S04.E01: Episode 1 2018.06.17

[PrincessPurrsALot]

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In the season 4 premiere, Noah struggles to adjust to his new life after moving to Los Angeles to be closer to his kids and attempts to reach a gifted but troubled student while under the eye of the school's principle.  Meanwhile, Helen finally discovers the source of her anxiety, only to be blindsided by a new catastrophe.  

[Armchair Critic]

Not one likable character and I can't stand the kids either. Yes I am a glutton for punishment.

[eggsnbacon]

4 minutes ago, Armchair Critic said:

Not one likable character and I can't stand the kids either. Yes I am a glutton for punishment.

I like Vic.

[tomsmom]

Ugh we’re back to seeing the same scene from 2 points of view. I was glad when they stopped that bs.

[KBrownie]

I guess it would be too much to hope for based on the history of this show that the person Noah and Cole are looking for at the very beginning who is missing is NOT Alison.

I mean, that would be too original for this show, right?  That Noah and Cole would be doing something else other than searching for, and rescuing, yet again, poor damsel-in-distress  Alison?  But of course, it's her they're looking for.  She's the only person who Noah and Cole would both be interested in.  Plus, it just wouldn't be this show if someone wasn't looking for and saving poor, poor Alison.  Ugh.  I and NOT looking to another season of that shit.

I'm over the dual perspectives thing too.  I don't really see what purpose it serves at this point other than to make things confusing.  It was one thing when you had the murder mystery (by the way, is Cole going to ever find out Alison's role in killing his brother while he continues to f-up his life behind her?) going, but what function does it really have at this point other than to say that people see the same situations differently, which . . . yeah.  We get it.

Having said that, Helen came across as on the verge of a total nervous breakdown in both versions.  She was just more of a complete and total bitch in Noah's version.  Noah isn't to blame at this point though.  She needs to look at her own personal failings.  Blaming Noah is a total copout for her own failures as a person.  She needs to let that go otherwise she'll never be happy.  Noah will never be punished enough for her liking.  Not on this show anyway.  He and Alison always land on their feet in that no matter what they do, they end up pretty well off in the end.  I totally believe she's trying to box out Noah by not putting him on the list at school and not answering (she totally saw his calls while they were at the school) to make it hard for him.  On the other hand, I felt bad for her when the mother-in-law showed up and when the son away at college was short with her (which get a damn job kid.  Most of us survived college without the fancy and expensive meal plans), but she and Noah raised all the little assholes, so you reap what you sow with their shitty behavior.  

[Razzberry]

Change of scenery is good.    Liked the goat yoga neighbor, glad she's not mine though.  

[preeya]

10 minutes ago, Razzberry said:

Change of scenery is good.    Liked the goat yoga neighbor, glad she's not mine though.  

Is goat yoga a real thing?

[Adultosaurus]

Fuck Ep 1 for making me feel sorry for Noah.  Noah, for God's sake!  

[GeminiDancer]

51 minutes ago, preeya said:

Is goat yoga a real thing?

Unfortunately, yes. It's a real thing.

[HollyG]

So did Helen's husband (Vic) just die on the bathroom floor?

[Adultosaurus]

4 minutes ago, HollyG said:

So did Helen's husband (Vic) just die on the bathroom floor?

Oh I kinda hope so.  But the preview suggests otherwise.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Adultosaurus

[PrincessPurrsALot]

It took less than 5 minutes for my Noah hatred to become overwhelming, and not much longer for my annoyance with Helen to peak.  Ooh, Noah is her earthquake!  Helen, you are having serious delusions.  You need help.  I can't believe it took you this long to figure out you don't do well dealing with Noah.  Maybe you could look at the childish, passive-aggressive behavior you have been exhibiting toward him.

I cannot imagine anything more boring than Noah, the great savior of the undervalued student.  We've had Noah as savior for four seasons.  Can we give it a break? I guess we're supposed to be happy that for once he's not saving someone with his penis.  

[HollyG]

20 minutes ago, Adultosaurus said:

Oh I kinda hope so.  But the preview suggests otherwise.

Oh well, I like the character, but I miss seeing them in NYC. I thought if he died that Helen would go back to NY.

