S02.E12: Clooney

[chocolatine]

18 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

  I always have batteries on hand, being a Costco shopper.  

But wouldn’t you rather have a park instead of a Costco? ;)

[Katy M]

12 minutes ago, Driad said:

Kate looking at wedding dresses:  How would she know which styles looked best without trying anything on? 

I don't think it's that she was never going to have to try on a dress.  Just not that day.  Since they appear to have a designer on-site, I imagine they are custom-making the dresses.  They probably have a bunch of designs in one size and then discuss with the client what they would like to have made.  Then they make it and then have the fittings and do alterations, etc.

3 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Costco, yeah.  I think Annie is a little bit prematurely consumerist if she prefers Costco to a park.  Costco is for stocking homes and small businesses, mostly.  Unless she is mad about hot dogs or frozen yogurt on the way out, it's not so much a kid-oriented place. 

I don't think I've ever been in a Costco.  So, maybe that's the appeal. Annie's never been in one either, but hears her friends' parents talking about stuff that they got there, so it's unknown, but she thinks you can get all kind of great stuff there, so she would prefer that to the known of a park.

[Lady Calypso]

17 minutes ago, Driad said:

Kate looking at wedding dresses:  How would she know which styles looked best without trying anything on? 

Well, we know Kate has been embarrassed about her weight so her issue seemed to be more about trying on these dresses in a public place. She didn't seem ready for that, which is why it was sweet of Madison to not only let her know that they can just look and she didn't have to try anything on, but also book the place so that Kate could feel comfortable about it without other customers there judging her. Her dress would have to be custom made anyway if she found a style she liked that didn't come in her size, and this way, Kate could find a few styles she'd like and talk to a designer in private about fittings and other details like that. Plus, she got to drink champagne while shopping. I think it was a perfect way to ease Kate into wedding dress shopping and feel like a normal bride. 

The more I think about it, the more I find myself really enjoying this episode. So many excellent moments where characters felt real and they weren't all jerks. Plus, Kate got a win and so did Madison. Kate got to go wedding dress shopping with a supportive friend without feeling the eyes of other customers on her, and Madison earned a new best friend! 

22 minutes ago, Driad said:

Randall looking for “the Lady”:  Maybe he wondered if William had had a relationship with a woman and fathered another child. If he had, maybe William didn’t know or didn’t want to tell Randall. Would a theoretical half sibling be a juvenile who needs a home?

Perhaps, but I got the sense that Randall just wanted to know more about William's life because he isn't ready to let William go, so having an adventure to find the Lady was a perfect way to continue living in his denial and grief. He also was avoiding his job interview by going on this adventure. 

[Guest]

I don't know, I have loved Costco since I was in my 20s.  I think some kids love the food court and the free samples throughout the store.  There's lots more than hot dogs and soft serve-- smoothies, churros, pizza, etc.  I'm guessing that was the joke, though... that Annie is a little adult.  

[jackjill89]

13 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Don’t those things beep like crazy if you don’t replace the batteries?  Mine does.

I think they pulled some of the batteries out so it wouldn't beep? That's kind of what it looked like to me. It seemed "undone." 

[Mldh598]

13 hours ago, Katy M said:

Smoke detector batteries.  Is that what they forgot?  I thought they forgot Randall since they had mentioned Kate and Kevin but not him.  LOL.

I thought the same thing (LOL) until they panned out and focused on the smoke detector. UGH

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Mldh598 said:

I thought the same thing (LOL) until they panned out and focused on the smoke detector. UGH

Same, and even then, I thought "Oh haha.... they forgot batteries! I do that all the time!"  without thinking about how Jack dies until I came to this thread.

[Cara]

12 hours ago, Dejana said:

Kevin ends up wearing that suit to Jack's funeral, doesn't he?

Why wouldn’t it have burned in the house?

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, Cara said:

Why wouldn’t it have burned in the house?

Perhaps, but this is also the show that has the siblings still have pictures and videos of their family and supposedly, all of that should have burned up too. 

So, really, they could go either way here. 

[Bean421]

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Costco, yeah.  I think Annie is a little bit prematurely consumerist if she prefers Costco to a park.  Costco is for stocking homes and small businesses, mostly.  Unless she is mad about hot dogs or frozen yogurt on the way out, it's not so much a kid-oriented place. 

