S02.E14: E-I--EIGHTEEN

[GRChereck]

Quote

JJ struggles with not being treated like an adult on his 18th birthday. He storms out of his own party but soon learns a valuable lesson from Kenneth. Meanwhile, an exchange student moves in with Taylor, so Ray tries to make Taylor jealous with some of his father’s old moves but the plan backfires. And Dylan is recruited to be on the school’s wrestling team.

[dcalley]

Wrestling Coach: Now that I have a stepdaughter, I think girls should be able to do stuff.

[GRChereck]

"3, 2, 1... YOU LOOK WAY TOO YOUNG TO HAVE AN ADULT SON!" xD

Jimya continue to be adorable. <3 I had to like that Jimmy was the one who didn't want Ray to know his "old moves" to begin with -- both because they were rooted in the fact that he still hadn't broken it off with his previous girlfriend (Ruby) when he first started dating Maya, and because he genuinely thought Ray was better than that. Good for Jimmy and Ray that they were both ultimately honest (though I hope this isn't the end of Raylor :( )...

The Dylan plot was cute (yay, first kiss!); oddly enough, I primarily recognized Rev as the teenage version of Bobby Moynihan's character in this fall's short-lived 'Me, Myself & I'... Nice (if brief) interaction with her and Maya, too ("I like your problems"). :)

JJ and Kenneth were the main attraction, though. Considering how few plots/subplots they've had together in s.2, I think they really make them count -- Kenneth was especially great both introducing JJ to some of the privileges of turning 18 and calling him out for his hostility towards his parents. Loved the reveals of the "Fudgie the Whale" tattoo (JJ's expression of appreciation for his parents' birthday tradition for him) and the garage "man cave" (his parents literally giving him his own space and respecting his desire for more independence -- plus, I thought it was so sweet to see some of his old Halloween wheelchair costumes in there).

Choice music cue: Todd Rundgren, "Bang the Drum All Day" (1982)

Edited March 1, 2018 by GRChereck
correction

[balmz]

episode was ok, though ray should have made it more clear that the girl kissed him without his consent and he didn't want it

[rhys]

Pretty tiny cake for that size crowd. Also I thought JJ said he didn't want a fudgie the whale cake. What gives? Or did I just miss something?

[GRChereck]

18 minutes ago, rhys said:

Also I thought JJ said he didn't want a fudgie the whale cake. What gives? Or did I just miss something?

That's part of why he got so upset and knocked the table over -- even though he didn't want the cake because he felt he was too old for it now that he's legally an adult, Maya insisted on it anyway as part of his birthday tradition (something that probably meant a lot to them both as he was growing up, hence his choice of tattoo after Kenneth's talk with him). 

[Bobbin]

3 hours ago, balmz said:

episode was ok, though ray should have made it more clear that the girl kissed him without his consent and he didn't want it

I thought Ray was clear about the kiss and that Taylor was being a jerk about his honesty. Plus, Taylor was oblivious to how her attention to her handsome exchange student housemate was making Ray feel. Granted, they're both naive, inexperienced 14 year olds. Is Kimberly available now that Ray is, too?

Loved the Dylan storyline! And the coach's involvement. It will be shame if that romance is just a one-time thing.

So, after 18 years, J.J. has some privacy and a space all his own. And so do Dylan and Ray -- who gets their hidden "cave", I wonder.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Bobbin
Corrected typo.

[bros402]

I liked that episode - I hope the Ray-Taylor relationship isn't over, maybe just on a bit of a break.

I'm wondering if JJ's cave will be made more accessible - since he'd need a way to open the door.

[Gulftastic]

I loved Taylor immediately disproving Ray's assertion that you can't stop someone from kissing you. 'Earn this.' was good too. I like when Dylan's plots involve her being great at sports. Her potential beau seems to have a very inflated opinion of his wrestling prowess. 

JJ may be an adult, but he's still a petulant teen at times. Good on Kenneth for telling him straight.

[MaryHedwig]

6 hours ago, Bobbin said:

So, after 18 years, J.J. has some privacy and a space all his own. And so do Dylan and Ray -- who gets their hidden "cave", I wonder.

 

5 hours ago, bros402 said:

I'm wondering if JJ's cave will be made more accessible - since he'd need a way to open the door.

I had thought that the reason J.J. shared a room with Dylan and Ray was because he needed 24 -hour monitoring, in case he fell or choked or something.

Edited March 1, 2018 by MaryHedwig

[Crs97]

9 hours ago, GRChereck said:

 

9 hours ago, rhys said:

Also I thought JJ said he didn't want a fudgie the whale cake. What gives? Or did I just miss something?

That's part of why he got so upset and knocked the table over -- even though he didn't want the cake because he felt he was too old for it now that he's legally an adult, Maya insisted on it anyway as part of his birthday tradition (something that probably meant a lot to them both as he was growing up, hence his choice of tattoo after Kenneth's talk with him). 