[Adultosaurus]

1 minute ago, HollyG said:

Oh well, I like the character, but I miss seeing them in NYC. I thought if he died that Helen would go back to NY.

I didn't like the character, I just thought the actor was hot.  I think we're locked into LA now.

[preeya]

1 hour ago, HollyG said:

So did Helen's husband (Vic) just die on the bathroom floor?

Food poison from all that food his mommy prepared for him.

[LoveLeigh]

Vic's mother looks his age. I am glad this show is back. I am glad the French lady is gone and Noah's prison guard is off the show. I think this was a great first episode and I think this is going to be a great season. 

[IntrovertGal]

I think I'm gonna like this season more than last season, which granted is not that difficult because I loathed season 3. So glad the French professor and Noah's prison guard are no longer on the show, such a relief. It's interesting to see the characters in a new environment although I'm looking forward to seeing Montauk again as well (next week hopefully?). Does anyone else suspect that Noah is gonna have an affair with the vice principal? Helen's therapist cracked me up, are West Coast therapists really like that? I'm interested in Trevor's coming out storyline and I couldn't believe Helen when she blamed Trevor being gay on Noah and his being absent. Apparently, Helen does really not know how sexuality works. Maybe she is not so okay with her son being gay as she claims to be.

I agree with @KBrownie, it is such a cliché that Alison is the one that's missing and of course Noah and Cole would only interact with each other if something happened to Alison. I'm not really looking forward to that particular storyline and to more misadventures of Alison, the drama queen. *sigh*

[scrb]

7 hours ago, tomsmom said:

Ugh we’re back to seeing the same scene from 2 points of view. I was glad when they stopped that bs.

Jeez my recollections of the previous seasons are so hazy that I don't recall them doing that.  Only thing I could think of is that they throw in these obvious minor differences in the POVs.  I used to wonder if those differences in small details mattered but now I'm convinced they never did.

What does it fucking matter if Noah ordered a margarita or just grabbed a beer at the restaurant?  Probably not a damn thing.  Sure it may indicate something about the state of mind of the character whose POV is being rendered.  In previous seasons, you had them wear different dresses on screen.

When this series started, it was their signature narrative device --of course it's been done before and a lot better in movies but for TV show, this was their thing and I guess they're going to hang their hat on it, even if we've come far from the original plot.

[scrb]

7 hours ago, Razzberry said:

Change of scenery is good.    Liked the goat yoga neighbor, glad she's not mine though.  

Helen and Noah are bicoastal?

They dragged their bullshit to the other side of the continent!

Okay from the previews for the season, everybody is going to be cheating on each other -- Helen is going to cheat on Vik again with Noah, Cole is going to cheat on what's her name with Alison and on and on.  The one affair brought all these people together and now it's going to be torture porn in the form of cheating.

Actually, it's like cuckolding porn without the graphic sex.

Are they really going to have Helen backstabbing Vik again?  You can see why she has unresolved issues with Noah.  She's still not over the "abrupt" way Noah left her after 25 years of blissful marriage -- yes it's sarcasm there.  So she thinks that may be why their younger son is gay.  And remember the older son had stomach problems, due to the original affair too?

Helen lied to Vik is the last season, that Noah covered for her being the real murder.  And now the mother in law tells her to her face that her barren womb ass can't make him happy because she can't give him children.

And BTW, there is no way Helen doesn't talk about momma Priya to papa Keaton the therapist.

You know, in real life, people often belittle and talk shit about their ex spouses.  On this show, they don't do it but do yell at each other.

But they still care.  They really are thirsty about it.  Helen, Noah, Cole have all moved on, found other partners.  But they're ready to hump the hell out of their exes at the drop of a hat.

For all the therapy these characters get -- remember Sarah Treem worked in In Treatment -- they don't talk much about backsliding or whatever they call it in therapeutic lingo.

[mochamajesty]

Vic has diabetes - they keep referencing is weight loss and that is the only.thing that I can think of that causes rapid weight loss.

Either Vic is gonna cheat with the neighbor or Helen is gonna assume that he is cheating with the neighbor and be totally bitchy about it.

 

Helen so ignored Noah's phone call at the school.