Maybe Annie is just a fan of sample day. My kids beg to go to Costco.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Bean421

[Lovecat]

3 hours ago, Jillybean said:

Can unemployed Kate possibly afford what's sure to be a 5-figure custom wedding dress? Kevin must have been paying her VERY well.

As someone who had a custom wedding dress made last year, I can say with confidence that it will probably cost just as much for a custom dress as it would to buy a dress in or near her size and have all of the alterations done.  I'm 4'9" and a plus-sized girl myself, and the thought of trying on wedding dresses in a traditional salon literally gave me a panic attack.  Also, I'm not a big fan of bridal trends right now--I could not see myself wearing either the big cupcake dress or the slinky mermaid dress, those are just not me.  I wanted tea-length, and I wanted some friggin' sleeves.  My dressmaker was amazing.  Patient, kind, sensitive, professional, and she knew how to dress my body to highlight my assets and minimize my flaws.  She was more interested in making me look beautiful than she was making a sale.  It turned the most-dreaded part of wedding planning into an experience to treasure.        

1 hour ago, Driad said:

Kate looking at wedding dresses:  How would she know which styles looked best without trying anything on? 

 

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I don't think it's that she was never going to have to try on a dress.  Just not that day.  Since they appear to have a designer on-site, I imagine they are custom-making the dresses.  They probably have a bunch of designs in one size and then discuss with the client what they would like to have made.  Then they make it and then have the fittings and do alterations, etc.

That's exactly right.  Now Kate was kind of ambushed for her appointment, but for my first meeting with my dressmaker I went with inspiration photos to show her what kind of dress I wanted.  She looked me over, gave me the sanity check I needed to ensure that what I had in mind would work for my body, measured me from stem to stern, talked about color and fabric, and set me up with an appointment for a fitting with an undergarment professional.  That corset was fearsome-looking, but it gave us a fantastic foundation on which to build my dress.  It took a few appointments before the garment resembled the beautiful dress it would ultimately become. 

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Well, we know Kate has been embarrassed about her weight so her issue seemed to be more about trying on these dresses in a public place. She didn't seem ready for that, which is why it was sweet of Madison to not only let her know that they can just look and she didn't have to try anything on, but also book the place so that Kate could feel comfortable about it without other customers there judging her. Her dress would have to be custom made anyway if she found a style she liked that didn't come in her size, and this way, Kate could find a few styles she'd like and talk to a designer in private about fittings and other details like that. Plus, she got to drink champagne while shopping. I think it was a perfect way to ease Kate into wedding dress shopping and feel like a normal bride. 

Obviously I have some sensitivity on this topic, but I just need to emphasize that Kate only wants to look beautiful on her wedding day...she *is* a normal bride :)

[marceline]

4 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I've always defended Miguel and I like him even more these days.  It takes a real good guy to put up with his wife's rude kids just for her sake.

I really liked Miguel in this episode. I liked how he called Kevin out for dropping all that drama on Rebecca. I liked knowing that Rebecca had someone focused on her well-being and that Miguel was willing to run interference whether Kevin liked it or not. Rebecca is Miguel's wife and he clearly loves her. It's a shame Kevin can't just be grateful for that.

[Bringonthedrama]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Perhaps, but I got the sense that Randall just wanted to know more about William's life because he isn't ready to let William go, so having an adventure to find the Lady was a perfect way to continue living in his denial and grief. He also was avoiding his job interview by going on this adventure. 

That was my reaction, too.  It seemed like that was why the audience got to hear the "come down to Earth" line and the frustration in her voice - it's not like Randall was showing up unexpectedly at his wife's office to say "Guess what sweetheart, I nailed an interview and just got a great job offer - couldn't wait 'til tonight to tell you!" Randall is feeling comfortable in avoidance/denial. My mom was watching it with me and was appalled that this man would take a phone call/leave an interview for something that wasn't an emergency concerning his wife or children.

[bettername2come]

3 hours ago, Paloma said:

Also, I think this Madison-Kate friendship is being forced by the writers. Kate has been shown to be disdainful of Madison, and Madison's dialogue makes her seem pretty superficial. Granted, she is hiding a deeper pain, and I can buy that Kate recognizes what Madison is hiding and wants to help, but that is not a good basis for a mutually rewarding friendship.  

