S10.E07: Go Cubs

[Sakura12]

While this wasn't one of the better episodes, I still found some lines and scenes funny. Darlene throwing Roseanne's brownie across the room was great. 

With the cashier, sadly racist feel they don't have to hide anymore and can say whatever they want to anyone. Even the younger generation if they grew up in a family that spewed hatred to anyone that's different then they are. It was very after school special but I like that Roseanne can separate herself from the characters she plays and have Roseanne learn not to judge someone because of where they are from. And I loved that the husband brought the money back at 2am. I thought that family acted really calm having strangers knock on their door in the middle of the night. 

As for Michael Fisherman, it could be his choice not to be in it too much. He's not an actor and may not be that comfortable being in front the camera that much anymore. DJ has his own place and life and won't be at his parents house all the time, same with Becky. I don't know why they army won't let him re-enlist but is he thinking about his kid? I figured he came home to give his a kid a stable life. Almost all the shows I watch I have a homeless guy be a Vet. So it's not this show mentioning that. I really don't think the government cares too much about the vets once they served their purpose. 

[Aileen]

12 hours ago, WednesdayAddams said:

I liked that the neighbor came back at 2am to repay her. I hope they become recurring characters.

I assumed DJ has PTSD of some sort hence why they won't re-enlist him.

This. I thought it was pretty well implied that he couldn’t resist due to pyschological issues.

12 hours ago, Mmmfloorpie said:

Feel pretty bad for Michael Fishman. Finally he gets to be in an episode and when he drops Mary off he says "Ok, well I'm leaving now to go to the VA"... Basically his role in this ep was just to drop Mary off and then leave. Luckily he came back for that scene with Dan. It's obvious they don't know what to do with his character. I think out of 6 or 7 episodes now, this is only his third appearance? The other 2 were 15 second cameos.

I also thought that joke about "there's so many veterans living on the sidewalk already" was in REALLY bad taste and I found it offensive.

I took it as a spot on commentary of how poorly we take care of our veterans. 

[Commando Cody]

I'm confused about things that happened in the original run of the series. I didn't watch the final season so I don't know what happened. However, after Rosanne won the lottery, the house was paid off. They have referenced it, at least, twice now that they still make payments. Are we supposed to forget about events the original series? 

Also, I'm surprised that the Conners can afford a car that is in good enough condition that Rosanne can drive for Uber.  They can barely keep the lights on, I can't see them making payments on a decent car. Most of the broke people I know pay cash for something that runs. 

As far as Michael Fishman's acting goes, I never thought the acting on this show, in general, was all that great to begin with. I do not like the kid they cast as Harris at all. She is a badly written character. There is nothing endearing about her. As the kid who almost didn't make it past birth, I keep thinking she should be different. I don't know why. 

[Aileen]

3 minutes ago, Commando Cody said:

I'm confused about things that happened in the original run of the series. I didn't watch the final season so I don't know what happened. However, after Rosanne won the lottery, the house was paid off. They have referenced it, at least, twice now that they still make payments. Are we supposed to forget about events the original series? 

Also, I'm surprised that the Conners can afford a car that is in good enough condition that Rosanne can drive for Uber.  They can barely keep the lights on, I can't see them making payments on a decent car. Most of the broke people I know pay cash for something that runs. 

As far as Michael Fishman's acting goes, I never thought the acting on this show, in general, was all that great to begin with. I do not like the kid they cast as Harris at all. She is a badly written character. There is nothing endearing about her. As the kid who almost didn't make it past birth, I keep thinking she should be different. I don't know why. 

The lottery win never happened as far as the new series is concerned. It was part of the book that Roseanne was writing that was revealed in the finale and referenced earlier this season.

[Mu Shu]

10 hours ago, Pallas said:

Full benefits for Social Security only begin at age 66; each additional year you wait to file (up to age 70) adds a small amount to that. One or both of them may be trying to hang on until 66, at least. 

When you do the math, the full benefits aren’t really worth waiting for.  My uncle was forcibly retired at 62, and he’s doing ok.  But my aunt has had the same job for 25 years and is surprisingly well paid for it.  I suppose Roseanne isn’t making much.

I just find the constant grind depresssing. The Connors call still have money issues and be lower middle class without being the brink of losing their house every damn month.

