S05.E22: Message Received

[maraleia]

 

Jay, Gloria and Manny challenge each other to try something they've never done before; Mitchell and Cameron may have to part with some prized possessions to help pay for their wedding; Phil and Claire's kids play a joke on their parents.

 

[SimoneS]

Wow, the Jay/Mitchell stuff was brought the serious. I liked it though. It felt real. I hope that they let Jay and Mitchell have a tough conversation with Jay starting to find a way to truly accept his son and his family. I don't want them to just sweep it under the rug and give them a happy ending next week. 

[Kiddvideo]

Really liked this episode especially the juxtaposition of things not universally approved vs their positive outcomes (new foods, Stella, Claire/Phil's marriage), and Jay sitting alone on the couch mulling the fight. This might be what he needs to grow past the stage where he only feels comfortable introducing Cam as Mitch's friend. I felt so badly for Mitch, though.

I plan on stealing and repurposing Gloria's remark from the beginning -- when Jay said he didn't know anyone who didn't like pickles -- "then this is a big day for you." Not exact quotes but that's the gist.

I even liked the kids here. They had a more mature dynamic which was fun and let Claire be more relaxed.

[SimoneS]

I cracked up when the kids were eavesdropping on Claire and Phil and fled when they heard the door lock. 

 

Blood sausages are delicious. Jay does not know what he is missing.

[MaryMitch]

I gotta say, I teared up a little when Claire was telling Phil how he made her laugh.

 

And I freaked out a little when Mitchell ruined his comic book!

[Dagny]

Blood sausages are delicious. Jay does not know what he is missing.

 

I've tried it. I had the same reaction as Jay, except I worked with a beer.

[CleoCaesar]

Whoa, this episode ended on kind of a heavy note, with no neat resolution at the 30-minute mark. I wasn't expecting that, but kind of liked it.

 

Stella continues to be adorable. I've never really gotten Gloria's antipathy towards her, though. She and Manny were the ones who begged Jay to keep the dog from going to the pound and Gloria was delighted when Jay brought Stella back. So her constant disgust at Stella puzzles me. For a show that does continuity so well (the door lock of parental sex!), it's an odd thing that they never explained.

 

I was with Jay on the blood sausages.

[4leafclover]

I think the Stella saga evolved into Jay becoming so completely devoted to her that Gloria became jealous and resents the attention Jay spends on the dog.  

 

I did think it was hilarious when Gloria said she got to "second base" with Stella.

Edited May 8, 2014 by 4leafclover

[CleoCaesar]

I think the Stella saga evolved into Jay becoming so completely devoted to her that Gloria became jealous and resents the attention Jay spends on the dog.

 

I can see that. It makes Gloria look crazily petty and possessive, but I can see it.

 

I loved the second base comment too. And in the end tag, when Stella was begging Gloria to rub her tummy. I want to kidnap that precious dog.

[anna0852]

I think this is one of their best episodes. Jay had a valid point about expanding horizons and I love how it became a family thing with Gloria and Manny as well.

 

Phil's joy at the thought of another baby was just beautiful as was the conversation between him and Claire later. It was nice to see both of them acknowledge their insecurities about getting married due to pregnancy. It struck me as very real.

 

I was very impressed with Mitch and Cam as well. They seem much more solid and less bicker-y. I'm so glad the wedding plotline didn't turn into them fighting all the time. I was especially impressed that their answer to paying for the wedding was to either scale back or sell something, not ask Jay for money.

 

The kids playing that trick was diabolical, as was their parents revenge. And fleeing in terror from the sound of the lock was priceless!

 

The look on Mitch's face as he was leaving Jay's house nearly broke my heart. He was right. If Claire hadn't done the courthouse thing Jay would have gone all out, even if he didn't like Phil that much. To still have this level of discomfort from his father must be killing Mitch right now. I did like that look Cam gave Jay as he was leaving, the 'you hurt him, I'm going to kill you look.'

 

I'm interested in seeing Claire's reaction to this next week. At this point, I can't see anyone in the family being okay with Jay and she is particularly close to Mitch. I thought it was telling that the next thing we heard was that supportive message from Mitchell about Claire being pregnant. Those siblings have each other's backs.

Edited May 9, 2014 by anna0852

[Crucial]

There's no way I could try a blood sausage and I've tried so many times but I am a wimp.  This episode broke my heart with Jay and Mitch.  I felt so bad for Mitch. I know Jay has his issues, so I hope the family can help him see what's wrong with what he did.  Not to have Jay pay for a big wedding.  I would much rather see a family wedding with both sides coming together.  This way we can see a bond with Mitch and Jay. More than anything, I really want to see that.

[mojito]

I like that this comedy still shows the problems Jay is still having with his son. Sometimes, you can accept things that are odd or foreign to you, yet on some level, there is a thing or two you just can't get past. Here's a for instance that hits close to home: seeing a woman in my neighborhood super market wearing a burqa.

[teixeira]

I remember in the first season there was a talking head with Mitchell and Cam where Mitchell was talking about how after he came out to his parents, Jay didn't want to talk to him. I remember Mitchell saying how in the beginning Jay always passed the phone to the first wife whenever Mitchell called home from college.  Then a recent episode featured Mitchell telling Jay about a great man telling him "I don't get it but if it makes you happy, don't ever let someone tell you it's wrong" (or whatever). So I just assumed that Mitchell's talking head was exaggerated memory because it was a sensitive time for him. I saw Jay loving and accepting his son even though it was a strange thing (to Jay). So I guess I am trying to figure out how his comments fit with the Jay we've seen lately.

 

I'm just hoping it was a horrible communication skills paired with a highly stressed person which happens to me often with my style of humor.  I was chatting with my aunt one Christmas Eve and the subject veered into her laid off husband. I casually mentioned that I hoped her husband was cooking great meals for her and that he better look sexy when she got home from work. I thought it was a funny comment to lighten the mood. All of a sudden she started berating me, calling me a horrible person, then goes on to insult my brother (recently laid off) and hangs up the phone. Then I got a call from another aunt yelling at me over what I said. Then I got the instant message from my cousin about what a horrible person I was. Before I got the inevitable call from my grandmother, I called and explained everything.  The next day the aunt cornered me and told me she forgave me because I'm family to which I replied I was not sorry and repeated exactly what I said and went on to explain what I thought was self explanatory. Next time she had a crisis and called me, I told her I'd call her back when she was not as emotional (I learned my lesson).

I kept wating for Jay to say something about how this wedding wasn't what Mitchell wanted anyways or something about how he figured Mitchell wouldn't want his friends there but it never came. Maybe my interpretation was wrong and tonight Jay will apologize for not understanding Mitchell again then take his own advice when he told Mitchell about letting anyone tell him it's wrong.

[jhlipton]

Oh, Mitchell, oh, Mitchell, didn't anyone tell you that comics need to be double bagged in Mylar, with a cardboard backing if you want to retain any value?  Also, I was surprised that a "near-mint" book would have such a high value, but apparently it does.