I do not want to see Noah at the school. I mean I totally do not care.at all.

 

And since when can a convicted felon teach? 

[CleoCaesar]

After the stupidity of last season, this premiere left me feeling relieved and kind of charitable towards the show. I mean, nothing could be worse than season 3.

I'm a New Yorker so I'll miss the original setting but I can get on board with seeing more ocean-view LA real estate porn. Vic has a jerkiness about him but he's a good husband and willing, capable stepfather to 2 (technically 4) kids so I'll cut him a lot of slack. Plus the attractiveness factor, that too.

Don't care at ALL about Noah going all Dangerous Minds on his students. Had to fast forward all those scenes.

Every main character is a cretin in their own ways, but it's been three seasons of that so it's nothing new. Helen still inspires a bit of sympathy for me but that's really stretching it. Calling it now: she is the one that has the affair with the neighbor, not Vic.

[Mindthinkr]

7 hours ago, preeya said:

Food poison from all that food his mommy prepared for him.

I tend to wonder if Helen didn’t taint it because of course she would be passive-aggressive about his mother bringing him all his favorite dishes (meals) and filling her fridge to capacity with food that she doesn’t have an interest in eating or feeding her kids. Secondly because of the snide comment that his mother made about giving him a child of his own (and for her a blood grandchild). 

Does Noah have any social graces? He just plows into the restaurant late and doesn’t even say hello or greet his children with a hug. It’s all about him getting his cocktail and inserting his rough edges into a calm family dinner. 

I thought that Helen would have at least turned her back when he went to use the bathroom in front of her. When she went she at least closed the stall door. 

[Darian]

I've never been able to stand Noah, and him being pushed as the genius writer (novel excerpts proving otherwise) and best teacher, then man every woman wants have always grated. But if this season is him as white savior, I am out. I can't care about anyone in this show.  I do now want to re-read Fun Home, so there's that. 

[cardigirl]

9 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

It took less than 5 minutes for my Noah hatred to become overwhelming, and not much longer for my annoyance with Helen to peak.  Ooh, Noah is her earthquake!  Helen, you are having serious delusions.  You need help.  I can't believe it took you this long to figure out you don't do well dealing with Noah.  Maybe you could look at the childish, passive-aggressive behavior you have been exhibiting toward him. 

 

I think Helen is going to find out that the real earthquake is Vic.  

[hoodooznoodooz]

Yum! Avocados.

Maura’s upper lip is bothering me again. 

Ugh. Noah’s students think he’s hot. Maybe cast a more attractive actor. 

Why does Vic love Helen again? She’s a mess.

Edited June 18, 2018 by hoodooznoodooz

[TV Diva Queen]

I loved the sewing machine the MIL was working with.  It was like a character.  MIL would talk and then the machine would make noise,  It was perfect.  

[taragel]

Wow what a lackluster opening episode. Except for Vik's collapse, the entire hour was a mundane rehash of parent-teacher meetings, unruly classrooms, and nervous anxiety. It's amazing to me this show has managed to eke out 4 (so far) seasons with such a meandering, unfocused ethos.

[JennyMominFL]

Really not interested in seeing Noah in the White Savior role. Not at all

[chick binewski]

10 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

I cannot imagine anything more boring than Noah, the great savior of the undervalued student.  We've had Noah as savior for four seasons.  Can we give it a break? I guess we're supposed to be happy that for once he's not saving someone with his penis.  

Hey, we're only one episode in! Who knows what poor Anton is in for.

9 hours ago, HollyG said:

Oh well, I like the character, but I miss seeing them in NYC. I thought if he died that Helen would go back to NY.

I always thought Montauk & NYC were such perfect settings for the show and it feels all out of sorts when its shot elsewhere. I'm looking at you, France.

I have to say I was shocked how much I enjoyed the premiere. Well, the Helen POV at least. I can't help it - she's still obligated to raise kids with Noah in some fashion and that has to suck. And her therapy session killed me. "The ocean is an attention whore."