[Colorado David]

13 hours ago, SparklesBitch said:

 

Michael Fishman might not be the best actor, but my heart sort of melted at DJ’s talk with Dan in the garage. The whole thing about him sitting and watching Dan work on bikes and drink since he was 5 and being real good at both now made me go awww. 

Lastly, when did John Goodman start doing McDonalds commercials?!?!

I thought the garage scene was a nice moment too - it didn't really need DJ to be a great actor, just the sharing of the moment was quite nice.

Not sure on Goodman and McDonald's, but he did a good voiceover - that cheeseburger (or was it a mac? can't remember) sounded really good. I like that they had him on camera, his facial expressions add a LOT for me. (If you want to see a good role for him, watch the series 'Treme', it'll tear ya up.)

[Pallas]

46 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

When you do the math, the full benefits aren’t really worth waiting for.

Heading to the Kitchen Table...

[voiceover]

13 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

JP Jr is really a great actor. I’ve watched Grey’s for years and I am used to him as Dr Webber, but he slid back into the role of Chuck so easily. It felt like I had been watching him in that role for years. 

Yes, that was definitely a "Squee!!" moment for me.

And seeing Tamra from The Mindy Project was another.  Hoping for lots more Xosha in the next season -- even if it's only by Skype. 

[CatsAndMoreCats]

11 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I agree. I mean, damn, it's kind of pathetic at this stage of the game that none of these people can get their bills paid. 

It's weird because I like the neighbors, I like Mary and I was thrilled to see Chuck and AnneMarie, but I hate episodes where they feel the need to tick off ten political and SJW boxes in less than thirty minutes. 

I don't think it's pathetic.  I think it's how most of us 99-percenters are forced to live.  Forced.  As in, we really have no other choice.  To keep this on-topic and avoid a wrist slap from the mods, I'll say that I too like the new neighbors.

[Lion18]

14 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

I wonder if DJ was some sort of mechanic in the Army. I do like the idea of he and Dan going into business together. 

JP Jr is really a great actor. I’ve watched Grey’s for years and I am used to him as Dr Webber, but he slid back into the role of Chuck so easily. It felt like I had been watching him in that role for years. 

I just recently binged watched Greys on Netflix. So when I saw “ Richard” I went Wow’!  Was he on the original Roseanne?  Thanks

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Kudos to "Roseanne" for portraying Middle Eastern people as real people on T.V.; for pointing out the poor treatment of veterans; for pointing out that Fox news mis-informs and dis-informs the public; and for highlighting how instead of fighting poverty, we fight poor people. And being funny while doing it. 

The thrown brownie was hilarious as well as Roseanne's follow up line "Don't think I'm not going to eat that later." I wanted to hear more of Jackie's "ghosted" stories!

I think DJ and Dan teaming up is a great idea. I like how DJ told Dan he was watching him fix bikes and drink since he was 5 and now he was great at both.

I didn't know you couldn't buy "prepared" food with food stamps.

I hope we see more of the new neighbors. How old was their kid? Maybe he and Mary could become friends.

[Calm81]

Oh pleaseeeeeee make those neighbors a recurring cast. I loved them. The sarcasm with the husband was on point and I loved how the show made them feel more familiar to Americans with the whole “adding to the amazon cart” thing. LOL!!!

Next, I want to see them ask “Alexa change my WiFi password to ‘Roseanne pay your internet bill123’ now” in another episode.

I wanted to smack that cashier. I’m glad Roseanne stood up for her neighbor - followed by the 2am payback. ?

Darlene tossing the brownie killed me. Harris can go somewhere else. She will NEVER be Darlene 2.0. In the first episode I thought she could but the more I watch her the more I see less comedic resemblance to Darlene because Darlene had redeemable qualities. 

I loved the rake camouflage. 

I do like how they approach the touchy subjects. This show always had a backbone.

Thank you for giving us an Ann Marie and Chuck cameo. I liked them a lot more than I like “pretends to be happy go lucky” Crystal with her damn pink squirrel cocktail.

Gina is so pretty. She’s quick and witty. Nice new touch to the Roseanne cast.

I’m pretty happy with the episode.  A couple minor flaws but nothing worth mentioning.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Calm81

[Mmmfloorpie]

2 hours ago, Aileen said:

This. I thought it was pretty well implied that he couldn’t resist due to pyschological issues.

I took it as a spot on commentary of how poorly we take care of our veterans. 

But it got a stereotypical "laugh track" laugh out of the audience. If they wanted to make a point about something fine, but they made it just a throw away line for a cheap laugh.