I can actually buy their friendship. In the episode where they had the car accident, part of the reason Kate told her she was pregnant was that she didn't know her that well and that made it easier. So I can see Kate finding it easier to do this shopping with her more compared to, say, her mom or Beth. On the other hand, I think Madison, who according to this episode hasn't had a best friend, took that as a bonding experience and that made her want to do something nice for Kate by booking her the shop. Then, Kate sees Madison's actual issues and relates, along with, I think, Kate maybe finding an outlet since she's not caring for Kevin like she would probably wish she were. Even if she does still find Madison annoying.

 

1 minute ago, Lady Calypso said:

Perhaps, but this is also the show that has the siblings still have pictures and videos of their family and supposedly, all of that should have burned up too. 

So, really, they could go either way here. 

Maybe Jack died the night of the formal and Kevin was wearing that before he took off to make out with Sophie in a parked car?

 

Oh, one thing I really liked was seeing Miguel and Kevin disagreeing with Jack in the past together. It was nice to see that he didn't used to have a problem with Miguel. 

[txhorns79]

Quote

Perhaps...but it's hard to fathom that he does well enough to support both of them living in LA (even in their small apartment), frequently flying cross-country at a moment's notice, and paying for a big wedding with a custom dress made by an LA designer. I suppose we, the viewers, are supposed to handwave all of this and not worry about how the characters support themselves. 

I do feel like we are just supposed to give up on trying to figure out Kate's financial situation.  It is a little annoying that a show that tries hard for realism in some areas, just turns around and handwaves others. 

[Mldh598]

Question/thought about last night's episode. Not sure if I watched correctly or made this up in my head (which is entirely possible), and if this was mentioned already, I apologize.

 

But, did Kate talk about the fact that she was the thinnest she had ever been right before Jack died? If so, that could explain her weight/issues with food to some degree. That coupled with what I thought was a 7 on her wrist/being dissatisfied trying on the 5 and it not fitting properly, never being happy with her current weight no matter what it was, etc.

[mojoween]

Randall, please don’t shush your child by putting your hand over her face while she’s talking.

My father was killed in a car accident on December 21, so perhaps this is coloring my view of Randall, but when someone doesn’t have direct knowledge of what you are going through, after a point, they just can’t understand any more.  It’s not a knock on Beth, it’s completely natural.  Randall is still grieving William, and Beth just...isn’t.  Not in the same way.

Not to mention that William was only in their lives for a short period of time and Beth, who has seen her husband go through serious mental health issues before, just needs for something to get Randall out of this before he gets sick again.  Perhaps Randall needs to explain to Beth how he is feeling about William without going and doing the HUGE thing he can’t seem to stop himself from doing.  She can’t understand if you don’t tell her, Randall.

I wish either Rebecca or Miguel had just told Kevin about their reconnect on the website Rebecca was looking at many years after Jack’s death. Perhaps Kevin wouldn’t be so angry if he knew.

An Empire waist would be perfect for Kate.  Not sure about blush, and I hate the undertone of what they were implying by her not wanting the wedding white dress, but I get it.  It makes me sad, though.

[Jillybean]

24 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I do feel like we are just supposed to give up on trying to figure out Kate's financial situation.  It is a little annoying that a show that tries hard for realism in some areas, just turns around and handwaves others. 

I agree...I mean, I am willing to handwave it. But I don't know why it's necessary. Kate's employment history since leaving Kevin's employ has been so strange. There was never any resolution to the job with Jami Gertz. We just never heard about it again once it no longer served the storyline.  And now she's just...someone who gets a singing gig once in a blue moon?

Edited January 17, 2018 by Jillybean

[MyAimIsTrue]

34 minutes ago, marceline said:

I really liked Miguel in this episode

I did too, and as a testament to the actor I find the character more believable when Miguel is aged as opposed to flashbacks when the actor is playing at or near his real younger age.

[roughing it]

10 minutes ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

I did too, and as a testament to the actor I find the character more believable when Miguel is aged as opposed to flashbacks when the actor is playing at or near his real younger age.

I still have a problem with the way Mandy plays 66 yo.  It's so one-dimensional - she has the furrowed brow and a weird head tilt that drives me crazy.  I think she needs some direction with her portrayal.  I have no problem with the way she plays mom to young kids and mom to teens, just the older Rebecca.

