S10.E09: Knee Deep

[Miss Ruth]

I guess that's what you get when you become a mother at seven-years-old.  :)

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I was always sort of torn about "Nana Mary," because while I enjoyed Shelley Winters' portrayal, it also felt like a very gimmicky stunt cast. She was supposed to be Bev's mother, but the fact is that Shelley Winters was only seven years older than Estelle Parsons. It also didn't make much sense to me that someone that cool and laid-back would have raised someone who turned out to be like Bev.

A lot of people want to be the opposite of their parents, especially if they didn't have a happy childhood. Bev has made it clear that she didn't like the way Nana Mary raised her and that she never knew her father, so it makes sense that she went the traditional family route and stayed in a bad marriage because she didn't want her daughters to grow up without a father. Which still ended up traumatizing them, but in a different way.

[suedehead]

On 5/23/2018 at 8:32 AM, Caseysgirl said:

Did I miss some episodes? Sandra Berhardt was making such a big deal on her radio show about returning to Roseann but I only remember seeing her in one scene a few episodes back, sitting at the kitchen table with ? Crystal and I don't remember seeing much else from her character.  Did I miss something or did they cut some of her performance out?

They cut most of her lines, according to Sandra. She talked about it on her show the day after it aired and she wasnt too happy. She made other comments about it here and there for a couple of weeks afterward also.

[BitterApple]

Although I loved Shelly Winters as Nana Mary, I could never get over the fact that she was way too young to be Bev's mom. Even if they'd said she gave birth as a teenage mother it still wouldn't have been believable.

Edited May 25, 2018 by BitterApple

[Meushell]

On 5/23/2018 at 5:56 AM, qtpye said:

I wonder if Darlene does anything to contribute to the household? Does she chip in on groceries or help do some of the chores? It annoyed me when Roseanne was screaming for help and she woke up her dead tired elderly father.

She’s probably not strong enough to support Roseanne’s weight. Even if she was, Roseanne might not trust her to do so. 

I would imagine she is contributing. That’s why she got the job. It wouldn’t be enough to help with the surgery, which was Dan’s primary motivation in the first place. 

I wonder if David is contributing. He seems to be on the hook because he ran off. He’s back in town now (or was supposed to be), but does he help his family financially?

[readster]

14 hours ago, chocolatine said:

A lot of people want to be the opposite of their parents, especially if they didn't have a happy childhood. Bev has made it clear that she didn't like the way Nana Mary raised her and that she never knew her father, so it makes sense that she went the traditional family route and stayed in a bad marriage because she didn't want her daughters to grow up without a father. Which still ended up traumatizing them, but in a different way.

Yeah, that's how I took it. I have neighbors who had very strict parents and they let their kids basically get away with murder. I always took Bev as having this "Donna Reed" though process in her head that backfired on her. With Dan, he wanted to be home and involved with his kids, since his dad had to always be travelling and selling to keep a roof over everyone's head. Yet, also felt he had to be the bad guy to distract Dan from his mother's mental issues. Which backfired on him too. Bev felt she needed to be the type of mother, she thought she needed to have. Dan felt he had to be the opposite of his dad and had to be "spared" his mother's mental health. Both situations traumatized both of them and as we saw, lead to some very bad choices for Roseanne and Dan over the years. 

[Rap541]

Quote

When Dan made the comment about having three extra mouths to feed, I was like wtf, why is Darlene not getting food assistance? She's a low-income single mother. Even if she was only allotted a couple hundred bucks a month per person, that would take some of the load off. I actually think that would've made for great material since this season has been heavy on income inequality issues. Uppity "I'm too good for blue-collar Lanford" Darlene having to swallow her pride and go to social services for help. That would've been much more relevant than some of the more useless, non-sensical scenes they threw in for no reason (i.e., random shelter dog that seems to have magically disappeared).

That actually would be a cool plot, especially if the person she had to apply to was an old classmate that she had dissed for staying in Lanford. 