[txhorns79]

Quote

I often wondered why they never mentioned the Connor's getting EBT/food stamps in the original Roseanne because they were often poor and saying they couldn't afford groceries in several episodes.  I used to always think, "Why aren't they getting an EBT card?"   I assumed because it would've been too controversial.   

It's a good question.  After all, they got to the point where their electricity was shut off during the original show, so clearly they had significant issues with their income. 

[bigskygirl]

12 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Showing my economic ignorance: I was surprised when the neighbor used food stamps to buy her groceries, given that the family was buying so many items (including lots and lots of fertilizer) and had cable/WiFi, which would likely be pretty pricey.

In 1997, the house behind my house caught on fire. A guy was living there with his two kids. He had a big screen television and a few other nice things while being on welfare. He only wanted to keep the kids because he wanted to keep getting benefits. He was getting kick out, and rumors were floating around he started to fire to get even because he was getting kick out. The sheriff department and the volunteer fire department wanted to investigate and possibly bring charges against the guy, but they did not have the man power to do it. One of our neighbors said her father worked for the state, and the state was getting ready to take the kids from him. The guy had a part time job as a dishwasher, so we were trying to figure out how he could afford a big screen television and nice things for himself.

Now back to Dan and Roseanne. Does Darlene even pay rent for herself and her kids? Does she work at all? Why would Roseanne write out checks to places without knowing if Dan got the job? Dan quit a decent city job with decent pay and benefits years ago and goes back to drywall even after he said he hated doing it because he had to take drywall jobs when his motorcycle shop business was starting to go downhill. The only reason why he got the prison job was due to having a minority owner. Talk about not too bright. Dan and Roseanne bring it on themselves. Time to stop blaming Fox News for the mistakes they make one after another.

Edited May 9, 2018 by bigskygirl

[llewis823]

2 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

I just find the constant grind depresssing. The Connors call still have money issues and be lower middle class without being the brink of losing their house every damn month.

I find the grind depressing too because I'm living it. My husband and I have worked at our professional jobs long term, make decent money on paper, but by the time you take out taxes and insurance, my hourly rate is (and I'm not exaggerating here) HALF of what it says I make per hour. And it is damn hard keeping the lights on sometimes. I appreciate the reality of their situation. I have never applied for EBT because I know, on paper, it looks like we make decent money. But I know people close to me - more than one family - who really and truly need EBT and they cannot get it because again, on paper, they look like they are doing okay. It's not always as simple as how much you make per hour.

Edited May 9, 2018 by llewis823

[ChicksDigScars]

I don't think they're blaming Fox News for the Conner's problems, because their finances and decisions regarding jobs and employment, came way before FOX News, but they are blaming them for Roseanne's current opinions and prejudices.  

[Annber03]

As someone whose family has had to do the food stamp thing, I will say this in regards to families using food stamps while still having a few "luxury" items...sometimes people have that stuff, despite the fact they know it's too pricey, because it's about the only way they can feel even remotely normal. It can sometimes be their way of trying to distract themselves from the reminder that they're so poor they have to resort to using things like food stamps and other various aid, and that they'll have to choose between paying the heating bill or the food bill or the electricity bill, or things of that sort. It's their little splurge, as it were, to try and keep some semblance of things being all right. 

And sometimes, some of that stuff was given to them by family and friends as well, or it's stuff they bought before they fell on hard times. Or, depending on the item, it's something they could find in a thrift store fairly cheap, too. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Annber03

[DkNNy79]

29 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

I find the grind depressing too because I'm living it. My husband and I have worked at our professional jobs long term, make decent money on paper, but by the time you take out taxes and insurance, my hourly rate is (and I'm not exaggerating here) HALF of what it says I make per hour. And it is damn hard keeping the lights on sometimes. I appreciate the reality of their situation. I have never applied for EBT because I know, on paper, it looks like we make decent money. But I know people close to me - more than one family - who really and truly need EBT and they cannot get it because again, on paper, they look like they are doing okay. It's not always as simple as how much you make per hour.

Yep.  My husband and I live paycheck to paycheck.  Thankfully its never been so dire that anything's had to been cut off due to non-payment.  On paper between the two of us we make a decent living, but we can never seem to come out on top.  There have been a couple times that my husband has been out of work, not longer than 6 weeks at a time, but that puts a stress on our finances.  We bought our first house last August and then had our first child last November.  So expenses crop up that you don't expect.