[RedDelicious]

@roughing it and the weird resting frown too. I don't get the weird resting frown.

[roughing it]

2 minutes ago, RedDelicious said:

and the weird resting frown too. I don't get the weird resting frown.

Yes!  The furrowed brow, weird head tilt and weird resting frown.  That's her "go-to" acting choice for portraying a 66 yo.  It's very unnatural.

[Paloma]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Well, we know Kate has been embarrassed about her weight so her issue seemed to be more about trying on these dresses in a public place. She didn't seem ready for that, which is why it was sweet of Madison to not only let her know that they can just look and she didn't have to try anything on, but also book the place so that Kate could feel comfortable about it without other customers there judging her. Her dress would have to be custom made anyway if she found a style she liked that didn't come in her size, and this way, Kate could find a few styles she'd like and talk to a designer in private about fittings and other details like that. Plus, she got to drink champagne while shopping. I think it was a perfect way to ease Kate into wedding dress shopping and feel like a normal bride. 

That's a good point and makes it a little easier for me to buy Kate agreeing to this dress shopping--although, if I recall right, she didn't know that she would be the only one in the store. (Didn't Madison tell Kate she had booked the place after they arrived and Kate expressed surprise that there was no one else there?) 

38 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

I'm 4'9" and a plus-sized girl myself, and the thought of trying on wedding dresses in a traditional salon literally gave me a panic attack.  

I'm 4'10 and plus-sized and I would also have a panic attack at the thought of going to a traditional salon, which is why I had such a hard time accepting that Kate agreed to the shopping trip. But I'm happy to hear that you had such a good experience, and your post combined with others (including #Electric Boogaloo--sorry, I can't figure out how to get that quote from a previous page) make me realize that (1) this wasn't a traditional salon experience and (2) I have been projecting my insecurities onto Kate and the plot. All things considered, the shopping experience Kate had with Madison had the potential to be very nice, at least until Madison excused herself [to vomit].

 

35 minutes ago, mojoween said:

My father was killed in a car accident on December 21, so perhaps this is coloring my view of Randall, but when someone doesn’t have direct knowledge of what you are going through, after a point, they just can’t understand any more.  It’s not a knock on Beth, it’s completely natural.  Randall is still grieving William, and Beth just...isn’t.  Not in the same way.

Not to mention that William was only in their lives for a short period of time and Beth, who has seen her husband go through serious mental health issues before, just needs for something to get Randall out of this before he gets sick again.  Perhaps Randall needs to explain to Beth how he is feeling about William without going and doing the HUGE thing he can’t seem to stop himself from doing.  She can’t understand if you don’t tell her, Randall.

My condolences on your loss, and I totally agree with what you said--especially the part about Beth's views being affected by his previous mental health issues.

[Crs97]

Mojoween, I am so sorry for your loss.

[Lady Calypso]

3 minutes ago, Paloma said:

That's a good point and makes it a little easier for me to buy Kate agreeing to this dress shopping--although, if I recall right, she didn't know that she would be the only one in the store. (Didn't Madison tell Kate she had booked the place after they arrived and Kate expressed surprise that there was no one else there?) 

Yeah, Kate had no idea that it was a private appointment, which I think reflected well on Madison. It showed that she wasn't doing it to brag to Kate about how much of a good person she was to book the place for Kate, but to help make her feel comfortable and genuinely help her enjoy wedding dress shopping. It just showed that Madison was listening to Kate during the group sessions and appealed to what Kate would have preferred. 

46 minutes ago, mojoween said:

My father was killed in a car accident on December 21, so perhaps this is coloring my view of Randall, but when someone doesn’t have direct knowledge of what you are going through, after a point, they just can’t understand any more.  It’s not a knock on Beth, it’s completely natural.  Randall is still grieving William, and Beth just...isn’t.  Not in the same way.

So sorry about your loss, mojoween. 

[balmz]

so sorry about your dad mojoween

[meep.meep]

15 hours ago, BuckeyeLou said:

William named the cat Clooney because he was an ugly cat, so an ironic name since George Clooney is a handsome guy.  And yes, Kate's scenes with Madison were good, I thought Chrissy Metz did a great job with her scenes tonight & the young actress playing Kate(McKenzie?) was terrific in those scenes in the Mall. 

No.  William named the cat Clooney because he liked women singers.  Rosemary Clooney, not George.

