S03.E20: Gender Reveal

[theatremouse]

3 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I was kind of surprised that they didn't even talk about that really. Dina gave the perfect opening but Amy was just like of course I'm going to keep it but Amy was just like of course I'm going to keep it, which doesn't make total sense since she is not with the father and would be signing up for a total of over 30 consecutive years of childrearing

I didn't read the scene that way at all, I disagree that they didn't even talk about it. I thought the car scene was well-played. Dina was clearly assuming Amy would have one since she'd already put it into the nav on her phone, but she didn't want to jump out and say it so she listed possible places they might go, as you said, giving Amy the opening. I thought it was matter-of-fact and kind of refreshing that Amy was just like "no". It wasn't drawn out, or some sort of battle in her brain. She played it like she realized that was an option, but not an option she had interest in utilizing. So to me, the scene we got was enough. We got a very clear perspective from both characters. They didn't act like it wasn't a possibility at all, but Amy also wasn't mortified or offended at the suggestion she'd consider it, she'd just already decided otherwise. And then the episode moved it. It worked for me.

[queenbee9b]

2 hours ago, festivus said:

Since I care nothing about Jonah and Amy getting together I'll focus on what I did like about this episode. I loved Dina getting all freaked out after hearing birthing stories, I thought that was well done. Who hasn't heard some horror story about giving birth? I have a couple myself. ;) Also loved Garrett telling Glenn and Jerusha they were having a white baby and his impression of Glenn. Garrett was used much better in this episode. I liked the stuff between Mateo and Jeff too. Lauren Ash did a good job, I hope they have her write more.

The obvious solution to this problem was to remove the baby sac like Dina wanted and give to Amy ;) that would solve the America’s actual pregnancy issue! 

Garrett, Cheyenne, Matteo and Sandra are my favorites in every episodes and I think they each get used just enough that they aren’t annoying with their quirks. 

[Irlandesa]

6 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I was kind of surprised that they didn't even talk about that really. Dina gave the perfect opening but Amy was just like of course I'm going to keep it, which doesn't make total sense since she is not with the father and would be signing up for a total of over 30 consecutive years of childrearing. Not that every woman on Earth needs to consider abortion but I'd have liked to see a bit of wavering at least.

Dina didn't really give her the perfect opening.  Dina kind of sprung the possibility of having an abortion right now! on her. While supportive, it's just as possible that Amy wants to think about whether or not she wants to have an abortion or another child and hasn't fully decided yet.  (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend did something like this where a woman who got pregnant initially thought it was a given she was going to have it but after talking to her husband about it, realized that having an abortion was an equally valid option for her.  It's what she chose.) I think both options are avenues are realistic. 

[EarlGreyTea]

23 hours ago, ally862 said:

Also have to give props to Ben.  I love the way his faced changes as he went from joking around to realizing she was going to kiss him.

Agreed. I just rewatched the scene, and it really is a master class for how to play a good romantic scene. He's smiling, then it slowly fades when he realizes and you see a glimmer of disbelief/longing, and then he slowly lowers his eyes, clearly wanting and waiting for it to happen. And all in a matter of seconds. It's great stuff. I haven't seen Feldman in many other romantic leading roles, but he really got to stretch his wings there.

Ferrera didn't have quite as much to play with in the scene, because her expression never changed much - Amy clearly was on a mission from the second she entered the room. I did like how she was vaguely smiling when Jonah did his impressions. It's clear that, despite everything, they take real pleasure in being together.

Edited April 21, 2018 by EarlGreyTea

[Roaster]

I don't think we should assume Kelly and Jonah broke up yet.  Early in this episode Jonah and Amy are laughing about Amy's name being Don if she were born a boy and they start doing funny accents and having a great time with each other.  Then they suddenly become self-conscious and embarrassed and make excuses to be somewhere else.  "I should go find Kelly" says Jonah.  He obviously feels laughing with Amy is a form of emotional cheating.

[ApathyMonger]

17 hours ago, theatremouse said:

Dina was clearly assuming Amy would have one since she'd already put it into the nav on her phone, but she didn't want to jump out and say it so she listed possible places they might go, as you said, giving Amy the opening.

I didn't think Dina was assuming that at all. It was that they have to be driving somewhere, so might as well head in that direction in case Amy said yes. It's absolutely how Dina thinks.

[SmithW6079]

On 4/21/2018 at 1:07 AM, possibilities said:

To be honest, I'd like to see them write Amy having an abortion. She doesn't want this child. If they actually let her have the abortion, and not make it a tragedy, I'd give them a lot of credit.

Call me superstitious, but given that the actress is pregnant in real life, an abortion or miscarriage storyline would be really disturbing.

While it's not quite the same thing, I remember when Katey Sagal was pregnant in real life so they wrote her pregnancy into "Married With Children." Tragically, she had a stillborn daughter, and the entire pregnancy story had to become a "dream."