[llewis823]

4 minutes ago, DkNNy79 said:

Yep.  My husband and I live paycheck to paycheck.  Thankfully its never been so dire that anything's had to been cut off due to non-payment.  On paper between the two of us we make a decent living, but we can never seem to come out on top.  There have been a couple times that my husband has been out of work, not longer than 6 weeks at a time, but that puts a stress on our finances.  We bought our first house last August and then had our first child last November.  So expenses crop up that you don't expect.

My husband went for a regular check up in 2016 like he does every 6 months for his employer (drives for the company) and they found his PSA to be elevated. He was only 49 and had no signs of prostate cancer. Well, he DID have it and it was an agressive form, but luckily they caught it early enough that he's been cancer free for 2 years. HOWEVER, he missed like 4 months of work because his job is super heavy duty (driving is just part of it) and he couldnt' do the required heavy lifting. We both just thank God that about 6 months before that, he was offered to have short term disability deducted from his check. So he got 2/3 of his salary but it still put us in the red.  And...

to look at us and our life from the outside, you'd never guess that we struggle to pay the bills sometimes. So I know alot of people who make far less than me and I just don't know how they make it. I really don't.

[Annber03]

Best wishes to your husband, @llewis823. Glad they were able to catch that early enough. 

[llewis823]

Just now, Annber03 said:

Best wishes to your husband, @llewis823. Glad they were able to catch that early enough. 

Thank you so much ANNBER03! We've been together since we were 14 years old and we're 53 & 52 now. So let me tell you how relieved I was they got it all. Every time he has a PSA text, I get nervous and so does he. Men, and Ladies, make your men get their PSA checked - early detection saves lives!

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

Thank you so much ANNBER03! We've been together since we were 14 years old and we're 53 & 52 now. So let me tell you how relieved I was they got it all. Every time he has a PSA text, I get nervous and so does he. Men, and Ladies, make your men get their PSA checked - early detection saves lives!

You're welcome :). That's truly lovely that you've been together so long <3. 

[Rachel RSL]

Perhaps I missed something in earlier episodes but did they ever give a reason why Roseanne does nothing except occasionally pick up an Uber customer? (And I can't imagine there's much business for Uber in a small town like that.) They've made reference to her bad knee or whatever but there are PLENTY of jobs that don't require physical labour.  I want to like the Connors, despite the fact that we are on totally opposite ends of the political spectrum, but I find it really difficult to feel bad for them when they start blaming illegals for taking away money they were counting on. I mean, maybe the Connors are poor because Roseanne sits on her ass all day whining instead of, you know, getting a job.  I'm really enjoying all the characters this time around, except Roseanne...I don't remember her being so miserable and unlikable.

[ChicksDigScars]

14 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

And sometimes, some of that stuff was given to them by family and friends as well, or it's stuff they bought before they fell on hard times. Or, depending on the item, it's something they could find in a thrift store fairly cheap, too. 

Electronics can also be purchased as "refurbished" through Best Buy and Groupon.  Saves money.  And there's the almighty tax return.  I went with my son to Best Buy, so that my hard working offspring, who supports his 4 year of daughter, could get a TV and treat himself to a new PS4, when he got his return. It was a Friday night in February, and it was like frigging Black Friday. The IRS had held all refunds that used the Earned Income Credit until a certain date in February. They were released on a Thursday and Best Buy got slammed on Friday (you should have seen the crowd around the guy selling cell phones).  Lots of younger couples with kids.   We also stopped at a WalMart to check what they had, and they were completely cleaned out of certain sizes of TV's that day.  So, it was the Black Friday of Tax Season. That is how some low income families afford a big screen TV once in awhile.

 

It's been awhile since I had a child to claim and could get the EIC, but I remember that as being the time I caught up on nagging bills, and maybe bought a larger ticket item, like furniture or an electronic item.  I don't know if Roseanne and Dan could claim all these people living under their roof, but I would assume that Darlene would get a healthy return, being a single mom with two kids.  She was working at one time. 

 

My son was over the other day while the "Kathy Bowman's home gets robbed" episode was on TV Land, and we had a good laugh over the fuss made about a 42" flat screen TV being taken by Not-Jimmy Mullins,  as if it were a status symbol of the rich.  I pointed to my 43" and said, "You mean THAT?"  I guess in the 90's, they were a big deal, but I think my 43" cost me less than $300. They're fairly cheap now. 