The aging makeup they use on the guy playing Miguel is just dreadful.

[NicoleMN6]

I predict that Kate will introduce Madison to Kevin, and those two will hit it off... and then Kate will have issues because she doesn't want to lose a good friend to Kevin again (like what happened with Sophie) or because she'll feel used by Madison, or both.

[AbbyLee]

15 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Beth needs a personal day, because she seems so annoyed all of the time lately. Probably doesn't help that Randall is on another one of his kicks again, and wants to do some big huge thing, without really talking it over with her first. Well, he "talked" about it, in a way that said "I must now do this or my life is garbage". I guess when he didn't get to keep his foster kid project, he decided he wanted a whole building of projects! I know Randall means well, but...just get a cat, dude. 

Ok is it just me or what happened to the quick cameo of the next little boy that needed to be /fostered adopted a few episodes ago after they had to bring Deja back? I thought for sure he would be making an appearance right away and now it seems like the whole fostering bit is falling off the radar? He was ADORABLE. 

[Blakeston]

I'm not sure how I feel about Miguel tagging along on the grocery trip.

I get that the whole experience has been rough for Rebecca, and he's justifiably concerned that she'll be hurt again. But is the answer to prevent her and Kevin from being alone together?

The two of them spending some time together in a public place, where he's a lot less likely to make a scene, sounds like a good idea.

Also, I really wouldn't like it if my best friend said that he thinks of me and my significant other as a single entity.

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, roughing it said:

Yes!  The furrowed brow, weird head tilt and weird resting frown.  That's her "go-to" acting choice for portraying a 66 yo.  It's very unnatural.

I don't think there's any way around this one, but I found myself looking at her nice clothes, expensive dye job and haircut and awful liver-spotted complexion and thinking, "Rebecca would wear good foundation to hide that."  But they draw those spots on to make her look 70, so they can't really hide them.  Maybe they need to go a little lighter-handed.  On Miguel-- definitely.  

[Lady Calypso]

Just now, Blakeston said:

I'm not sure how I feel about Miguel tagging along on the grocery trip.

I get that the whole experience has been rough for Rebecca, and he's justifiably concerned that she'll be hurt again. But is the answer to prevent her and Kevin from being alone together?

The two of them spending some time together in a public place, where he's a lot less likely to make a scene, sounds like a good idea.

Also, I really wouldn't like it if my best friend said that he thinks of me and my significant other as a single entity.

I think Miguel's plan was to keep an eye on Kevin until he could see that he wasn't going to hurt Rebecca. Since Kevin had only just arrived and it wasn't like he's been tagging along for weeks, I am giving Miguel a pass. We also haven't gotten to see Rebecca talking to Miguel about the therapy session; we only know that she told him what happened, which means Rebecca probably did tell him about feeling hurt. So I think Miguel's reaction to go with them was fine. Even if they were in a public place, Kevin could have still blown up at her in the car or in the parking lot or wherever. 

And, as we saw, Kevin had no problem asking Miguel why he was there in a public place. So really, Miguel had the right intentions because Kevin could have unintentionally upset Rebecca. 

But I agree Miguel's line about JackandRebecca being a single entity is creepy. Unfortunately, that's the show's perspective on not just Jack, but Jack and Rebecca as a couple; they're apparently this perfect couple and even when they fight, they still make up and it's all good again. The show's ego, when it comes to certain characters and couples, is....large, to say the least.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

My father was killed in a car accident on December 21, so perhaps this is coloring my view of Randall, but when someone doesn’t have direct knowledge of what you are going through, after a point, they just can’t understand any more.  It’s not a knock on Beth, it’s completely natural.  Randall is still grieving William, and Beth just...isn’t.  Not in the same way.

So sorry, Mojoween, I lost my dad late last year as well.  Beth has already lost her own father, and developed quite a close relationship with William, so I think she does get it, she just wants to keep Randall from sinking too low.  And I think she did get through to him, based on what he said there at the building.  I personally think it's a great way to honor his dad, and to have her involvement in what was one of her goals of fair housing, a bonus for her.  I kind of like this direction in the writing. 

[Kohola3]

I must be the only one but I don't think the Kate/Madison friendship is really that simple or a good thing.  The look in Kate's face when Madison declared she never had a best friend before spoke volumes about how Kate sees issues on the horizon. Madison is going to trade one obsession (her weight) with another (Kate) and is likely to drive Kate crazy by clinging to her. 

