ElectricBoogaloo February 12, 2018 Share February 12, 2018 Quote Brandon's actions jeopardize his relationship with Jerrika. Ronnie uncovers secrets about his surrogate son's past and gives a crucial piece of information to the police. Meanwhile, Emmett's shoe hustle goes awry. Promo: Clip: Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 19, 2018 Author Share February 19, 2018 (edited) Seriously, Emmett? You're just going to park your van under an overpass and sell shoes for cash with your baby? I was surprised he didn't get robbed right away. As soon as she showed up to the house and the wife answered the door, I knew this was going to be similar to the situation in High Fidelity where the husband cheated and his wife was selling his stuff for a fraction of what it was worth (although in High Fidelity, the husband slept with his daughter's 23 year old friend and ran off to Spain). I was not expecting the garage turned showroom or the shoe vault though! Brandon is being so stupid. DON'T FUCK YOUR BOSS'S WIFE. DON'T KISS YOUR BOSS'S WIFE. DON'T WATCH YOUR BOSS'S WIFE WHEN SHE'S DRESSING/UNDRESSING AT WORK. He was a lot nicer than I expected about his mom's party. If it was SO important to her that he show up to the party, maybe she should have told him about it with more than 12 hours notice. Some people have jobs and they can't just flake because you decided to have a party. I was really glad that he didn't even try to ask for the night off. He has a good job with a lot of opportunity so fucking it up in any way is a terrible idea (see above). Ethel continues to crack me up. Even when she's trying to do something nice to say thank you, she's still salty as fuck. Edited February 19, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo 3 Link to comment
ethalfrida February 19, 2018 Share February 19, 2018 Bandon's mom bothers me. Her new husband bothers me. Emmet is unbelieveably millennial. The guy in the hat who bought the building who stole the dog scares me. I can't decide of this show is depressing or entertaining. If it is more depressing than The Wire or if The Wire was better all around. IJDK... 1 Link to comment
TrininisaScorp February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 It doesn't stay with me, but when I'm watching it, I love this show! Emmett is truly an idiot...what were you thinking?! "Penetrate a fraud", though. Hilarious! Brandon is the king of shitty decision making. Bruh. Your crazy boss's wife? Best case scenario ends with B getting fired. BEST. Ethel is the worst. I love her. Those young dudes running the block have NO idea who they are screwing with. They are learning now. I loved the scene on the porch with the dog that turned out to be cover for a recon. Link to comment
tennisgurl February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 (edited) Tonight on Bad Idea Theater: Parking your van under a sketchy bridge to sell shoes! Banging your bosses wife! Picking on dudes who can obviously kick your ass! Come on guys. Look at your lives, look at your choices. Edited February 20, 2018 by tennisgurl 5 Link to comment
scrb February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 The scene Quentin's crew killing off the gangbangers all like ninjas took me out of the show. You don't associate stealth and precision with gang violence in the hood so it seems more like Hollywood than gritty Southside action. The beginning with the basketball player caught in the middle of gang violence is what you'd expect from a contemporary show about Chicago. But some retired OGs taking out a much larger crew in the middle of the night? That's a different genre. 1 Link to comment
Enigma X February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 I hate to constantly be that person, but as a Chicago native many people think they know how Chicago is and really don't. I understand what makes good TV is vastly different from real life. Also, I have never been associated with a gang but on very rare occasions have walked through some of the worst neighborhoods. And my brother is a Chicago narcotics detective. 1. Gang members don't hang out in large groups on corners. You may see a guy selling drugs on a corner but not obvious groups of gang members as in the last episode. 2. These gangs are a lot more organized and sophisticated than people think. They have not gone this far without becoming "smarter." Yes, some gang violence is actually calculated and targeted. 3. Many high-ranking gang members with money don't even live in the city. Just now, Enigma X said: I hate to constantly be that person, but as a Chicago native many people think they know how Chicago is and really don't. I understand what makes good TV is vastly different from real life. Also, I have never been associated with a gang but on very rare occasions have walked through some of the worst neighborhoods. And my brother is a Chicago narcotics detective. 1. Gang members don't hang out in large groups on corners. You may see a guy selling drugs on a corner but not obvious groups of gang members. 2. These gangs are a lot more organized and sophisticated than people think. They have not gone this far without becoming "smarter." Yes, some gang violence is actually calculated and targeted. 3. Many high-ranking gang members with money don't even live in the city. 2 Link to comment
