S01.E08: The Petition

[formerlyfreedom]

When an unauthorized, provocative sizzle reel promoting the Stanton High production of "Spring Awakening" is posted online, it spreads like wildfire through the school and surrounding community. Coach Strickland and Vanessa are forced to face their daughters, but major damage has already been done. Robbie faces a crisis of confidence, while Maashous contemplates a difficult family reunion.

 

[tennisgurl]

Yep, totally called it about Simon's dad. He is actually a self hating, deeply closeted gay man, and he wants to shut the play down because it hits too close to home. I wonder where this goes next? 

Vanessa and the Coach are both a total mess. Vanessa is lying to her daughter, trying to pin the blame on the Coaches wife, and its hard to feel that bad for her when the married man she is sleeping with doesn't want to keep seeing her. And it sounds like this has happens before. Coach is a dickhead too though, sleeping with Vanessa and then ditching her when things get tough. 

I certainly want Tracey to get the job from Lou, so I cant say I would be that horrified be her going behind his back. Changing the play isnt a good idea, but Lou really does suck at his job. "I told you the sign would work!" Please. 

[memememe76]

The show has certainly improved. All of the kids' issues are hitting with me. The pregnant teen is the one that hit me most. And the foster kid! I will never remember any names.

The coach's arm muscles are always so distracting. 

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Yep, totally called it about Simon's dad. He is actually a self hating, deeply closeted gay man, and he wants to shut the play down because it hits too close to home. I wonder where this goes next? 

Vanessa and the Coach are both a total mess. Vanessa is lying to her daughter, trying to pin the blame on the Coaches wife, and its hard to feel that bad for her when the married man she is sleeping with doesn't want to keep seeing her. And it sounds like this has happens before. Coach is a dickhead too though, sleeping with Vanessa and then ditching her when things get tough. 

I certainly want Tracey to get the job from Lou, so I cant say I would be that horrified be her going behind his back. Changing the play isnt a good idea, but Lou really does suck at his job. "I told you the sign would work!" Please. 

I bet five dollars that Vanessa has heard "you know I care about you, but my family, it's complicated" since the relationship started with Sam, and then when he misses her he tells her he just neeeeeeeeds to see her, and then the cycle restarts. You could see it in Vanessa's face - her face hardened and she got a look on her face like "Here we go again." He may indeed care about her, but not enough to man up and be with her and face the consequences. Vanessa should have stuck to her guns that time she told him to stay away from her. 

Simon's dad is a mess. Self-hatred is a bitch. I'm very impressed with Simon's mother. SHE fights for her family. Her husband fights for himself, or the version of himself he wishes he were.

The football announcer is totally the same one they used for Friday Night Lights; he's just not using a Southern accent here.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Lou's delusional and persistent belief that THE SIGN IN THE HALLWAY is solely responsible for all ticket sales. Seriously, dude.

Vanessa continues to be the worst. Lilette was correct - it's not her job to be her mom's girlfriend. Lilette is a teenager so Vanessa should be the adult and the mother and take care of Lilette, not the other way around. And of course when confronted with the truth, Vanessa's reaction is to run away.

Sam sucks too. He cheated on his wife, left his family, is in the process of getting a divorce, continuing to fuck his side piece despite the fact that he told his daughter that it was over, and then gets his feelings hurt when his daughter tells him that she knows he's still fucking his side piece. BOO HOO, SAM.

Simon's dad sucks too. Just because you are married doesn't mean you get to sign your spouse's name on whatever you want because this isn't The Handmaid's Tale. Patricia is still a separate person with her own brain and her own opinions. Feel free to ask her if she wants to sign something but don't do it for her. That's just presumptuous and rude.

When the principal told Tracey to make Spring Awakening appropriate for high school, I just rolled my eyes. It reminded me of Dirty Dancing. Eleanor Bergstein said that at one point the studio asked her to remove the abortion storyline. She explained to them that removing it took away everything else. If Penny didn't need an abortion, why would Baby need to spend all that time with Johnny learning the dance for the Sheldrake performance? Penny's abortion is what drives the story. Similarly, if you take out all the elements in Spring Awakening that have the PTA clutching their pearls, what is left of the actual story? Do you want to just remove the plot and have the kids come out in costumes and sing the songs without any context? In addition, when you pay for the rights to perform plays, you are not allowed to make huge changes like cutting out major plot points.

[Phebemarie]

Funny that tonight's episode showed Lou in a few sympathetic moments just before they set up Tracey as a potential back-stabber.   (The principal is just as manipulative and self-serving as Lou at his worst.)