Not that it wasn't lovely of Madison to understand Kate's feelings on dress and take her to the salon but one heart-to-heart talk does not a best friend make.  I foresee some stalker-ish antics coming up.

[NicoleMN6]

I expected Rebecca to give Kevin her necklace, to replace the one that he lost. It's kinda unisex... no? Maybe she'll do that eventually.

Then again, I also expected that Randall would find Clooney. It's nice that this show isn't too predictable!

[mojoween]

4 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I must be the only one but I don't think the Kate/Madison friendship is really that simple or a good thing.  The look in Kate's face when Madison declared she never had a best friend before spoke volumes about how Kate sees issues on the horizon. Madison is going to trade one obsession (her weight) with another (Kate) and is likely to drive Kate crazy by clinging to her. 

Not that it wasn't lovely of Madison to understand Kate's feelings on dress and take her to the salon but one heart-to-heart talk does not a best friend make.  I foresee some stalker-ish antics coming up.

Madison’s latching on to Kate concerns me too.  It’s not completely out of nowhere, because they’ve interacted in both positive and negative ways before, but it seems like Madison has some deep-seated mental health issues that are keeping her from having a healthy relationship with anything.  

Thank you for the condolences everyone.  It’s been a tough road, and I’ve been trying to find diversions, and I discovered when this show came back from break that it is not a good one.  But it’s a good show and I am powering through.

[Dejana]

2 hours ago, Cara said:

Why wouldn’t it have burned in the house?

 

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Perhaps, but this is also the show that has the siblings still have pictures and videos of their family and supposedly, all of that should have burned up too. 

So, really, they could go either way here. 

 

2 hours ago, bettername2come said:

Maybe Jack died the night of the formal and Kevin was wearing that before he took off to make out with Sophie in a parked car?

 

The suit was in for dry cleaning when the fire happened! 

 

Maybe after the fire, friends of the family scoured their photo albums and old Christmas cards from the Pearsons and helped the family rebuild their picture collection that way. Kevin's old high school football video...eh, the coach had it?

[MBayGal]

43 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

 

I must be the only one but I don't think the Kate/Madison friendship is really that simple or a good thing.  The look in Kate's face when Madison declared she never had a best friend before spoke volumes about how Kate sees issues on the horizon. Madison is going to trade one obsession (her weight) with another (Kate) and is likely to drive Kate crazy by clinging to her. 

Not that it wasn't lovely of Madison to understand Kate's feelings on dress and take her to the salon but one heart-to-heart talk does not a best friend make.  I foresee some stalker-ish antics coming up.

 

Thank you, I thought I was the only one and should slink off to the Unpopular Opinions thread.  M + K = BFF?  Struck me as ridiculous. And I agree with whoever wondered how Kate could afford this custom-made dress.  Which frankly, I don't see as able to disguise her weight in any way.  

I thought the Kevin-Miguel talk in the grocery store was excellent.   Honesty and good communication on both sides.  Thanks to whoever pointed out Garrett Morris.  I had no clue. And I too thought Randall had been left at the store! Until I saw the smoke detector.  

 

p.s. when I saw a thread titled "Clooney," I thought it was odd but cute that the cat was getting his own thread -:)  I don't pay much attention to episode titles, so it took me a while to realize that was the ep's name. 

Edited January 17, 2018 by MBayGal

[TwoGrayTabbies]

1 hour ago, AbbyLee said:

16 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

 

Ok is it just me or what happened to the quick cameo of the next little boy that needed to be /fostered adopted a few episodes ago after they had to bring Deja back? I thought for sure he would be making an appearance right away and now it seems like the whole fostering bit is fa

If Randall can single-handedly renovate a house while working the sort of job that requires 70+ hours weekly, I’m sure he can juggle renovating an apartment building while being super dad to the young foster child.  Until the breakdown comes.  Randall is Superman, except when he isn’t.  

I really would like more nuance in these characters.

[Dejana]

9 minutes ago, MBayGal said:

Thank you, I thought I was the only one and should slink off to the Unpopular Opinions thread.  M + K = BFF?  Struck me as ridiculous. And I agree with whoever wondered how Kate could afford this custom-made dress. Which frankly, I don't see as able to disguise her weight in any way.