 

No, Maya asked JJ if he wanted a different cake this year.  JJ said to get Fudgie, but only because Dylan loved it.  Dylan said she didn’t care, but got the death stare from JJ and agreed to be his fall guy.  He knew he was too old for the cake, but wanted it anyway.  I am sure once he saw the crowd of his friends he was horrified by the cake, as it became another symbol of everyone leaving him behind.

The exchange that got me was “as long as you live under my roof.”  “When will I not be living under your roof?”

I loved Jimmy’s game and how Ray didn’t know how to control its powers.  Hopefully Taylor realizes she overreacted.  I also loved, “Earn this!”

I want to see Dylan date the boy.  They should double-date with Taylor and Ray!

[GRChereck]

9 hours ago, Bobbin said:

I thought Ray was clear about the kiss and that Taylor was being a jerk about his honesty. Plus, Taylor was oblivious to how her attention to her handsome exchange student housemate was making Ray feel. Granted, they're both naive, inexperienced 14 year olds.

I agree, I thought her reaction was a bit much. :\ But I guess having them break up was supposed to set up a plot for next week's episode...

2 hours ago, Crs97 said:

No, Maya asked JJ if he wanted a different cake this year.  JJ said to get Fudgie, but only because Dylan loved it.  Dylan said she didn’t care, but got the death stare from JJ and agreed to be his fall guy.  He knew he was too old for the cake, but wanted it anyway.  I am sure once he saw the crowd of his friends he was horrified by the cake, as it became another symbol of everyone leaving him behind.

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten that bit. Thanks! :) 

***

Last night's episode was dedicated to director Christine Gernon's dad, who passed away in December:

[tennisgurl]

"Your a good father." "Earn this." 

Dylan finds a boyfriend! I hope she and her new wresting boyfriend stay together, they were super adorable. When Ray and Taylor get back together, they can go on super weird double dates! I also loved the coach, and his narration of the love match. 

Speaking of, I hope Taylor and Ray get back together. This seems like something they can work past pretty easily. 

Jimmy has mad game, who knew? "You used dog tricks on me!" I really love Maya and Jimmy together, they're hilarious, but also really work as a couple, in a way a lot of sitcom parents dont really work. They fight and snark at each other, but you can tell they love each other, and they seem to really enjoy each others company. 

I also loved how the convenience store guy got super into JJs inaugural gas station run. JJs story was good this week too, and I loved his conversation with Kenneth at the tattoo place. JJ is a good kid, and I get why he gets upset about what he cant do, but he can also be rather petulant and take it out on his parents, which seems realistic. The whole plot seemed very real to me. 

[Bobbin]

7 hours ago, MaryHedwig said:

I had thought that the reason J.J. shared a room with Dylan and Ray was because he needed 24 -hour monitoring, in case he fell or choked or something.

More than that, he needs help going to the bathroom, eating, drinking, and other personal things that he referred to when interviewing Kenneth. His man cave isn't like living in mom's basement, just a private place to get away. I'm sure Kenneth will be with him most of the time.

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, Bobbin said:

I had thought that the reason J.J. shared a room with Dylan and Ray was because he needed 24 -hour monitoring, in case he fell or choked or something.

It's a 2 bedroom house.  There was nowhere else to put all 3 kids, unless they wanted to convert the garage into a bedroom, but that's never been discussed.  Turning the garage into a functional bedroom would be quite expensive too.  Maya and Jimmy don't appear to have that kind of money.  I don't think JJ could be that far away from his parents during the night, so if it were turned into a bedroom, Dylan and Ray could fight over it!  

[bros402]

17 hours ago, MaryHedwig said:

 

I had thought that the reason J.J. shared a room with Dylan and Ray was because he needed 24 -hour monitoring, in case he fell or choked or something.

I believe it is just a place for him to get away during the day. I can't imagine it would be a place for him to sleep - he needs monitoring. Seems like it will be a place for him and Kenneth to hang out, so JJ has some alone time. Maybe they'll install cameras in there to keep an eye on JJ, or maybe a fall sensor.

 

6 hours ago, ChitChat said:

It's a 2 bedroom house.  There was nowhere else to put all 3 kids, unless they wanted to convert the garage into a bedroom, but that's never been discussed.  Turning the garage into a functional bedroom would be quite expensive too.  Maya and Jimmy don't appear to have that kind of money.  I don't think JJ could be that far away from his parents during the night, so if it were turned into a bedroom, Dylan and Ray could fight over it!  

I imagine if they turned the garage into a bedroom, Dylan would get it, so she would have some privacy. Then Ray and JJ can have all of their thoughts about Emma Watson without their sister hearing them.
 

JJ can be away from his parents during the night - see: him going to camp. The issue is having someone who is aware of his needs and able to assist him.

[possibilities]

They can give him a call button. I can't imagine he'd want to be on camera all the time, and it doesn't seem necessary.

He doesn't have breathing problems and why would he fall if he's in his chair?

Edited March 2, 2018 by possibilities

[needschocolate]

On 3/1/2018 at 12:02 AM, bros402 said:

I'm wondering if JJ's cave will be made more accessible - since he'd need a way to open the door.

