Season 1 Discussion

[DNR]

Has the show been renewed ! I hope so - i find it funny and look forward to it each week 

[Gothish520]

On 3/21/2019 at 4:15 AM, possibilities said:

The writers seem to  be out of gas. Two episodes in a row focused on Will as sex object (or not)? Boring.

Rory was rude. He did look better in the beret than Miggy did, though.

This was the first time I was not able to just accept the overly adult portrayal of the kids, Rory and Sophie, specifically.

I disagree - I think Miggy rocked that beret!

[Gothish520]

On 4/8/2019 at 2:35 PM, SnarkySheep said:

Yes, or when Graham actually hit his mom's boyfriend in the face and had zero repercussions, only the adults' concern about his upset/sad/hurt feelings. That would have been the perfect teachable moment to explain that everyone gets upset but it is NEVER an excuse to hit someone.

Re: coffee - I really don't get why people always make such a huge deal about making coffee at home or work, both on TV and IRL. I always put my percolator on first, then fill my travel mug after getting dressed, taking the dog out, etc. It takes literally three minutes altogether. 

As for home coffee being "so gross" (demonstrated oh-so-charmingly by Angie spitting her mouthful back into the cup) your home options nowadays are basically limitless. Why couldn't Angie use that expedited shipping to order a French press or something? SMH

It's all about the Keurig, baby! Takes about a minute - I very rarely get a cup of coffee from a shop since I got my machine. 

I love a good cup of French-pressed coffee, but now you're measuring, boiling water, pouring, pressing  - nothing beats the convenience of the pod.

[rhys]

On 4/13/2019 at 11:04 PM, Gothish520 said:

It's all about the Keurig, baby! Takes about a minute - I very rarely get a cup of coffee from a shop since I got my machine. 

 In our family we call those "the bleurigs." It's like drinking a cup of hot water! No flavor, but,yes the convenience is spot on. Too bad about the waste & lack of coffee flavor. I guess they have promise.

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, rhys said:

 In our family we call those "the bleurigs." It's like drinking a cup of hot water! No flavor, but,yes the convenience is spot on. Too bad about the waste & lack of coffee flavor. I guess they have promise.

Not sure what version of the machine or brands of coffee you've tried, but I love strong coffee and I've found several brands that make a good strong cup. I stick with dark roasts and usually use the 8 oz. setting. Also just discovered a brand called Wide Awake Coffee that has no plastic cup, just a lid and paper filter - less waste and the dark roast almost tastes like French pressed, delicious! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Jake Choi discusses Single Parents:

[Aileen]

I laughed out loud and often at tonight’s episode. I’m not liking the Poppy/Carl storyline, but do like that she saw Douglas in his car. If it was any other show, she’d have been clueless that he saw them.

[tennisgurl]

Lance Bass! Lance Bass Space Camp!!! Give us the money bye bye bye... the due date! By the way, Lance Bass is friends with Richard Gere. Its pretty cool. 

Glad that Poppy saw Douglas by her house, I was convinced that he would drive away without her seeing him, but I love that she saw him. 

Edited May 2, 2019 by tennisgurl

[zillabreeze]

The twins in the salon with the over the top pagent getups was hysterical to me.   

I'm still liking this little show.  It's not ever going to be a big deal, but it has some good moments.

I can fuss for hours about the sad state of sitcoms.  The stale, predictable jokes, the mean characters, the stupid sexual innuendos and the laughtracks from hell...

The only decent network giggles I can find are this one and The Kids Are Alright.

Edited May 2, 2019 by zillabreeze

[possibilities]

I loved how all Douglas had to do was spin the chairs around so the kids could see themselves. He knows who his daughters are, and he's not just trying to shape them, he's actually responsive to what he knows they like.

I hate "love triangles" so I really hope they dispense of the Poppy-Douglas-Poppy's Ex angst very quickly.

[Snow Apple]

I'm either getting used to the children or the writing improved. I'm especially liking the twins now, when they were my least favorite before.

Who played the twin's grandma? She looked and acted familiar.

[Aileen]

2 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

I'm either getting used to the children or the writing improved. I'm especially liking the twins now, when they were my least favorite before.

Who played the twin's grandma? She looked and acted familiar.

 She played Jessica Wicks on parks and rec

Edited May 2, 2019 by Aileen

[Snow Apple]

11 minutes ago, Aileen said:

 She played Jessica Wicks on parks and rec

Thanks. I don't watch that so I'll have to look up her IMDB page to see if she was in anything I've seen.

[biakbiak]

I get that it’s a tv show but on what world would he at for that camp by check?

[meep.meep]

In the off chance that you are asking why they paid for camp by check - many kids organizations make it difficult to pay any other way.  They seem to have poor bookkeepers.

