to apply- and yes there are waiting lists- and when you qualify, you have to attend training with the dog. That can sometimes be out of state. And the person has to be able to train the dog. I’m guessing there are different dogs for people with different needs, but I know that if the person can’t handle the dog, the caregiver can do it. But that means training between the caregiver and the dog. I’ve checked into a few good agencies, but my son can’t qualify  because his disabilities (inability to speak clearly and motor planning issues) make it impossible for him to be in charge of the dog himself. It’s definitly NOT an easy process. 

[alexvillage]

5 hours ago, neuromom said:

I agree with everyone that this was a great episode. And I cried at JJs film, because I could totally see my son on that!

the only issue I had was with the service dog. You don’t just “get a service dog”. You have to apply- and yes there are waiting lists- and when you qualify, you have to attend training with the dog. That can sometimes be out of state. And the person has to be able to train the dog. I’m guessing there are different dogs for people with different needs, but I know that if the person can’t handle the dog, the caregiver can do it. But that means training between the caregiver and the dog. I’ve checked into a few good agencies, but my son can’t qualify  because his disabilities (inability to speak clearly and motor planning issues) make it impossible for him to be in charge of the dog himself. It’s definitly NOT an easy process. 

Service dogs do have a long waiting list and the places that train them, the ones I know, require a "camp", usually a two-week period, when the dogs choose their new owners and they start the process of matching. Sometimes the dog and the owner don't work well together and they need to try to find a different dog.

Non-speaking people and people who don't have motor skills/coordination to instruct the dog can still apply in most places, but they apply as a team (the person and one or two support people). The dog will understand that it is working with one person while still responding to the other members of the team. Of course, it depends on which services the person needs. A while ago I made some inquiries and I have a close friend that is part of a team. That's the simple explanation.

The places I inquire do work with teams but they do not have "seizure dogs". though. On the other hand, I have a personal experience where an adopted dog, formally abused, was a natural seizure dog. 

[GRChereck]

On 12/13/2017 at 9:24 PM, GRChereck said:

The "Dead to Maya" wall is still going strong, and apparently she's added to it since we last got a good look at it. xD

Some further observations, based on this gif -- https://showcaseshirley17.tumblr.com/post/168603273842/speechless-2x10-mayas-dead-to-me-wall :

-- In the s.1 Halloween episode, I seem to recall Jimmy was the one who wrote down the list from memory, so I guess it would make sense that he'd forget "Melanie Hertzal" (and yet write "male baths" twice, as I assume he must especially like them); 

-- "Saying 'Awkward' in a sing-song voice" was later added at the bottom right after "cracking knuckles";

-- To make room for Melanie, for some reason Maya apparently painted over "audio books" (rather than the second "male baths" that wasn't crossed out -- I guess she still wanted that on there, or else her stance on audiobooks has softened -- or using some of the space after "nostalgia" at the bottom left) :D

For comparison's sake, here's a good, clear pic of the original wall (from a blog post about a Nov. 2016 set visit): 

https://dirtyfloordiaries.com/speechless-set-visit-cast-visit/

Edited December 17, 2017 by GRChereck
typo

[pajamamama]

Watching an amazingly funny and touching episode like this one only makes me appreciate a weird episode like the last Halloween one. Such great writing. Such a great cast. This show deserves better fans. And better PR. It's just as good if not better than This Is Us. The performances are just as good! Fantastic! No Golden Globe nominations. No SAG nominations. Ridiculous. It deserves better.

[neuromom]

7 hours ago, pajamamama said:

Watching an amazingly funny and touching episode like this one only makes me appreciate a weird episode like the last Halloween one. Such great writing. Such a great cast. This show deserves better fans. And better PR. It's just as good if not better than This Is Us. The performances are just as good! Fantastic! No Golden Globe nominations. No SAG nominations. Ridiculous. It deserves better.