Quote

In 1991, while working on Married... with Children, Sagal learned that she was pregnant. This was unexpected, so the pregnancy was written into the storyline of the show. In October 1991, however, she had to have an emergency caesarean section in her seventh month of pregnancy, ending in the stillbirth of a daughter. The pregnancy on the show was then treated as a "dream sequence", which was mentioned only briefly at the end of the episode "Al Bundy, Shoe Dick".

[ApathyMonger]

Cheers had something similar, when Kirstie Alley had a miscarriage. They had a story about her and Sam having a baby together that was quickly dropped.

[nicgwatchingtv]

10 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

Call me superstitious, but given that the actress is pregnant in real life, an abortion or miscarriage storyline would be really disturbing.

I'm really not superstitious but if I was an actress, I really wouldn't want to play a miscarriage or abortion story while I was pregnant irl. I'm neurotic enough as is and would not welcome those emotions and thoughts at that time--I'm sure I'd be very freaked out. Of course, I'm not an actress. It's more than possible that i just don't understand something essential about the way actors can separate their story-originated emotions from their day to day, rl emotions.

Of course, it could be argued that if that was easily done than we wouldn't hear about so many onscreen romances launching real life romances?‍♀️

[nicgwatchingtv]

This ep was just so packed with good lines and little moments:

-Dina's reaction to the 3-D ultrasound

-The baby piñata that will be beaten with a stick

-Dina's needing a confirm that the Adam that Amy slept with was Adam DUBENAWSKI (rather than just assuming that because Dina)

-Mateo telling Jonah not to sleep w/ Jeff and doing the "eyes on you" fingers

-Jonah making excuses for why he's hasn't watched Terms of Endearment and Mateo's answering look of disqust

-Jonah not reading Mateo right during their good cop/bad cop routine and then telling him that he's a very good actor--and then Mateo throwing in that he's also done plays

--okay, pretty much everything Mateo and Jonah

-Garret's impersonation of Glenn and his indignation when it didn't work

-"...For now I'm just gonna walk around the reservoir"

-Dina helping Amy get out of there

- How America played everything including her conversation with Dina in the the truck. I read her response about the clinic as she'd considered it, but it wasn't what she actually wanted to do--but she kinda wished it was.

-The kiss at the end with Jonah's changing face and Amy's determined expression was fantastically done

 

Side note, my youngest is 13. I regularly think of her as almost out of the house. I know it's still years away, but that's how I think about it so Amy's comment regarding Emma almost being out of the house rang true to me.

Edited April 23, 2018 by nicgwatchingtv
Because the character's name is Jonah

[ClareWalks]

4 minutes ago, nicgwatchingtv said:

-Mateo telling Ben not to sleep w/ Jeff and doing the "eyes on you" fingers

-Ben's making excuses for why he's hasn't watched Terms of Endearment and Mateo's answering look of disqust

-Ben not reading Mateo right during their good cop/bad cop routine and then telling him that he's a very good actor--and then Mateo throwing in that he's also done plays

--okay, pretty much everything Mateo and Ben

-Garret's impersonation of Glenn and his indignation when it didn't work

-"...For now I'm just gonna walk around the reservoir"

-Dina helping Amy get out of there

- How America played everything including her conversation with Dina in the the truck. I read her response about the clinic as she'd considered it, but it wasn't what she actually wanted to do--but she kinda wished it was.

-The kiss at the end with Ben's changing face and Amy's determined expression was fantastically done

I was like "who is Ben?" until your last line, LOL. You used all the others' character names ;)

[nicgwatchingtv]

3 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

I was like "who is Ben?" until your last line, LOL. You used all the others' character names ;)

OMG, I Didn't even notice doing that! Yikes?

changed it for clarity?

Edited April 23, 2018 by nicgwatchingtv

[ClareWalks]

9 minutes ago, nicgwatchingtv said:

OMG, I Didn't even notice doing that! Yikes?

changed it for clarity?

Heck I'm just embarrassed it took me so long to figure it out, I was like "Ben, Ben...that sounds familiar..." :-P

[nicgwatchingtv]

3 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

Heck I'm just embarrassed it took me so long to figure it out, I was like "Ben, Ben...that sounds familiar..." :-P

The weird thing is if you'd asked me what the name of the actor who played Jonah was, I'd have probably said that I didn't know ?Apparently I picked it up somewhere (probably here) and it stuck?‍♀️

[calguy]

1 hour ago, nicgwatchingtv said:

I'm really not superstitious but if I was an actress, I really wouldn't want to play a miscarriage or abortion story while I was pregnant irl. I'm neurotic enough as is and would not welcome those emotions and thoughts at that time--I'm sure I'd be very freaked out. Of course, I'm not an actress. It's more than possible that i just don't understand something essential about the way actors can separate their story-originated emotions from their day to day, rl emotions.

Of course, it could be argued that if that was easily done than we wouldn't hear about so many onscreen romances launching real life romances?‍♀️

America Ferrera is a pro-choice advocate so I would imagine that she would approve of this story-line.  