A point of sheer unrealism in all of these episodes is no one mentioning how David should be paying child support - because I can't believe that isn't an issue especially if Darlene has been forced to move back in. 

I mean, intellectually, I understand why its unmentioned, no one wants to draw attention to Galecki being on a different show and unavailable but really, it paints David as an utter asshole. And its out of character for David to have had enough spine to leave to begin with, but to completely abandon his children? The way his father and his mother did? It fails.

And the problem is solved with a throwaway line "At least David's child support came today so I can help out with the groceries".

[Ottis]

On 5/22/2018 at 8:16 PM, LadyintheLoop said:

Maybe they ordered a prepared dinner, and that's why it came in so close to the deadline.

Tried to remember whether Chuck had really been Dan's best friend all along. Maybe he's the only one still living.

They can’t have ordered a prepared dinner. They spent the whole episode talking about how they had no money. Because, you know, it was everyone else’s fault for no one on that family achieving anything in their lives. 

Roseanne, there is another choice between union and illegal labor... there are nonunion professionals who charge less than a union and all its expensive rules. 

Also, flood insurance would have been planning ahead.... which no one in that family does. Hence the dinner 8 minutes before Rosanne couldn’t eat. 

And after complaining about her knee and needing an operation, when they get one (courtesy of tax payers) Roseanne immediately starts complaining and being afraid. 

It’s no wonder none of them have achieved anything. I wonder if the show is aware of how whiney they all sound?

[mythoughtis]

On 5/25/2018 at 12:57 PM, iMonrey said:

I was always sort of torn about "Nana Mary," because while I enjoyed Shelley Winters' portrayal, it also felt like a very gimmicky stunt cast. She was supposed to be Bev's mother, but the fact is that Shelley Winters was only seven years older than Estelle Parsons

Better than the Golden Girls where Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty were the same age 

[qtpye]

On 5/27/2018 at 1:37 PM, mythoughtis said:

Better than the Golden Girls where Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty were the same age 

Yeah, but the makeup on Estelle Getty really helped.

On 5/25/2018 at 10:04 PM, Meushell said:

She’s probably not strong enough to support Roseanne’s weight. Even if she was, Roseanne might not trust her to do so. 

I would imagine she is contributing. That’s why she got the job. It wouldn’t be enough to help with the surgery, which was Dan’s primary motivation in the first place. 

I wonder if David is contributing. He seems to be on the hook because he ran off. He’s back in town now (or was supposed to be), but does he help his family financially?

 

On 5/26/2018 at 8:54 PM, Rap541 said:

That actually would be a cool plot, especially if the person she had to apply to was an old classmate that she had dissed for staying in Lanford. 

A point of sheer unrealism in all of these episodes is no one mentioning how David should be paying child support - because I can't believe that isn't an issue especially if Darlene has been forced to move back in. 

I mean, intellectually, I understand why its unmentioned, no one wants to draw attention to Galecki being on a different show and unavailable but really, it paints David as an utter asshole. And its out of character for David to have had enough spine to leave to begin with, but to completely abandon his children? The way his father and his mother did? It fails.

And the problem is solved with a throwaway line "At least David's child support came today so I can help out with the groceries".

Yes, David really abandoned his kids and is not supporting them in any way? Also, Roseanne is lovingly supportive of this type of asshole behavior and "knows David can do better"? WTF...I mean many parents have had a loved one pass away too soon and it is not a free pass to abandon your family.

[peacheslatour]

On 5/27/2018 at 10:37 AM, mythoughtis said:

Better than the Golden Girls where Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty were the same age 

Lol. Bea Arthur was actually a year older than Estelle Getty. I think they just didn't let her wear any make up and a gray wig.

[Commando Cody]

I have to wonder about that house they live in. It seems like they should have had it paid off by now. How long have they lived there? It seems like it's been 40 years. Did they have to re-mortgage? Can you re-mortgage without home insurance?