[txhorns79]

Quote

I just find the constant grind depresssing. The Connors call still have money issues and be lower middle class without being the brink of losing their house every damn month.

That is true.  They had financial problems during the original run, but it also didn't feel like their lives were as bleak as they seem now. 

[TattleTeeny]

37 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Perhaps I missed something in earlier episodes but did they ever give a reason why Roseanne does nothing except occasionally pick up an Uber customer? (And I can't imagine there's much business for Uber in a small town like that.) They've made reference to her bad knee or whatever but there are PLENTY of jobs that don't require physical labour.  I want to like the Connors, despite the fact that we are on totally opposite ends of the political spectrum, but I find it really difficult to feel bad for them when they start blaming illegals for taking away money they were counting on. I mean, maybe the Connors are poor because Roseanne sits on her ass all day whining instead of, you know, getting a job.  I'm really enjoying all the characters this time around, except Roseanne...I don't remember her being so miserable and unlikable.

This should go without saying, but there are tons of people in this world who can't--poof!--magically be granted a job just because they need one. The "just take any old job" mentality doesn't always work because it can mean bringing in even less money than unemployment might pay (no idea whether Roseanne is on unemployment).

And, yeah--screw that sick idea that people with low incomes deserve nothing of value and should always look "acceptably poor" to the uninformed outsider. It's disgusting.

Edited May 9, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Pallas]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

They had financial problems during the original run, but it also didn't feel like their lives were as bleak as they seem now. 

Financial hardship gets old around the same time we do.

[iMonrey]

Quote

That was a subtle as a sledgehammer. Uf. White Men Can't Kiss was a brilliant episode that fasntastic explored hidden bias - this was way too clunky. 

I have to agree it was pretty clunky. I didn't hate it (I'm not generally emotional about any of these new episodes) but it felt contrived in the same way the first episode did, when  Jackie and Roseanne were fighting over the election. It was very stagy rather than organic. 

I hate to think that Roseanne has fallen prey to anti-Muslim paranoia simply because she's gotten more conservative over the years. I suppose it's possible but she was never shown to be racist or elitist in the original series, so I don't know that I find it terribly realistic that she'd jump right to "Muslim = Terrorist." 

I'd also be interested to know why Fatima and Samir moved to Lanford in the first place. I'm assuming one or both had some sort of job opportunity which allowed them to immigrate. But it sure seems like Lanford's economy is terrible and now they're on welfare. 

Finally, it seemed overly indulgent to wake up neighbors they didn't even know at 2:00 am just so Mary could talk to her mother. I get it, she's very young and doesn't get to see her mother very often, but let's be real. Even without WiFi someone has to have enough roaming data on their phone to text Geena and tell her the WiFi is down and they needed to reschedule. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by iMonrey

[BitterApple]

1 hour ago, bigskygirl said:

 Dan and Roseanne bring it on themselves. Time to stop blaming Fox News for the mistakes they make one after another.

 

I thought the Fox News comment was a low blow considering neither CNN nor MSNBC are bastions of objective journalism either. I also thought Roseanne's comment about poor people having rotisserie chickens while rich people have yachts was completely off base. Pretty much everyone I know with money busted their asses to get it. Very few people have generational wealth. Roseanne has done absolutely nothing to advance her education or job skills. Dan has made foolish career decisions. Jackie left a job where she would've drawn a pension. The financial mess they're in is largely their own creation. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by BitterApple

[hnygrl]

I liked this one.  All the way around it was pretty good. I'm curious as to why DJ wasn't allowed to re-enlist, probably some form of PTSD if he's seeing a therapist, and yes, in some states, the VA is the only game in town for Vets and they don't always have the staff to do justice to the patient population. Luckily in Hawaii, the VA is the bomb.com, but that's not true everywhere, especially in places where there is no Military Treatment Facilities, so long lines and first come first served is a reality.

His wife is BEAUTIFUL! WOW she's pretty! 

That poor kid. He sleeps in a bullet proof vest. To feel safe. Damn. That's the saddest of the sad things. Even sadder than the soon-to-be-unemployed brat at the buy-n-bag (ugh).

I really do wish "Conner & Sons Bike Repair" becomes a thing.

Loved that the neighbor returned the money at 2am...that was classic.