I’m one who would say BETTER than This is Us! But that show gets SO much hype and attention- nearly everyone I know is hooked on it. I binged the first half season 1...liked it for about three episodes, then just got so annoyed with the emotional manipulation! (Have they ever even explained how Jack died YET?) so, I’ve been promoting our little awesome show by word of mouth...and not having much luck. Even among the special needs parents o know! 

[bros402]

Speechless is the second best comedy in the last two TV seasons.

(Sorry, but The Good Place is #1)

My parents have slowly been watching Speechless, they just finished Season 1 Episode 12, Hero.

 

2 hours ago, neuromom said:

I’m one who would say BETTER than This is Us! But that show gets SO much hype and attention- nearly everyone I know is hooked on it. I binged the first half season 1...liked it for about three episodes, then just got so annoyed with the emotional manipulation! (Have they ever even explained how Jack died YET?) so, I’ve been promoting our little awesome show by word of mouth...and not having much luck. Even among the special needs parents o know! 

They've been teasing it, and they threaten that the cause of his death will be revealed by the end of the season.

[Crs97]

I am amazed at the number of people who have never even heard of Speechless!  I have my spiel ready at all times and, luckily, those who have given it a try come back to tell me they love it.  ABC needs to promote it more.  

I also adore The Good Place!  These two shows should be sweeping everything!

[Chit Chat]

After re-watching this episode many times, one moment that made me LOL was when Jimmy first felt the snake and told Maya that he wasn't in the mood, then she sees it and screams, but then yells at Jimmy saying "I won't be rejected!"  I love how each of these characters are written.  The actors are doing a great job in making each one of them so unique and likeable.  

[msrachelj]

On 12/16/2017 at 11:42 PM, neuromom said:

I’m one who would say BETTER than This is Us! But that show gets SO much hype and attention- nearly everyone I know is hooked on it. I binged the first half season 1...liked it for about three episodes, then just got so annoyed with the emotional manipulation! (Have they ever even explained how Jack died YET?) so, I’ve been promoting our little awesome show by word of mouth...and not having much luck. Even among the special needs parents o know! 

i was out after one episode of this is us. it sucks. kinda like how everyone was ranting about la la land, which i could not even finish it was so bad.

[GRChereck]

On 12/20/2017 at 6:55 PM, ChitChat said:

After re-watching this episode many times, one moment that made me LOL was when Jimmy first felt the snake and told Maya that he wasn't in the mood, then she sees it and screams, but then yells at Jimmy saying "I won't be rejected!"  I love how each of these characters are written.  The actors are doing a great job in making each one of them so unique and likeable.  

"I don't care if you're tired!" xD 

A couple things I picked up on when I rewatched it this afternoon:

-- When JJ was in Film class running lines with his classmate (Kyle) who was having trouble, Mr. Powers suggested Kyle take a job behind the scenes instead ("You know what? You're going to hold the clapper thingy"), so JJ definitely re-cast the voice-over part; plus, the full cast/crew list on IMDb has been updated (Andy Pessoa is credited as "Voiceover"): 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7620222/fullcredits

-- As far as the dog goes, since it was apparently wearing a collar with a "clicker" like the kind Maya had described ("that when you click, he comes from the next room like it was magic"), I'm guessing that was the service dog that Dylan (pretending to be JJ) had written for -- in which case, JJ must have decided to accept it anyway and just give it to his family on Christmas morning. (As to how he was able to pick it up himself or have it delivered to him without them knowing, maybe Mr. Powers might have helped him out?) 

-- Also, I rewatched "We're Back" earlier this week; at the part where Dylan throws a roll of money out the van window and says, "Goodbye, summer earnings!" I got the impression that didn't look like all of it, so she could've had a bit left to buy a small camera; but even if it was all of it, the family appeared to be either still in their neighborhood or just outside it at the time, so it's possible she could've found the roll the next day while she was out playing hooky (or else Jimmy found it while he was out running around, getting sweaty and dirty... :)

Edited December 24, 2017 by GRChereck

[GRChereck]

Guess ABC saved the best clip for last. :) Merry Christmas, everyone!