One of my kids didn't get to go to science camp with her class because I, her single mother, forgot to send in her medical clearance, so this episode rang true with me.  I could not fix it.....oddly enough, Lance Bass was her favorite n'Sync band member.

[Katy M]

17 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

In the off chance that you are asking why they paid for camp by check - many kids organizations make it difficult to pay any other way.  They seem to have poor bookkeepers.

I don't think it's a matter of poor bookkeeping.  They don't want to pay the money to accept credit/debit cards, and cash is not a good idea if volunteers are involved.  I volunteer, I 'm not disparaging volunteers.  But, there's not the same level of accountability.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

don't think it's a matter of poor bookkeeping.  They don't want to pay the money to accept credit/debit cards, and cash is not a good idea if volunteers are involved.

Exactly and money did not seem to be an issue given the building and it was supposed to be into technology! 

[xander874]

The twins looking like Jon Benet was hilarious. I didn't mind the grandma and would be okay if she popped up again (in small doses). I do not want a love triangle. I like Douglas and I like Poppy, but I do not like Douglas/Poppy. They just don't fit together to me and are too different to really work. 

I was a big fan of NSYNC back in the day and Lance was my favorite so glad to see him even if his acting has not improved at all over the years. And I totally want to go to a space/art camp.

Was this the season finale?

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, xander874 said:

this the season finale?

Next week. 

[Aryanna]

The Lance Bass thing just seemed like stunt casting and I've never cared for stunt casting in shows.

[Irlandesa]

It did but I think it worked better than the Chris Harrison guest appearance.

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, Aryanna said:

The Lance Bass thing just seemed like stunt casting and I've never cared for stunt casting in shows.

I didn’t mind it because Lance is in fact obsessed with space and wants to go there so it felt like it could be real.

[possibilities]

Was that the finale?

I liked Miggy telling off Douglas, and Douglas taking the criticism. Miggy can be a bit dopey and foolish, so it's not really expected that he'd actually be the one to call someone else out.

We've seen Will in beast mode before-- ANGIE has seen it, too. So I didn't buy that she was so surprised by it.

[qtpye]

On 5/2/2019 at 2:24 PM, Snow Apple said:

I'm either getting used to the children or the writing improved. I'm especially liking the twins now, when they were my least favorite before.

Who played the twin's grandma? She looked and acted familiar.

Show is growing on me. I even like the kids now that we know more about them. The twins are my favorite. I am surprised about how cute I am finding the actor who plays Will. He will probably be endgame with the Wynona Rider look alike but I’m okay with that if they build it organically. Plus their kids will probably love being step siblings.

[tennisgurl]

Awww they let Will say that he was their village! And Poppy and Douglas finally got together, which I fully support. I like them together, they seem like a strange match, but they oddly work. 

Adam Brody as Angie's baby daddy is hilariously random, and Will goes into beast mode over him!

I really like this show, especially as the last few episodes have gone back to the early season one goodness. Its light and fluffy and charming and it makes me laugh, and sometimes thats all I need from a sitcom. 

[biakbiak]

10 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Adam Brody as Angie's baby daddy is hilariously random, 

He’s her husband so not really random.

[joanne3482]

14 hours ago, possibilities said:

We've seen Will in beast mode before-- ANGIE has seen it, too. So I didn't buy that she was so surprised by it.

Maybe she was surprised he went into beast mode on Angie's behalf. He stood up for her in a way nobody ever has before. 

I like this sweet little show. I like everything about it. 

[geauxaway]

Lance Bass Space Camp!  Has been I my head for wayyyyy too long.  And I don’t care.

Also? Seth Cohen!!! 😍😍😍

[HighHopes]

The show was renewed for a second season! 

[Aileen]

With Splitting Up Together getting canceled today (unfortunate, IMO), I’m hoping there’s going to be a spot for Single Parents on the fall schedule 

[Maren]

YAY for renewal!!!

[xander874]

I'm still upset of the Kids are Alright getting cancelled but I am not mad this got renewed. I don't think it's as good but it is a nice light silly show. I am glad they wrote this episode to possibly be a series finale and didn't go the cliff hanger route. I was worried there would be some Will/Ang/Adam Brody unresolved thing at the end.

And speaking of Adam Brody, I had the biggest crush on him on the OC. He's matured for sure but still looks nice. Hope he comes back next season. I would love to see Graham adjusting to meeting his dad.

[readster]

14 hours ago, xander874 said:

I'm still upset of the Kids are Alright getting cancelled but I am not mad this got renewed. I don't think it's as good but it is a nice light silly show. I am glad they wrote this episode to possibly be a series finale and didn't go the cliff hanger route. I was worried there would be some Will/Ang/Adam Brody unresolved thing at the end.