[chabelisaywow]

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I guess it would be too much to hope for based on the history of this show that the person Noah and Cole are looking for at the very beginning who is missing is NOT Alison.

she's out sleeping with someone else's husband

 

Quote

And since when can a convicted felon teach? 

in fairness, it's a charter school lol

Edited June 18, 2018 by chabelisaywow
adding more snark

[LuvMyShows]

3 hours ago, mochamajesty said:

And since when can a convicted felon teach? 

I absolutely wondered about this, and feel it was negligent of the show to not address it in some introductory/expository way like they did with all the other stuff they had to catch us up on from last season.

1 hour ago, chick binewski said:

And her therapy session killed me. "The ocean is an attention whore."

I soooo loved that line!

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Does Noah have any social graces? He just plows into the restaurant late and doesn’t even say hello or greet his children with a hug. It’s all about him getting his cocktail and inserting his rough edges into a calm family dinner. 

The part I found most interesting about that was that even in his version, he was rude and insensitive...he immediately ordered a drink from some random server and launched into something about the trampoline at his house, and didn't ask one thing about how the kids were doing.

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I thought that Helen would have at least turned her back when he went to use the bathroom in front of her. When she went she at least closed the stall door. 

I was struck how in both versions, it's acknowledged that they both went into a bathroom designed for just one gender.  I cannot imagine doing that to other people just so I can carry on my (unpleasant) conversation with someone.  Neither of them seemed to think it was weird, and it indicated their serious boundaries problem with each other.

7 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

Vic's mother looks his age. 

Yes, very very odd...not sure why they felt that casting decision was so essential.  When she first said something about feeding her children or whatever, I went through a thought process of is this woman the true mother of one of Helen's kids?...wouldn't we have known something about this plot development?...then, I thought maybe this woman is a family friend and is considered like a mother to the kids?  Finally I figured it out.

 

2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Ugh. Noah’s students think he’s hot. Maybe cast a more attractive actor. 

I hate how they keep writing things like this into the story.  It doesn't serve any purpose other than whatever hard-on the creators/writers have for the Noah character.  Same with his savior thing.  Ugh, please stop.

 

13 hours ago, eggsnbacon said:

I like Vic.

I like him too, except that I don't think they have fleshed out at all how his miraculous turn-around into a super dad, family man came about.

13 hours ago, KBrownie said:

I mean, that would be too original for this show, right?  That Noah and Cole would be doing something else other than searching for, and rescuing, yet again, poor damsel-in-distress  Alison?  But of course, it's her they're looking for.  She's the only person who Noah and Cole would both be interested in.  Plus, it just wouldn't be this show if someone wasn't looking for and saving poor, poor Alison.  Ugh.  I and NOT looking to another season of that shit.

I'm over the dual perspectives thing too.  I don't really see what purpose it serves at this point other than to make things confusing.  It was one thing when you had the murder mystery (by the way, is Cole going to ever find out Alison's role in killing his brother while he continues to f-up his life behind her?) going, but what function does it really have at this point other than to say that people see the same situations differently, which . . . yeah.  We get it.

Did.not.miss Alison's presence in this episode.  I do like the dual perspective thing, even if it is gimmicky and not plot-related.  But it makes me wonder how this works IRL, in terms of the amount of difference in recall, since to me their differences are huge...which person used the bathroom, did Noah grab a drink from a try or order one, the one from a few seasons ago where Helen remembered taking a cab but Noah remembered she walked (or something like that).  In my life, when I've been discussing something mundane with a family member, we have never had such huge differences in recall. I can't figure out if the writers think this is normal to have such significant differences, or if they're making a point that these people are whack!

[grommit2]

Ok...
1) WHERE is Whitney?  I NEED my whiny, self-entitled, annoying late-teen.  Geez...I need my Whitney!
2) And I miss Furkat...greatest name in all of TV. 
2) That school really had to be struggling to find teachers if they hired a man who was jailed for 3 years for unintentional vehicular manslaughter (a felony).
3) Dr. Vic has to be making a jillion in his new job to afford that gorgeous house overlooking Santa Monica. 
4) Assuming I have my geography correct, Helen is correct to fear that the house may end up on the PAC101 after an earthquake
5) Remember, they caught the notorious gangster, Whitey Bulger, in Santa Monica.
6) And here's a little bit of extreme potential trivia:  Last season, Noah was hospitalized after that knife incident.  Treated by an unseen Dr. Quittner.  Hmmm...This whole fictional exercise was supposed to be set in New Jersey, specifically in the Florham Park, Livingston area. Investigated by the Livingston police. The town next to Livingston is...West Orange.  AND, ready for it, back in the day, there were twins, the Quittners.  Good athletes.  Now, doesn't that just make your toes tingle.  