[SnarkySheep]

On 12/14/2017 at 6:58 AM, alexvillage said:

Pretending to have a disability for one day type of narrative is a peeve of mine. I could pretend to be disabled but I would know that after the pretending time was over, I would not face the same barriers.

Not to mention, JJ also has other challenges on top of it, such as being in his chair. Dylan only chose one thing, which made things considerably easier for her.

As for the dog - I hate when things are left dangling. It was clearly stated that a dog was against the terms of their lease, as well as JJ stating that the dog was not a service dog. So what happened? Did someone speak to the landlord and get him/her to make an exception? Are they going to try to hide it (which of course never works and is horrible anyways, because a dog isn't something you just pass around from home to home). We can all speculate but IMO it's bad writing not to state it.

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, SnarkySheep said:

Dylan only chose one thing, which made things considerably easier for her.

I think the point was that Dylan was trying to show JJ that she truly wanted to understand what it's like to be him, and the one thing she could do quickly was to go silent.  I didn't expect her to try to go through a day exactly as he would.   It was a nice gesture on her part, and she learned why she hurt JJ's feelings.  Lesson learned.  She is unable to duplicate his day-to-day experience, but she made an attempt to understand him better.  I give her an 'A' for effort.

3 hours ago, SnarkySheep said:

I hate when things are left dangling. It was clearly stated that a dog was against the terms of their lease, as well as JJ stating that the dog was not a service dog. So what happened?

Since that episode just aired, I'd say they'll visit this issue in an upcoming episode, just like they did when they brought the snake back for this episode!  They didn't simply forget that Dylan had a snake!  Again, Maya will come up with some reasonable excuse for the dog if the landlord confronts her about it.  I'm sure she'll be able to handle this issue.  This is minor compared to the other things she deals with on a daily basis. 

[Crs97]

My guess is that she would disguise the dog as a service dog and tell the landlord he was violating the ADA.  Maybe we will get a throw away line.

[bros402]

6 hours ago, Crs97 said:

My guess is that she would disguise the dog as a service dog and tell the landlord he was violating the ADA.  Maybe we will get a throw away line.

Or the landlord comes by, is like "What is that dog doing here? That's against the lease!" Then they see JJ and just assume it is a service animal.

[GRChereck]

18 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I think the point was that Dylan was trying to show JJ that she truly wanted to understand what it's like to be him, and the one thing she could do quickly was to go silent.  I didn't expect her to try to go through a day exactly as he would.   It was a nice gesture on her part, and she learned why she hurt JJ's feelings.  Lesson learned.  She is unable to duplicate his day-to-day experience, but she made an attempt to understand him better.  I give her an 'A' for effort.

Though JJ knew it wouldn't be enough ("That's stupid. I want to be U-N--understood. That will never work"), I think the fact that Dylan was willing to try anyway puts her head-and-shoulders above anything Ray would do in a situation like this. (I guess I could sort of see how Ray might not have learned anything from 1x12, "H-E-R--Hero" -- though his burst of honesty during his essay reading earned him JJ's respect in that moment, he lost the contest, and it was still the other boy's "inspiration porn" essay that moved the insurance agent enough to give JJ a better power-chair -- but I'm a bit bugged that we still haven't had any follow-up on the charity from 2x3, "J-J's D-R--Dream.")

18 hours ago, ChitChat said:

Since that episode just aired, I'd say they'll visit this issue in an upcoming episode, just like they did when they brought the snake back for this episode!  They didn't simply forget that Dylan had a snake!  Again, Maya will come up with some reasonable excuse for the dog if the landlord confronts her about it.  I'm sure she'll be able to handle this issue.  This is minor compared to the other things she deals with on a daily basis.

 

15 hours ago, Crs97 said:

My guess is that she would disguise the dog as a service dog and tell the landlord he was violating the ADA.  Maybe we will get a throw away line.