This episode seemed a bit like a turning point.  The supporting characters are being given more time, helping to steer the show away from a focus on Lou.  There was a lot of sadness, sure.  The scene where Simon and his sister were listening to their parents fight was tragic.  But there was also some lightness sprinkled in:  Robbie got to win and apologized for his attitude; Gordy made a friend and a touchdown; Lou actually showed some compassion for someone other than himself (even if he was being ultimately self-serving).  

I also like the way they're exploring how Michael and Sasha's friendship is being rebuilt.  That feels genuine and earned.  I hope we meet Michael's awesome family sometime as a counterpoint to all the other less-than-perfect families we've met so far. 

I am concerned that the plot lines of Spring Awakening are going to be mirrored in the lives of the kids in the show.  If so, we all better buckle up for a stormy ride in the last few episodes.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Every time they mention that Maashous' mother is in Eagleton, I picture Leslie Knope running amok while yelling about how much Eagleton sucks.

[Snow Apple]

2 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

 

I am concerned that the plot lines of Spring Awakening are going to be mirrored in the lives of the kids in the show.  If so, we all better buckle up for a stormy ride in the last few episodes.  

During Sasha's scene, I was thinking "Oh no. Spring Awakening. I hope they don't go there."

[WInterfalls]

I feel like the only adult I can tolerate on this show is Tracey. The Principal is just as bad as Lou. Half the time I find myself telling him to shut up. The coach is just completely awful. I knew last week when he told Vanessa that he just needed time to work it all out before they went public it was code for I'm using you as a side piece I will never commit to. Lilette was completely correct to tell her mother that she is not her girlfriend. Go find some adult friends to cry to Don't make your daughter responsible for your emotional health. I guess Simon's mom is pretty good too, but his dad needs to work out his problems.  

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Every time they mention that Maashous' mother is in Eagleton, I picture Leslie Knope running amok while yelling about how much Eagleton sucks.

OMG me too. When they asked "What's in Eagleton?" I said out loud to no one else. "A bunch of stuck up bitches." Of course his mom is in Eagleton, Eagleton sucks. 

[Haleybug]

11 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I bet five dollars that Vanessa has heard "you know I care about you, but my family, it's complicated" since the relationship started with Sam, and then when he misses her he tells her he just neeeeeeeeds to see her, and then the cycle restarts. You could see it in Vanessa's face - her face hardened and she got a look on her face like "Here we go again." He may indeed care about her, but not enough to man up and be with her and face the consequences. Vanessa should have stuck to her guns that time she told him to stay away from her. 

THIS!!! Exactly what I was thinking but couldn't put it into words.  Getting involved with someone who is married is never a good idea for so many reasons.  I don't even know how she would ever be able to have a meaningful relationship with him without in the back of her mind wondering when he was going to turn and do the exact same thing to her.  And that's without all their issues.  I truly hope she can get some distance for everyone's sake. 
 

Quote

I bet five dollars that...

Also, this REALLY cracked me up for some reason.  
 

[Empress1]

3 minutes ago, Haleybug said:

Also, this REALLY cracked me up for some reason.  
 

Ha - I'm always betting five dollars 'round the forums!

Sam is right that adult relationships are complicated and I do know people who have left their spouses for the person they were having an affair with (my friend/former roommate's dad is married to the "other woman" and has been for like 20 years), but Vanessa and Sam's relationship doesn't strike me as complicated. He cares about her, probably, but he cares about himself more. 

[ams1001]

9 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Vanessa continues to be the worst. Lilette was correct - it's not her job to be her mom's girlfriend. Lilette is a teenager so Vanessa should be the adult and the mother and take care of Lilette, not the other way around. And of course when confronted with the truth, Vanessa's reaction is to run away.

I was annoyed by Lilette thanking her for getting a job so Lilette can do the play and whatever. She needed to get a job because she's the parent and their household's only source of income can't be the part-time job of a high school student. 

[Empress1]

27 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I was annoyed by Lilette thanking her for getting a job so Lilette can do the play and whatever. She needed to get a job because she's the parent and their household's only source of income can't be the part-time job of a high school student. 

I said that last week! Vanessa should be horrified at the thought of her daughter working double shifts to support them. Like, Vanessa was just going to be cool with Lilette carrying ALL the weight AND going to school while Vanessa waits for her lawsuit ship to come in? Absolutely not.

[ams1001]

34 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I said that last week! Vanessa should be horrified at the thought of her daughter working double shifts to support them. Like, Vanessa was just going to be cool with Lilette carrying ALL the weight AND going to school while Vanessa waits for her lawsuit ship to come in? Absolutely not.