ethalfrida February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 57 minutes ago, Enigma X said: I hate to constantly be that person, but as a Chicago native many people think they know how Chicago is and really don't. I understand what makes good TV is vastly different from real life. Also, I have never been associated with a gang but on very rare occasions have walked through some of the worst neighborhoods. And my brother is a Chicago narcotics detective. 1. Gang members don't hang out in large groups on corners. You may see a guy selling drugs on a corner but not obvious groups of gang members as in the last episode. 2. These gangs are a lot more organized and sophisticated than people think. They have not gone this far without becoming "smarter." Yes, some gang violence is actually calculated and targeted. 3. Many high-ranking gang members with money don't even live in the city. Yes, I am having problems respecting the point of view from the writer. For sure, it makes great television for some if not the majority of viewers. But from everyday life from the perspective of African American urban life, not so much. It is harmful in a way to present just this one view of Chicago because people oare so vulnerable these days and do not do much thinking outside of what they are shown. Thus, we have the stereo typical Black thug, baby daddy, abusive male, loose Black woman character. It would surprise the world to know that not every young Black male struggles... some just march right on through life accomplishing, winning, settling into mundane or very credible lives. I wonder, though, if little kids actually run around all hours of the night doing whatever without anyone being concerned? Yet, the parent is shown as caring and hard working. But the show is intriguing because it is well-written with fully developed characters that you can actually get to know through the script. Also, it is based on some parts of someone's life somewhere because a lack of realism would turn it into a whole nother story. 3 Link to comment
Enigma X February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 4 minutes ago, ethalfrida said: Yes, I am having problems respecting the point of view from the writer. For sure, it makes great television for some if not the majority of viewers. But from everyday life from the perspective of African American urban life, not so much. It is harmful in a way to present just this one view of Chicago because people oare so vulnerable these days and do not do much thinking outside of what they are shown. Thus, we have the stereo typical Black thug, baby daddy, abusive male, loose Black woman character. It would surprise the world to know that not every young Black male struggles... some just march right on through life accomplishing, winning, settling into mundane or very credible lives. I wonder, though, if little kids actually run around all hours of the night doing whatever without anyone being concerned? Yet, the parent is shown as caring and hard working. But the show is intriguing because it is well-written with fully developed characters that you can actually get to know through the script. Also, it is based on some parts of someone's life somewhere because a lack of realism would turn it into a whole nother story. Don't get me wrong, I find the show compelling. I take issue with some of the writing and some of the viewer (not only here) posts about what people think they know about Chicago life. 1 Link to comment
ethalfrida February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 4 minutes ago, Enigma X said: Don't get me wrong, I find the show compelling. I take issue with some of the writing and some of the viewer (not only here) posts about what people think they know about Chicago life. I would not take exception to your view even if you did not find it compelling. It is the same view of Black life in Los Angeles, Southern California. Frankly, I get tired of the one-ness of Black life anywhere. But as I said, it is well-written and fully developed. Just as The Wire made me sad but I could not look away. 2 Link to comment
MrWhyt February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 15 hours ago, scrb said: You don't associate stealth and precision with gang violence in the hood so it seems more like Hollywood than gritty Southside action. just because they're criminals doesn't mean that they're stupid. 3 Link to comment