I liked this one. Most may not believe it, but it's really true to life. A lot of people work until their BODIES tell them to stop because they literally can't afford to not-work. I worry about Dan getting Social Security because the majority of his working life (up to the present day) he's been a general contractor and not a salaried employee. 

 

I've known people on welfare/food stamps who caught hell for driving a CAR (did you know *in my state anyway* that they pay your car insurance if you're on Welfare?). You're supposed to be so POOR. WHY YOU GOT A CAR???? Ignorance knows no race, creed, color, or financial boundaries.

[TattleTeeny]

Were Dan's career decisions foolish? They seemed to be risky but also the exact kind of thing that would imply that someone was trying to advance in life. The same decisions could have just as easily gone well, I think. 

This whole scenario is like that inane, obnoxious, ridiculously over-memed minimum wage argument: "Well, duh: if you don't want to be poor, just go to school and get a better job!" (Which, I admit is not inane or obnoxious if it's directed at someone who has the means for school or whatever, but opts not to out of laziness.)

Edited May 9, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, hnygrl said:

I've known people on welfare/food stamps who caught hell for driving a CAR (did you know *in my state anyway* that they pay your car insurance if you're on Welfare?). You're supposed to be so POOR. WHY YOU GOT A CAR???? Ignorance knows no race, creed, color, or financial boundaries.

I remember some pundit on some news channel years ago talking about how poor people couldn't really be all that poor if they had refrigerators and microwaves. 

Seriously. 

[willowk]

I really liked last night's episode, think it dealt with Roseanne's prejudices in a realistic way. For me, the key line wasn't just that she told off the checker, but that she added the "and they have enough fertilizer in their garage to blow use up" -I'm paraphrasing I don't have the exact wording. I've had relatives who when they get to know people of an ethnicity they like them, but that doesn't mean they are not still prejudiced in general, or even still have contradictory thoughts about the minorities they know. It was a rare depiction of how people are prejudiced but not monstrous the way they are often portrayed in print and TV.

Also I liked the reveal that DJ wanted to stay in the Army but they said "No thanks". I have heard that the military upped its requirements once the need for troops diminished after Iraq, and that many who were in the service are not retained as their skills are not needed at the present time. This is another wrinkle we rarely hear about, politicians like to rail on which side supports the troops most, but few discuss the realities of military life and postlife.

[Calm81]

14 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I remember some pundit on some news channel years ago talking about how poor people couldn't really be all that poor if they had refrigerators and microwaves. 

Seriously. 

I had an old friend that was receiving wic for baby formula after her boyfriend took off when she was 8 months pregnant leaving her with no financial support for her baby cry to me because some nasty lady at the grocery store made a loud comment as she was getting her formula “you get wic but have enough money for a smartphone?????” as she had the cashier scan her coupon on an app.

Not knowing that her mother and father got her the phone as a baby shower gift because you need a phone when you have kids and they also paid the cell bill (my friend worked a 40+ hour job but after health insurance , car insurance, groceries and utilities, diapers, and rent - barely anything left). If I were there I would have put the nasty lady in her place. How dare you judge what “poor people” should or shouldn’t have without knowing their story.

[Rachel RSL]

44 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

1 hour ago, Rachel RSL said:

Perhaps I missed something in earlier episodes but did they ever give a reason why Roseanne does nothing except occasionally pick up an Uber customer? (And I can't imagine there's much business for Uber in a small town like that.) They've made reference to her bad knee or whatever but there are PLENTY of jobs that don't require physical labour.  I want to like the Connors, despite the fact that we are on totally opposite ends of the political spectrum, but I find it really difficult to feel bad for them when they start blaming illegals for taking away money they were counting on. I mean, maybe the Connors are poor because Roseanne sits on her ass all day whining instead of, you know, getting a job.  I'm really enjoying all the characters this time around, except Roseanne...I don't remember her being so miserable and unlikable.

This should go without saying, but there are tons of people in this world who can't--poof!--magically be granted a job just because they need one.

Well, of course not. That's why I asked if I missed something in earlier episodes. From what I can tell, she's been complaining about money issues and blaming other people but I don't remember her mentioning anything about actually trying to find a job.

[peacheslatour]

21 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I remember some pundit on some news channel years ago talking about how poor people couldn't really be all that poor if they had refrigerators and microwaves. 

Seriously. 