I assume he will use the garage door remote and enter/exit through the driveway.

[Skyfall]

Anyone else getting tired of the JJ doesn’t like something so he runs away plot?

[bros402]

18 hours ago, possibilities said:

They can give him a call button. I can't imagine he'd want to be on camera all the time, and it doesn't seem necessary.

He doesn't have breathing problems and why would he fall if he's in his chair?

Who knows, maybe he hits an uneven patch in the garage and the chair starts to tip.

18 hours ago, needschocolate said:

I assume he will use the garage door remote and enter/exit through the driveway.

Does the garage door have a remote? I thought we saw them go in through a back door?

[readster]

14 hours ago, Skyfall said:

Anyone else getting tired of the JJ doesn’t like something so he runs away plot?

I agree, considering his handicap there comes to a point where you have to stop having a hissy fit and just move on. Of course, look who is mother is. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by readster

[Crs97]

If Ray got frustrated and left the house to go for a walk or head out with some friends, it would be considered “blowing off steam.” For JJ, it is considered “running away?”  JJ is now dealing with the very real and deepening gap between his reality and the reality of other people his age.  If he just sucked it up with a “God bless us everyone” I would be more annoyed.

[Skyfall]

59 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

If Ray got frustrated and left the house to go for a walk or head out with some friends, it would be considered “blowing off steam.” For JJ, it is considered “running away?”  JJ is now dealing with the very real and deepening gap between his reality and the reality of other people his age.  If he just sucked it up with a “God bless us everyone” I would be more annoyed.

But this is at least the third or fourth time he’s done this and the first time he actually did run away and try to live with Kenneth. Like Kenneth said, he needs to start acting more like an adult espically after he himself said he needed to stay in high school an extra year to be better prepared after seeing what college life was really going to be like.

[needschocolate]

Anyone else bothered that JJ bought a cigar?  I was, but then I figured it was symbolic, because he would need help smoking it.

15 hours ago, bros402 said:

Does the garage door have a remote? I thought we saw them go in through a back door?

I don't remember how they got inside, I just assumed it had a remote.  

[kathyk24]

8 hours ago, Crs97 said:

If Ray got frustrated and left the house to go for a walk or head out with some friends, it would be considered “blowing off steam.” For JJ, it is considered “running away?”  JJ is now dealing with the very real and deepening gap between his reality and the reality of other people his age.  If he just sucked it up with a “God bless us everyone” I would be more annoyed.

Exactly I felt so sorry for JJ when he was Troy was describing what he did on his birthday and JJ's birthday party. If JJ was able bodied he could go for a drive and no one would think twice about it. 

[kathyk24]

My post should read when JJ was with Troy. I could relate to JJ I had a hard time adjusting when my younger siblings got their driver's license  and I couldn't due to poor eyesight. I think it's hard for JJ to talk about his frustration with being disabled because he doesn't want his family to feel guilty.

[possibilities]

If his chair was so unstable as to tip hitting a rough patch in the garage, it would be a major design failure. That's dangerous. Chairs are more stable than that. A power chair weighs a ton. Plus, we saw him drive around the campground on rugged terrain. And if he's prone to flopping, he'd have a seat belt or strap in system.

[SnarkySheep]

On 2/28/2018 at 9:36 PM, GRChereck said:

The Dylan plot was cute (yay, first kiss!); oddly enough, I primarily recognized Rev as the teenage version of Bobby Moynihan's character in this fall's short-lived 'Me, Myself & I'...

Yes!! I was really sad when that show got cancelled...I thought it had potential. And that kid is adorable!

On 3/3/2018 at 6:14 PM, needschocolate said:

Anyone else bothered that JJ bought a cigar?  I was, but then I figured it was symbolic, because he would need help smoking it.

Well, he literally bought EVERYTHING that required him to be 18...dry ice, cold medication. I doubt he planned to do anything with it, just take joy in being able to have it.

On 3/1/2018 at 8:41 AM, Gulftastic said:

JJ may be an adult, but he's still a petulant teen at times. Good on Kenneth for telling him straight.

This. I usually like JJ, but in this ep I really didn't. His behavior at the party was downright ugly. Talk to your parents before or after, but for heaven's sake, all your friends and family are there to wish you a nice day. Your parents don't have a ton of money but still went all out. And you thank them by shoving a Carvel cake to the ground like a toddler throwing a tantrum? Not cool, JJ.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 3/1/2018 at 8:35 PM, ChitChat said:

It's a 2 bedroom house.  There was nowhere else to put all 3 kids, unless they wanted to convert the garage into a bedroom, but that's never been discussed.  Turning the garage into a functional bedroom would be quite expensive too.  Maya and Jimmy don't appear to have that kind of money.  I don't think JJ could be that far away from his parents during the night, so if it were turned into a bedroom, Dylan and Ray could fight over it!  

Renters can't convert a garage without permission.

[possibilities]

They don't follow rules, either way.