Why should Kate's wedding dress be expected to "disguise her weight"? She just wants to find a dress she likes and feels good wearing.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, roughing it said:

I still have a problem with the way Mandy plays 66 yo.  It's so one-dimensional - she has the furrowed brow and a weird head tilt that drives me crazy.  I think she needs some direction with her portrayal.  I have no problem with the way she plays mom to young kids and mom to teens, just the older Rebecca.

Agreed. She also doesn't change her voice. I actually find her portrayal of 66-year-old Rebecca distracting.

10 minutes ago, MBayGal said:

Thank you, I thought I was the only one and should slink off to the Unpopular Opinions thread.  M + K = BFF?  Struck me as ridiculous. And I agree with whoever wondered how Kate could afford this custom-made dress.  Which frankly, I don't see as able to disguise her weight in any way.  

I thought the Kevin-Miguel talk in the grocery store was excellent.   Honesty and good communication on both sides.  Thanks to whoever pointed out Garrett Morris.  I had no clue. And I too thought Randall had been left at the store! Until I saw the smoke detector.  

 

p.s. when I saw a thread titled "Clooney," I thought it was odd but cute that the cat was getting his own thread -:)  I don't pay much attention to episode titles, so it took me a while to realize that was the ep's name. 

Nothing can disguise Kate/Chrissy Metz's weight. She can find dresses that flatter her shape and height more than others though. I remember when I used to watch Say Yes to the Dress, there were countless women of all sizes and particularly heights who chose dresses that didn't flatter them. Usually it was because they already had their dress in mind and wouldn't be deterred. The best episodes were when they came in with an open mind and let the consultants work, because they often ended up in dresses they might not have looked at but that looked amazing on them.

I don't really understand why Madison would WANT to be friends with Kate given that Kate has always treated her like trash, but [shrug].

I was Team Miguel in the store. He needed to stick up for himself. Kevin is exhausting, Miguel SHOULD have Rebecca's back, and Rebecca deserves some happiness. Kevin rightfully looked a little ashamed when Rebecca said that she thought she'd have to give up happiness when Jack died - what a terrible thing to think you'll never be happy again when you have half your life ahead of you. And to begrudge your mother that because she married someone you don't like for no reason other than that he's not your father is shitty. 

Garrett Morris, Jaleesa from A Different World, and Cathy Moriarty. The guests on this episode were great. "I ain't one to gossip ... aw hell, I love gossip!"

[bettername2come]

24 minutes ago, Dejana said:

Maybe after the fire, friends of the family scoured their photo albums and old Christmas cards from the Pearsons and helped the family rebuild their picture collection that way. Kevin's old high school football video...eh, the coach had it?

In fairness, they were at the cabin where we saw them looking at photo albums, so some of them could have been there. Oh, and Kevin's famous, so anyone who had a copy of any of his teenage football videos would've sent it to Entertainment Tonight.

Edited January 17, 2018 by bettername2come

[Dowel Jones]

7 hours ago, Paloma said:

Maybe someone has addressed this already, but how are Randall and Beth supposed to afford buying (and presumably renovating) a building when he does not have a job?

That building would be an absolute money pit, too.  Getting the permits, maybe upgrading to comply with ADA requirements, dealing with the contractors, moving the tenants around to enable restorations to their rooms, and there's a reason that the heat doesn't work.  And, as pointed out above thread, either raise the rents to pay for it or take the loss.  That's going to create some huge difficulties in Randall and Beth's dynamic.  Maybe the show wants to go there down the line. 

5 hours ago, Trillium said:

Phoebe on Friends apparently made enough as a part time masseuse that she could afford a Manhattan apartment all by herself.

There is an actual term called "tv parking", which alludes to the fact that characters on tv always find a parking spot directly in front of their destination or their residence.

My cynical theory is that the smoke alarm starts beeping (low battery), and Jack, slightly inebriated, falls off the ladder trying to replace the battery.  The fire is completely unrelated and was a red herring by the show.

[ProudMary]

5 hours ago, Trillium said:

Phoebe on Friends apparently made enough as a part time masseuse that she could afford a Manhattan apartment all by herself. The others at least came from  money or just borrowed from Chandler. On TV characters always have enough to do whatever the plot dictates. 