That was Fox:

 Fox News hosts are citing a Heritage Foundation report about the ownership of appliances among the poor in America to ask, in the words of Bill O'Reilly, "So how can you be so poor and have all this stuff?" In reality, the poor in America face hardships in areas that deeply affect their lives, such as health, education, housing, and access to healthy food and legal services -- regardless of their ability to purchase a microwave oven.

Source; Media Matters

[Annber03]

Thanks, @peacheslatour! You'd think the last sentence in that paragraph should be a "No duh" sort of statement, but evidently not :/. 

4 minutes ago, Calm81 said:

I had an old friend that was receiving wic for baby formula after her boyfriend took off when she was 8 months pregnant leaving her with no financial support for her baby cry to me because some nasty lady at the grocery store made a loud comment as she was getting her formula “you get wic but have enough money for a smartphone?????” as she had the cashier scan her coupon on an app.

Not knowing that her mother and father got her the phone as a baby shower gift because you need a phone when you have kids and they also paid the cell bill (my friend worked a 40+ hour job but after health insurance , car insurance, groceries and utilities, diapers, and rent - barely anything left). If I were there I would have put the nasty lady in her place. How dare you judge what “poor people” should or shouldn’t have without knowing their story.

Bolding the last line for emphasis, because YES. Sorry that happened to your friend. 

[TattleTeeny]

4 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Well, of course not. That's why I asked if I missed something in earlier episodes. From what I can tell, she's been complaining about money issues and blaming other people but I don't remember her mentioning anything about actually trying to find a job.

I just assume she is but it's blah and mundane and not too riveting as far as TV goes--that is, until there's an opportunity for hijinks (like like the supermarket episode)?

[Rachel RSL]

I wish they would mention it then. Just give us a throw-away line or show her scanning the classified ads or something. Because, I assume the opposite, that she's not even bothering to look. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

From what I can tell, she's been complaining about money issues and blaming other people but I don't remember her mentioning anything about actually trying to find a job.

I don't need to hear her say it; Roseanne has worked her ass off her entire life, including at crappy, demeaning jobs, doing what needs to be done.  If she's now an Uber driver, I take it as a given that's because it's the best she can do right now between her health, age, and stagnant employment opportunities (and the fact that up until a few months ago, she thought they just had the two of them to keep in food and shelter these days, not that an unemployed adult child and two minor grandchildren would be moving in). 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Bastet

[TattleTeeny]

Maybe they will. They seem to have a lot of ground that could be covered but hasn't been yet. But maybe Uber is what works for now, now that there are kids in the house and she possibly needs to have a flexible schedule? I don't know; I just tend to be fine assuming that stuff I don't see is happening--like, I haven't been explicitly shown that, say, Mark brushes his teeth every day, but I can assume he does.

[blondiec0332]

17 hours ago, SparklesBitch said:

And I come from a tiny US town and moved to a large diverse city as soon as I was able. Some of the things I hear people say when I go back to visit make me cringe. Ugh. So I don’t think that the portrayal of the cashier saying those things directly to her face in a town like Lanford is far-fetched at all. If anything, it seems completely (and horrifyingly) spot-on. 

I live in a small town in a red state and the day after 9/11 our local radio station had a DJ that said on air that if he saw a Muslim walking down the street he would spit on them.  He is still employed at the same radio station today.

[willowk]

5 hours ago, Aileen said:

The lottery win never happened as far as the new series is concerned. It was part of the book that Roseanne was writing that was revealed in the finale and referenced earlier this season.

I know they have referenced the Connor's youngest son being off somewhere, but have they explained where Jackie's son is? I stopped watching the original series before he was born, but recently saw a couple or reruns from the season before the "lottery win" and Jackie has a son that's about a year older than Jerry Garcia -Roseanne is pregnant. Have they mentioned him and I missed it?

[nkotb]

5 minutes ago, willowk said:

I know they have referenced the Connor's youngest son being off somewhere, but have they explained where Jackie's son is? I stopped watching the original series before he was born, but recently saw a couple or reruns from the season before the "lottery win" and Jackie has a son that's about a year older than Jerry Garcia -Roseanne is pregnant. Have they mentioned him and I missed it?

No mention, sore subject on these boards. 

[txhorns79]

Quote

I know they have referenced the Connor's youngest son being off somewhere, but have they explained where Jackie's son is? I stopped watching the original series before he was born, but recently saw a couple or reruns from the season before the "lottery win" and Jackie has a son that's about a year older than Jerry Garcia -Roseanne is pregnant. Have they mentioned him and I missed it?