wanderingstar February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 (edited) On 2/19/2018 at 7:44 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said: Brandon is being so stupid. DON'T FUCK YOUR BOSS'S WIFE. DON'T KISS YOUR BOSS'S WIFE. DON'T WATCH YOUR BOSS'S WIFE WHEN SHE'S DRESSING/UNDRESSING AT WORK. A thousand times this. I was just shaking my head at Brandon all episode. I'm glad he came to the party and gave Laverne and Greavy that nice toast. Amir and Emmett's doomed team-up was kind of fun to watch. Those actors have a nice chemistry. I lived in Chicago for a few years, so this show makes me feel a bit nostalgic. Brandon saying something about somebody who "stays in Kenwood" made me smile. Part of me will always view Steven Williams as Mr. X from The X-Files (and I say that having watched him as Capt. Fuller on 21 Jump Street. Yes, I'm old. What of it). Anyway, he still does menace very well. Edited February 21, 2018 by Gillian Rosh 3 Link to comment
tennisgurl February 23, 2018 Share February 23, 2018 (edited) It can be a bit of a catch 22 with these kinds of shows. Writers want to create compelling drama, and they often want to talk about the issues of the day, and that means they focus on people being daily affected by the issues, and go through a lot of crap, because lots of crap means lots of drama. Many people looking to make the next Great Important Show would think a show about a young black man from a middle class neighborhood in Chicago studying to get into college and getting ready for prom is "boring" or not "real" enough*. The problem is, especially when your dealing with a minority population, if you focus on "the struggle" all of the time, it creates an image that all people in that population are struggling 24/7, or are all gangsters and criminals and drunks. or just guys who make terrible life choices and bone their bosses wives. While its true that there are black people who deal with gangs and violence and baby mamma drama, there are also plenty of black people that live in suburbs and upper class neighborhoods and go to college and work white collar jobs and blue collar jobs or live on farms, and every other thing. And people of all races who deal with gangs and drama and such. Really, the issue would be solved if they just made more shows with minority main characters in a wide variety of scenarios. Your move, television! And, yeah, Chicago is so much more than shootings and gang activity. Its a huge city with an extremely diverse population, everyone from the very wealthy to the very poor, and everyone in between, and it feels like this view of it was very narrow. Granted, its still the first season, so they could expand on it more later, the way The Wire did. And I do like this show, its very well done, but I at time have trouble really getting invested. Its doing all the right things, but I dont really think I've found the shows soul yet, if that makes sense. I know its a good show, and I enjoy watching it, but when its done, it doesn't really stick with me, the way The Wire did. Again, its still new, so it has time. *I would totally watch this show, but I dont create TV. Edited February 23, 2018 by tennisgurl 2 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 26, 2018 Author Share February 26, 2018 Clip: That wasn't so bad Link to comment
Inquisitionist March 12, 2018 Share March 12, 2018 On 2/22/2018 at 7:53 PM, tennisgurl said: The problem is, especially when your dealing with a minority population, if you focus on "the struggle" all of the time, it creates an image that all people in that population are struggling 24/7, or are all gangsters and criminals and drunks. or just guys who make terrible life choices and bone their bosses wives. While its true that there are black people who deal with gangs and violence and baby mamma drama, there are also plenty of black people that live in suburbs and upper class neighborhoods and go to college and work white collar jobs and blue collar jobs or live on farms, and every other thing. I live on the north side of Chicago and the neighborhood in which this show is set might as well be a foreign country from my perspective. The one time I've been to the Englewood/Marquette Park area was to take some visitors to see the Lithuanian church on S. Washtenaw -- and I felt mildly uncomfortable walking a couple of blocks from where we parked to the church. So even as a resident of the city, I'm sure I have a very stereotypical, narrow view of certain south side neighborhoods, and this series has shown me greater dimensions of the people who live in them, and their values and aspirations. The "struggles" that the children are facing, for example, don't seem particularly different from the issues that all children of that awkward, preteen age face. Although it's called The Chi (and I'm not sure why), I never took it as a depiction of the entire city, but of this particular neighborhood, one that many of us know only through grim news stories. I don't think it's a great series by any means, but it's holding my interest and expanding my perspective. BTW, I'm of northern Italian heritage, and I've never seen a household like the one where I was raised depicted on TV or in movies. We were far too quiet, loving, and rational to be the stuff of entertainment. :-) 1 Link to comment
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