Good call on Phoebe, who also had smoke detector issues. :D

4 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Costco, yeah.  I think Annie is a little bit prematurely consumerist if she prefers Costco to a park.  Costco is for stocking homes and small businesses, mostly.  Unless she is mad about hot dogs or frozen yogurt on the way out, it's not so much a kid-oriented place. 

I guess Annie is all about the free food samples!  My kids (now grown) used to enjoy testing out all the furniture too, with emphasis on recliners and spinning office chairs.

3 hours ago, deaja said:

Same, and even then, I thought "Oh haha.... they forgot batteries! I do that all the time!"  without thinking about how Jack dies until I came to this thread.

I had the same reaction to the smoke detector with the battery "door" left open.  I was actually relieved that it was only batteries they had forgotten and not Randall!  Then I started reading this thread and wanted to smack myself upside the head for not recognizing the anvil.

As for the potential BFF relationship between Madison and Kate, it seems to be one sided to me.  Madison may be looking at Kate that way but it doesn't seem to be reciprocated, IMO.

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

Madison’s latching on to Kate concerns me too.  It’s not completely out of nowhere, because they’ve interacted in both positive and negative ways before, but it seems like Madison has some deep-seated mental health issues that are keeping her from having a healthy relationship with anything.  

Well, to be fair, Kate's very similar in that way, where her body issues prevents her from getting too close to people. It's actually why I think they're a good, although very surprising and typically unlikely, pairing. But mostly, I just really, really want Kate to have one friend who's not Toby or her brothers. I actually found it quite sad when Madison said that she never had a best friend before. Perhaps a bit clingy and jumping to conclusions, but Madison's been fairly harmless. Sure, I think Kate's treated her like trash for two seasons, but maybe this episode was their turning point. If the next episode with Madison has Kate not trashing her in their support group, then I'd sadly call that progress. I thought this episode was the first where Kate finally was a support to Madison after Madison's been more supportive toward Kate. 

However, I still want to see if Kate will actually treat her like a friend in future episode. She certainly understands her more after this episode, but I'm not sure what they were going for with her last look in the scene. Was it just supposed to be taken as a funny moment for the audience? Does Kate not consider Madison a friend? Is their relationship going to change in any way?

[JudyObscure]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

An Empire waist would be perfect for Kate.  Not sure about blush, and I hate the undertone of what they were implying by her not wanting the wedding white dress, but I get it.  It makes me sad, though.

I guess I don't get it. I just thought they were stating another preference, along with the empire waist and some lace.  White can be glaring and doesn't flatter every skin tone. A little touch of ivory or pink can soften it. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, JudyObscure said:

I guess I don't get it. I just thought they were stating another preference, along with the empire waist and some lace.  White can be glaring and doesn't flatter every skin tone. A little touch of ivory or pink can soften it. 

I didn't read anything else into that either.  When I was wedding dress shopping, they told me very few skin tones look best in "true white."  Mine was not one of them as I am very pale.

[Paloma]

11 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

As for the potential BFF relationship between Madison and Kate, it seems to be one sided to me.  Madison may be looking at Kate that way but it doesn't seem to be reciprocated, IMO.

Yes, that is what I was trying to get at when I said the friendship seemed forced.

[ChicksDigScars]

16 hours ago, Dejana said:

Kevin ends up wearing that suit to Jack's funeral, doesn't he?

Would make sense. Kevin wasn't in the after-fire scene with Miguel comforting the kids. He was with Sophie. Most likely at the dance, wearing the suit, so that suit survived the fire. Kate doesn't buy a dress, so I assume she doesn't go to the dance, and Randall asked the "cute little red haired girl" (tm Charlie Brown) to go OUT with him. He didn't ask her to the dance, so they also must have been "just hanging out" that night. 

I hate where this is going. Mainly because it's Jack, and how long before Milo is barely a blip on the radar? He's my fave.  How many more years of story lines can they give the guy who died when The Big Three were just 17? I mean, what if this show lasts seven, eight seasons? :(

[Cyranetta]

One thing I really liked about this episode is it included Variations of Conversation on a Couch, where two characters - Miguel/Rebecca, Madison/Kate, MIguel/Kevin - cleared the air or revealed something of themselves.

I wonder if the little boy adopted by Clooney the Cat will wind up to be the next child Randall & Beth foster?