Too many shows try to go with "cliffhangers" in the past few years. Many times, these shows never get renewed and they pretty were given either the hints of: "you are going to get cancelled." or "you might end up cancelled." Plus, they have very forced cliffhangers. At least with Single Parents, they gave things that way. Like with Speechless *sniff* did a conclusion, but left things open. Unlike Splitting Up that went out of its way to leave a cliffhanger (a stupid one too). I think shows need to stop acting like they have to leave people hanging to want to come back and think the networks are going to bite. Unless they know up front, it just doesn't work. 

[memememe76]

Yay! There is a lot to like about the show. The cast is great. But the writers kinda ran out steam midway through the season. Ideally, this is a 13 epsidoe season type of show, but that's not gonna happen. Some things that may get this show have a stronger, more consistent second season 

1. Keep the storylines within the school realm. I am not interested in weathercaster will. Have him lose the job due to budget cuts. 

2. Is Miggy's kid too young for preschool? Well, age her up. Have the others counsel him as he navigates the preschool waters.

3. Angie either is too responsible one episode, or too irresponisble the next. They need find some semblance of consistency with her. I actually thinking bringing in the deadbeat dad for next season would be really good.

4. Will has become too much of a winner. He has a successful tv gig where woman after woman after woman is lusting for him (I actually think the actor is mega cute). But the character is less fun now.

[Gothish520]

I loved the season finale, it hit all the right notes. The way they are slowly developing Will and Angie's relationship is perfect. Douglas and Poppy are so cute, glad they are taking the leap. I was not a fan of Brad Garrett's character on Everybody Loves Raymond, but I love Douglas and find him sexy as hell to boot, lol.

So happy this was renewed!

[msrachelj]

Has Angie always had that HIGH pitched girl voice or have I binged watched too many in a row? It was driving me crazy...

Happy it was renewed. Brad Garratt is great.

Totally bummed that Speechless and The Kids are Alright didn't get renewed. Especially the latter. 

[love2lovebadtv]

On 3/21/2019 at 8:21 PM, Snapdragon said:

I'm just not a fan of any storyline where someone who's bad with money uses the excuse of "my life is hard so I spend irresponsibly because it makes me feel better" and we're all supposed to feel bad for them.  Boo-freakin'-hoo, chick from Gossip Girl whose name I can't remember.  Life is hard for everyone but you don't see the rest of us visiting Starbucks three times a day.  

That was one of the most realistic plot lines in the show. People can often do more with what they have but instead complain about what they lack.  

On 3/22/2019 at 9:05 AM, Snapdragon said:

Ugh.  I forgot about the stupid "convenience tax" thing.  That made no sense either.  Most grocery stores have gas stations in their parking lots so if she's that pressed for time, then just use the one there before or after you do your grocery shopping.   Also, her kid's old enough that taking him on most of those errands she listed shouldn't be a hassle.  Your third grader (or however old the kids on this show are supposed to be) can wait in line with you, it won't kill them.  

So she wouldn't have to bundle up the baby, take the stroller, etc. to the grocery store or even maneuver with the baby in the laundry room. At that age, it is a big deal to bundle up baby and have to navigate the car seat/stroller/shopping cart/laundry/groceries. But Graham can absolutely accompany her on errands and it makes sense for him to do that, especially given the attachment to his mom. But I do think it was realistic for her to have a convenience tax in her budget because she's just not good with managing her finances and makes excuses for it.

On 3/31/2019 at 11:13 AM, Kel Varnsen said:

Does it need to be serious though, considering  it is a sitcom? As for Will I think he has an awesome job for a single parent. A tv weather reporter works what a couple of hours a night?

It doesn't need to be that serious. I don't need everything to add up when I'm watching a sitcom. 

On 4/4/2019 at 11:00 AM, Snow Apple said:

Did they say who was watching baby Jack? Ever since it was mentioned, I'm strangely obsessed with finding out where he is in each episode.

So funny! I was trying to figure out if his mom gets him sometimes. I sometimes miss details of these silly sitcoms and I don't bother to rewind. Do we know how far away Jack's mom goes to school? 

On 4/5/2019 at 10:14 AM, xander874 said:

I love the continuity of Angie loving hard rock/death metal and liked the birthday. I guess they are moving forward with an Angie/Will pairing since he knows her so well.  Sad about Andy Favreau because he is pretty and I liked looking at him.

They need to tone Rory down. He was cute at first, but lately has become an unbearable bitch. I get he's a drama queen but he's also just mean and that's not fun. The twins should've knocked him down.