[nicgwatchingtv]

35 minutes ago, calguy said:

America Ferrera is a pro-choice advocate so I would imagine that she would approve of this story-line.  

While I'm not an advocate in that I don't do much except vote and occasionally donate $, I'm prochoice and still think that I'd find an abortion or miscarriage storyline hard to do while pregnant.

Of course, you have a point that it other, actual actors might be feel that the value in telling that story would outway any neurosis related to telling it, no matter the timing. 

Edited April 23, 2018 by nicgwatchingtv

[Black Knight]

I'm sure it depends on the actor, but actors really don't necessarily think like non-actors. They want to play interesting things, it's why they got into acting. A few years ago on Grey's Anatomy, a pregnant Sarah Drew pushed for a storyline in which her character had a horribly doomed pregnancy which culminated in her giving birth to a son she knew would die in her arms within minutes of being born. Drew gave birth to her own child shortly after filming those scenes.

[Irlandesa]

Yeah, I could see it going either way.  A superstitious actress might not want to play out a miscarriage or abortion (even if they're pro-choice) while they're actually pregnant but wouldn't care at any other time.  A not-so-superstitious actress might not care at all.  I think most of the issues I've heard of is when a show decides to make a character pregnant because of a real life pregnancy, that real life pregnancy ends in tragedy and then it makes the subsequent issue of the fictional pregnancy painful/awkward.

[silverspoons]

Count me in as another person that is disappointed they made Amy pregnant. I agree that the show has already had enough baby story lines. I would have been happier to see amy trying to co-parent a teen on a low wage salary. 

I'm glad the show even if briefly mentioned abortion.  Almost 1 in 4 women have an abortion in their lifetime but it rarely gets brought up as a choice on any show. It is also nice that a show can have pro life religious Glenn and abortion brought up in the same episode and all the characters are so likable. 

I guess I was so focused on Amy, did Glenn and his wife decide just to wait to find out the gender? I also didn't look closely but were Glenn's adopted and foster kids at the gender reveal. I hope they don't drop his other kids out of his story line. 

[janie jones]

On 4/20/2018 at 9:07 PM, possibilities said:

I also can't accept that Kelly didn't break up with Jonah after he stood her up for their dinner reservation. There's being good natured and forgiving and there's being a doormat. I also can't really accept that Jonah has continued to stay with her when he clearly has zero interest in her whatsoever on any level. It was OK at first; they have fun, it's not serious, it was worth a try. But it's beyond obvious at this point that it's a completely empty exercise, and it bothers me that the show is just letting it continue. Again: not funny.

Well, up until this point, Jonah has been stubbornly staying with Kelly just to prove he's not in love with Amy.  I wouldn't call it an empty exercise if they have a reason to be together, even if Jonah's is ridiculous.  (Although now that Jonah doesn't have to save face now that he knows that Amy returns his feelings, there may be an obnoxious period of time where he stays with Kelly just to prove he didn't leave her for Amy.)  And I think they're both sort of between a rock and a hard place now that they've moved in together.  They got a new apartment together, right?  He didn't just move into hers?  Because then they're possibly locked into a 12-month lease they can't afford to break.  I don't know what their roommate options are, but Garrett said Jonah couldn't move back in with him.  She might feel stuck with him and be trying to make the best of it.

 

9 hours ago, silverspoons said:

I guess I was so focused on Amy, did Glenn and his wife decide just to wait to find out the gender? I also didn't look closely but were Glenn's adopted and foster kids at the gender reveal. I hope they don't drop his other kids out of his story line. 

Maybe they were at school.

Edited April 24, 2018 by janie jones

[possibilities]

They had Cheyenne give birth and have mentioned her child a few times, but it hasn't really been a major distraction to the show. But I just feel like Amy having a baby would be way more disruptive.

I had forgotten about Jonah and Kelly living together. That does complicate things for a break up.

[Dizzychickstar]

I really like this show and I get that Amy and Jonah are mains, but my interest wanes when there is so much focus on their angst. Amy was honestly hella selfish in this episode, a lot actually. While Jonah has his own faults, propping up Kelly as a barrier to his feelings, Amy essentially does the same, tossing a few carrots here and there to keep Jonah’s interest, then tucking tail when he gets too close. I do like them during moments like the game episode or their joking banter, but the angst...bleh. 

On Amy’s pregnancy...again, it forces more attention Amy’s way and I find her less sympathetic and interesting than I used to.  I’d appreciate more glimpses into the other characters bidness and resolving of their messiness.

[steelyis]

On 4/20/2018 at 6:55 AM, Gurkel said:

--when Amy said she was turned on by Adam partly because he was wearing an Obama T-shirt. And Cheyenne gave the classic line: "Thanks, Obama."

 

I'm still not sure how I feel about Amy's pregnancy, but I have never identified with anyone more, fictional or in real life, than I did with Amy when she said how much she missed Obama.

Edited July 17, 2018 by steelyis