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Differences like the way Noah got his drink at the restaurant I can see as differences of recall.  It kind of falls into "look at the bitch eating that cracker" territory.  When you're mad at someone, their jerk behavior becomes even jerkier in recollection.  Of course, as someone pointed out above, in both recollections he was a jerk.

When they make the differences major, it throws me out of the scene.  Who actually used the bathroom?  Which bathroom did they go into?  Unless it was all genders or single use, someone was breaking a major social taboo. 

Everything in the classroom scenes was creepy.  The students asking Noah if he's married?  No. Just no.  First, I don't see them going on about how attractive he is.  Second, he supposedly taught at college.  If he does not know how to shut that kind of talk down, he damn well better learn.  These students are likely to be underage.  Does Noah want to spend more prison time?  Third, Noah, great educator seemingly has no skills at getting students to be engaged.  Whining at them is not a workable method.  When Anton slapped the book out of his hands and Noah stood this with his patented wide-eyed glaze, how did he think that would progress?  Then having them set up the Noah as white savior garbage at the end.  

And as we all know, Noah's going to have the women throwing themselves at him again.  This is reaching Tommy on Rescue Me levels of Magical Unicorn Dick that all the women desire. 

[mochamajesty]

3 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Yum! Avocados.

Maura’s upper lip is bothering me again. 

Ugh. Noah’s students think he’s hot. Maybe cast a more attractive actor. 

Why does Vic love Helen again? She’s a mess.

Vic must have a Savior Complex, which is easy to imagine with him being a doctor.

[LilaFowler]

Helen's been a low-level nutcase since minute of this show. She's never gotten her due because there were always more overt fuck-ups that would steal her thunder. Now she's hallucinating earthquakes and possibly poisoning her husband (or something), we're going to finally get Crazy Helen.

I have always enjoyed the real estate porn of this show. I have never cared how unrealistic it was for the characters to own such places.

[DNR]

7 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Maura’s upper lip is bothering me again. 

Ugh. Maura Tierney is an attractive woman , have liked her since ER but that upper lip / fish lip / whatever the hell it is .... i hate  it!  Does she do it on purpose ? Or have no control cuz it’s implants ? It looks awful and i end up zoning in on it if she’s really puckering up in a scene .  Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

@CynicalGirl i totally forgot about Alison’s duck lip !  

Edited June 18, 2018 by DNR
Ninja edit

[CynicalGirl]

^ Seriously, we already have one duck-lipped character (Alison) on the show, do we really need two?

[DNR]

7 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Does Noah have any social graces? He just plows into the restaurant late and doesn’t even say hello or greet his children with a hug. It’s all about him getting his cocktail and inserting his rough edges into a calm family dinner

Agree that Noah has zero social grace , in his defense tho , Stacy did run up and hug him at the school before the dinner invite so maybe that’s why there was no second hug and being older and male , maybe Trevor isn’t a hugger . Plus Noah said it himself in the restaurant : he doesn’t know his own children 

[Mindthinkr]

1 minute ago, DNR said:

Agree that Noah has zero social grace , in his defense tho , Stacy did run up and hug him at the school before the dinner invite so maybe that’s why there was no second hug and being older and male , maybe Trevor isn’t a hugger . Plus Noah said it himself in the restaurant : he doesn’t know his own children 

That may be, but in both versions he comes in brusque and loud. He halts all of their talking by his loud presence. Hey, I’m here. Look at me. Pay attention to me. I need a drink...now. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

6 hours ago, DNR said:

Ugh. Maura Tierney is an attractive woman , have liked her since ER but that upper lip / fish lip / whatever the hell it is .... i hate  it!  Does she do it on purpose ? Or have no control cuz it’s implants ? It looks awful and i end up zoning in on it if she’s really puckering up in a scene .  Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

@CynicalGirl i totally forgot about Alison’s duck lip !  