I don't like Rory at all. Never thought he was cute or funny. And then he became mean. The way he acted at Will's job was inexcusable. And even after Will said something, he didn't seem the least bit sorry. But what can we expect when his mom sits and gossips inappropriately with him?

On 4/8/2019 at 2:35 PM, SnarkySheep said:

Yes, or when Graham actually hit his mom's boyfriend in the face and had zero repercussions, only the adults' concern about his upset/sad/hurt feelings. That would have been the perfect teachable moment to explain that everyone gets upset but it is NEVER an excuse to hit someone.

Re: coffee - I really don't get why people always make such a huge deal about making coffee at home or work, both on TV and IRL. I always put my percolator on first, then fill my travel mug after getting dressed, taking the dog out, etc. It takes literally three minutes altogether. 

As for home coffee being "so gross" (demonstrated oh-so-charmingly by Angie spitting her mouthful back into the cup) your home options nowadays are basically limitless. Why couldn't Angie use that expedited shipping to order a French press or something? SMH

I know the show isn't meant to be realistic but I was surprised there wasn't a talk about not hitting an adult. 

I make brew coffee at home, too. I also prep coffee at night when I'm tidying up the kitchen. Hubby leaves for work early and flips the switch and pretty much does something else while is percolates, then takes it to go. And we buy good coffee, too! When we both drank coffee, we had a bigger, better coffeemaker with a timer. But this is a realistic plot because as you mentioned, people make a big deal about making coffee at home.

[Dirtybubble]

On 10/9/2018 at 3:36 AM, Gothish520 said:

I am going to put myself out there <deep breath> I would watch Brad Garrett read the phone book (ha! who is old? I am!) because I have a huge crush on him. HUGE. 

 

On 10/9/2018 at 3:36 AM, Gothish520 said:

Gotta admit, he's looking pretty darn handsome here. I like his character a lot - it's the "rich guy throwing money around to get his way" trope but he plays it well. I like his twin girls too, and the way they are playing it straight and on the serious side - l laughed out loud at the line about how he would be proud to serve in a foxhole with them.

Another Brad Garrett fan here as well.  I've started watching this show on Hulu....enh it's ok.  And I too only watchings because Garrett is in it.  The problem is I feel like I've seen this show before.  The plot, the jokes, the kids it all comes across as a little tired IMO.  A little too schmaltzy I guess.  Maybe I've become accustomed to the nitty gritty stuff on Netflix.  I'll keep watching just for Garrett (swoon he is handsome).

[hiisa]

Ok, Ive been binge watching this show and reading along with the boards as I watch. Im really enjoying it but...the kids. You guys. The kids. This is not how kids act. This is not how kids speak. Im a children's librarian. I know a lot of kids. Even my brightest kiddos who are reading at 10th and higher grade levels dont have the maturity to a. understand the context and content of 10th grade level materials. And b. they arent able to discuss things that they read on that level. What I think this show isnt understanding is just because a child can discuss something doesnt mean they SHOULD. I dont know what the episode is but this is something they seem to be doing a lot with Sophie.  I just watched the ep where Poppy had a crush on the horrible singer and she was gushing about it with Sophie. Just because she can understand the words doesnt mean she's ready for the emotional weight of dealing with a full grown womans crush and disappointment. 

But in general the kids are just too much. 

[Aryanna]

40 minutes ago, hiisa said:

Ok, Ive been binge watching this show and reading along with the boards as I watch. Im really enjoying it but...the kids. You guys. The kids. This is not how kids act. This is not how kids speak. Im a children's librarian. I know a lot of kids. Even my brightest kiddos who are reading at 10th and higher grade levels dont have the maturity to a. understand the context and content of 10th grade level materials. And b. they arent able to discuss things that they read on that level. What I think this show isnt understanding is just because a child can discuss something doesnt mean they SHOULD. I dont know what the episode is but this is something they seem to be doing a lot with Sophie.  I just watched the ep where Poppy had a crush on the horrible singer and she was gushing about it with Sophie. Just because she can understand the words doesnt mean she's ready for the emotional weight of dealing with a full grown womans crush and disappointment. 

But in general the kids are just too much. 

It was pretty obvious early on that the kids weren't written as real kids but as littleadults. That Poppy would talk to Sophie like she would a girlfriend or like she would talk to Angie is over the top. However Sophie was probably my favorite among the kids. I got to where I just couldn't with Poppys son. He was way too much.

[hiisa]

Yeah, the kids are written as adults in kids bodies. But the adults are awful humans. My first, very first thought when Graham punched Owen was where was this energy when he was fighting the twins?  They did calm down by the end of the season but towards the beginning there? I would have loved to see those tiny, adorable little girls punched in the head. I understand if that makes me a horrible person.