And a part-time high schooler job that relies on tips, to boot.

[tennisgurl]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I said that last week! Vanessa should be horrified at the thought of her daughter working double shifts to support them. Like, Vanessa was just going to be cool with Lilette carrying ALL the weight AND going to school while Vanessa waits for her lawsuit ship to come in? Absolutely not.

Yeah, that was ridiculous! What was Vanessa going to do otherwise? Seriously just wait around for her sexual harassment lawsuit to win her a big check, drinking wine, all the while her teenage daughter supports them AND goes to school? She was expecting a thank you? Its like that Chris Rock comedy bit where he complains about men who expect a pat on the head for taking care of their kids. "Your supposed to take care of your kids you low expectation having motherfucker!" It looks like Lilette has basically been stuck taking care if her mom her whole life, and thats terribly unfair, especially as Vanessa seems decent intelligent and is able to hold her own job, or at least handle parenting. And her trying to guilt Lilette for basically existing was so uncalled for. 

[CelticBlackCat]

I've officially become sucked into this show.  I enjoyed this epi a lot and I even cared about the football game!  I called it too (maybe I didn't post it on this forum, but I was thinking it) that Simon's dad is a gay as Simon.  Well, very self-denying and closeted.  Simon has the benefit of growing up in a more tolerant time and will be able to come to terms with his being gay.  I'm not too sure about the father.  I really like Simon's mother, and who can't like the sister?

I was sure that Tracey Wolf's opening up of old wounds with Sasha's pregnancy story line was that she got pregnant, and I figured Tracey would have brought the baby into the world and give her up for adoption, as was revealed last night.

Coach and Vanessa:  Is it really over this time?

Will Spring Awakening see the light of opening night?  I don't know how they could back out of it now with a new play, and as ElectricBoogaloo mentioned, they can't cut out too much of the plot and story lines for legal reasons.

I hope Sasha decides to keep her baby, or at least give birth and consider adoption if that would be best for her.  It looks like it's going that way, so I am more interested in what happens to Sasha, her father, and Michael and their friendship now.

[Trees]

Anybody else think we're going to see a wedding between the teen who is transitioning to male and the pregnant gal? Sorry, I can't remember any names.  They were best friends before, so they flip it into romance to become a family and raise that baby?

[CelticBlackCat]

18 hours ago, Trees said:

Anybody else think we're going to see a wedding between the teen who is transitioning to male and the pregnant gal? Sorry, I can't remember any names.  They were best friends before, so they flip it into romance to become a family and raise that baby?

When Michael and Sasha were in Sasha's room together talking about the baby, Michael had an expression on his face that made me wonder if he's thinking that he would like to have a baby too, and that in the future, maybe he should be the female he was born as so he could be a mother.  That expression could have been anything though, it was just a thought that crossed my mind.  Michael is still female biologically and hasn't undergone any hormone therapy and certainly hasn't had surgery as of yet.  Perhaps Michael is going through a self-discovery phase and will realize he is really a she all along and will emerge again as Michelle.  I'm not saying that is what I want to happen, I'm just imaging the possibilities.

Although Sasha and M were best friends, I didn't get a marriage vibe from them.

[JasmineFlower]

Almost everything else has been covered, but I was impressed by Simon's mother. Given how her and the dad started out on the show, basically consulting their minister/priest for seemingly all big decisions, I didn't think they'd let her go there. It had seemed up to this point, she was fighting for Simon and trying to let him be whoever he is and supporting that as best as she could, but very happy for them to have written her as more intelligent than just that, as a full woman and not just a mother, and starting to connect the dots, that the husband's issues are not just about Simon. So, I wasn't surprised about the dad being driven by self loathing and fear, but wasn't expecting the scene at the house where she confronts him in that manner and have it NOT be about just Simon and signature.

Also, I'll say that this show barely feels like it's set in the current day for me, so I think of it at times as being more like an  early 80s show, the low level tech usage and non-existent social media presence along with the show's muted color palette lends itself to me thinking this way.  So maybe that likely contributed a bit to my shock at this.

[auntiemel]

On 5/2/2018 at 7:14 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Every time they mention that Maashous' mother is in Eagleton, I picture Leslie Knope running amok while yelling about how much Eagleton sucks.

YES! Thank you. I do the same thing!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

 

[BigDfromLA]

The principal is absolutely awful. He is only concerned with covering his ass and avoiding the heat coming down on him. Typical educational bureaucrat.