 

I really don’t remember her having that duck lip on ER or News Radio.

Edited June 19, 2018 by hoodooznoodooz

[chick binewski]

7 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Ugh. Noah’s students think he’s hot. Maybe cast a more attractive actor. 

 

5 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

I hate how they keep writing things like this into the story.  It doesn't serve any purpose other than whatever hard-on the creators/writers have for the Noah character.  Same with his savior thing.  Ugh, please stop.

They started this with one of the first scenes in the series premiere...scruffy Noah sitting on his front stoop and young women breaking their necks just to get a look. I think the writers are clear that this is something happening in Noah's head, even though he is pretty indiscriminate with his penis.

But that brings another point to mind: in Allison's POVs she is usually wearing frumpy clothes, whilst Noah imagines her in a hemline 3 inches too short. In Helen's POVs, no matter what she's wearing I find her to look absolutely luminous in some shots - particularly last night. I always wonder if the show is trying to tell us how others see the female characters or how they see themselves.

[Jax7917]

I don't find either Helen or Alison attractive . Those duck lips distract me from any prettiness either may have . 

Noah's a narcissist and asshole , but he doesn't really annoy me . For some reason , Helen grates . She is obviously still in love with Noah and I get that they were together a really long time and she's still bitter about it , but because I'm not in her position I find her bitterness to be annoying . 

I too think she will be the one who has an affair with the neighbor 

[scrb]

Noah and the black principal are going to get it on.  Wouldn't be surprised if she is married.

When they were married, Helen ruled the household, because she was source of the money and a lifestyle much better than Noah could provide.  They made much of the fact that she could have had anyone but chose Noah.  

As soon as he left her, she's got the hots for him again.

[GeminiDancer]

You know the show's gone to shit when the big standout to me was that racism (the accusation of plagarism) kept the student back another year. It's not outright spoken, but that signal was loud and clear.

Here's a big question I have: Does Cole know the truth about Helen hitting Scotty? Will he find out? And more importantly, will we see him find out the truth behind his brother's death?

I'm still not over how they played the Joanie's non-existent paternity reveal.

[weaver]

On 6/17/2018 at 11:48 PM, Adultosaurus said:

Oh I kinda hope so.  But the preview suggests otherwise.

That was pretty stupid of them, show him on the floor and then show a preview with him alive and well.  Course knowing this show, it could have been someone else's POV.  

[eggsnbacon]

On 6/18/2018 at 12:39 AM, DakotaLavender said:

Vic's mother looks his age. I am glad this show is back. I am glad the French lady is gone and Noah's prison guard is off the show. I think this was a great first episode and I think this is going to be a great season. 

Yeah that scene was a bit confusing because they look the same age. It took me a bit to figure out it was his mother. Oh and I would like a Vic POV, he is so hard to read on the show, would like a POV from Vic. 

Edited June 19, 2018 by eggsnbacon

[attica]

I believe that Noah thinks all his girl students are hot for him. (I believe they are not hot for him. Because I have been a high school girl.) I'm a little surprised that Noah's POV shows Anton, post Noah-compliment, to still be surly. I would have expected Noah's ego to remember him blossoming like the overlooked flower Noah thinks he is.

Do we think the manuscript N sent to his agent may be his Omar Bradley book? :)

I'm with Helen. I've only spent a little time in LA, but I never liked it. I never felt I could fit there. And that glass deck-fence was giving me vertigo.

I find it interesting that Helen feels unseen by everybody, even her therapist.

Goat yoga girl is Emily Browning, late of S1 of American Gods. Shadow's zombie wife, Laura.

[suomi]

In the kitchen with monster-in-law when Helen turned and opened the frig  saying "Can I get you something?" I expected her to add sotto voce something like "Hemlock? Cyanide?'

[Razzberry]

Oh, I almost forgot the MIL from hell!  That smile is pure evil...

Love the house but hate the glass fencing.  Think I'd rather have a yard.

[Mindthinkr]

13 minutes ago, Razzberry said:

Love the house but hate the glass fencing.  Think I'd rather have a yard.

I’d be in constant fear that it would slide down the hill during a rainstorm or earthquake.