No, there has been no mention of Jackie's son.  It's not even clear from the show whether she still has a son. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I really do wish "Conner & Sons Bike Repair" becomes a thing.

Well they've already had a bike shop and it went belly-up so I wouldn't think they'd try that again. At best Dan and DJ could make a little extra money on the side just doing repair work out of their own garage - obviously there isn't enough business in motorcycle repair to keep them afloat. 

Quote

As for Michael Fishman, it could be his choice not to be in it too much. He's not an actor and may not be that comfortable being in front the camera that much anymore.

According to Wikipedia, Fishman continued to act after Roseanne went off the air and had guest roles on TV shows and small film roles and also majored in musical theater and technical theater. He has also been busy behind the scenes writing and producing so he has definitely remained in show biz. He does seem the most awkward out of the three original Conner kids, but I think that's largely dueto the fact that he's changed the most physically because he was so much younger back then. I agree the show doesn't seem to know what to do with him but I'm not sure if it's because they don't think his acting is up to par or it's simply that they're less interested in him as a character than everyone else.

Edited May 9, 2018 by iMonrey

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I'd also be interested to know why Fatima and Samir moved to Lanford in the first place. I'm assuming one or both had some sort of job opportunity which allowed them to immigrate. But it sure seems like Lanford's economy is terrible and now they're on welfare. 

 

They said they're from Yemen, so my guess is that they're refugees who came in under the Obama administration. I can't speak with certainty, as I was a refugee at a different time, under different circumstances, and in a different country, but in my experience, refugees don't get much of a say where they're resettled unless they're being reunited with family members who already live in the country. They're likely to be settled in locations where it's cheap to house and feed them, and "spread out" over different areas rather than having large groups live in the same area. Of course, once someone becomes established enough that they no longer need public assistance they're free to move wherever they want, but it's difficult to become well-established in an area that's economically depressed.

Edited May 9, 2018 by chocolatine

[ari333]

2 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Electronics can also be purchased as "refurbished" through Best Buy and Groupon.  Saves money.  And there's the almighty tax return.  I went with my son to Best Buy, so that my hard working offspring, who supports his 4 year of daughter, could get a TV and treat himself to a new PS4, when he got his return. It was a Friday night in February, and it was like frigging Black Friday. The IRS had held all refunds that used the Earned Income Credit until a certain date in February. They were released on a Thursday and Best Buy got slammed on Friday (you should have seen the crowd around the guy selling cell phones).  Lots of younger couples with kids.   We also stopped at a WalMart to check what they had, and they were completely cleaned out of certain sizes of TV's that day.  So, it was the Black Friday of Tax Season. That is how some low income families afford a big screen TV once in awhile.

 

It's been awhile since I had a child to claim and could get the EIC, but I remember that as being the time I caught up on nagging bills, and maybe bought a larger ticket item, like furniture or an electronic item.  I don't know if Roseanne and Dan could claim all these people living under their roof, but I would assume that Darlene would get a healthy return, being a single mom with two kids.  She was working at one time. 

 

My son was over the other day while the "Kathy Bowman's home gets robbed" episode was on TV Land, and we had a good laugh over the fuss made about a 42" flat screen TV being taken by Not-Jimmy Mullins,  as if it were a status symbol of the rich.  I pointed to my 43" and said, "You mean THAT?"  I guess in the 90's, they were a big deal, but I think my 43" cost me less than $300. They're fairly cheap now. 

Yes. If you are poor you do not deserve any pleasure in life at all.... however tiny it may be. SUFFER!!!

there. I said it.

I liked the thing with the rake.

I did not like the part where the "illegals" were supposedly taking his job. That seems like a myth that got out of control and just not true. imo

I did like Roseanne calling that cashier bitch "ignorant." 

[Duke2801]

I enjoyed this episode. Sadly, I have never heard one person with  good, positive V.A. story - so DJ's story rang very true to me.  I thought the scene with DJ and Dan in the garage was nice, too.  

Loved that "Tamra" was DJ's wife - I've missed her since The Mindy Project ended.  

24 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

No, there has been no mention of Jackie's son.  It's not even clear from the show whether she still has a son. 

I feel like they've done their best to convey that "Andy" does not exist in this new Roseanne universe.