 

9 hours ago, bros402 said:

Or the landlord comes by, is like "What is that dog doing here? That's against the lease!" Then they see JJ and just assume it is a service animal.

After a second viewing of this ep, I thought it was possible that JJ could've ultimately accepted the service dog that Dylan had requested behind his back, only to turn around and give it to his siblings and parents for them to treat as a regular house pet (in which case, who knows how that might affect the dog's training?). Hopefully, the next episode -- "N-E--New Y--Year's E--Eve" (2x11), airing Jan. 3 -- will clear things up, as one of the subplots is supposed to have Dylan trying to bond with the dog and win its affections. :)

Edited December 30, 2017 by GRChereck

[GRChereck]

(Love their choice of opening clip! :) )

[bros402]

Saw that when watching the New Years stuff tonight. Was happy that they had Speechless in it!

[bybrandy]

I've never had a landlord just drop by.   Seems easy to get past the lease to me.   I wanted a dog.  Cats were permitted on my lease.  Dogs weren't mentioned (weird oversight) I asked the landlady about it.  She was skeptical but agreed if I agreed to pay for any damage done by the dog and deal with any complaints.  I got a small dog and trained it well and we didn't get complaints or cause damage.   

[readster]

10 hours ago, bybrandy said:

I've never had a landlord just drop by.   Seems easy to get past the lease to me.   I wanted a dog.  Cats were permitted on my lease.  Dogs weren't mentioned (weird oversight) I asked the landlady about it.  She was skeptical but agreed if I agreed to pay for any damage done by the dog and deal with any complaints.  I got a small dog and trained it well and we didn't get complaints or cause damage.   

Depends on the landlord, there are some real nut cases out there who will even peak in to see what people are doing at 10:30 at night and then hide behind: "They have the right as the owner." crap. I've known some who show up out of nowhere or switch hands with a family member. Or never see one and then the property manager who is a separate person who up and be like: "They have a dog or mice?" Then tells the landlord to make changes or they will go with a property change due to possible damages to the house. It is a very scary reality. So, him showing up out of nowhere isn't a shock to me. 

[GRChereck]

On 12/16/2017 at 11:47 AM, GRChereck said:

For comparison's sake, here's a good, clear pic of the original wall (from a blog post about a Nov. 2016 set visit): 

https://dirtyfloordiaries.com/speechless-set-visit-cast-visit/

I missed one: According to this pic posted earlier today, "Neck beard" was painted over to make room for "Know-it-alls." :D

Edited January 11, 2018 by GRChereck
typo

[dcalley]

I used to volunteer as a trainer with a small service dog organization and was concerned as soon as a service dog came up in this episode. I've always found fault with service dog portrayals on TV/in movies before. I think this show would do better than anyone else, but even with a dedication to getting things right, an actor dog isn't going to have the same training as a service dog and can't convincingly--to me--play one (totally understandable). I am behind in my viewing so I don't know what happens after this episode.

 

On 12/14/2017 at 8:10 AM, ChitChat said:

They'll just put a vest on the dog that reads "Service Dog," and figure the owner of the house won't know any better.  ;)  Maya will make it happen!  

I think this would be irresponsible and might piss off a lot of people with service dogs.

 

On 12/30/2017 at 11:58 AM, GRChereck said:

After a second viewing of this ep, I thought it was possible that JJ could've ultimately accepted the service dog that Dylan had requested behind his back, only to turn around and give it to his siblings and parents for them to treat as a regular house pet (in which case, who knows how that might affect the dog's training?).

Because JJ said other people needed the dogs, I don't think he would do that.

I loved the return of the wall as a plot point.

[GRChereck]

On 12/31/2017 at 8:30 PM, GRChereck said:

(Love their choice of opening clip! :) )

 

On 1/1/2018 at 1:47 AM, bros402 said:

Saw that when watching the New Years stuff tonight. Was happy that they had Speechless in it!

Ugh, the original tweet was deleted. :p Found the clip on YouTube, though:

:D