S01.E01: Keep on Truckin'

[jhlipton]

I'm glad that; Mark's family and friends are accepting of him, whatever his sexuality.  That sort of TV acceptance goes a long way toward real-world acceptance, and an end to the bullying.  And I'm glad that Mark isn't "prancing, artsy-fartsy, glitter everywhere" gay.  He likes girl's clothes because the "pop" (without glitter).  He's a kid who happens to like boys, and that's fine.

[Sile]

12 hours ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

Dan is my favorite character because he is being written EXACTLY like I would expect Dan to be 20 years later.  And some of his lines are the same lines he would have said 20 years ago.

When Mark brought his friends over, and Joey was trying(?) to be helpful.  "People die.  What are you going to do?"

And Dan,  "Seen a little too much action in 'Nam, Joey?"

Brought me right back to 35 year old Dan working in his garage.

It took me right back to "Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling.  There are rules."

[Lili]

2 hours ago, BookWoman56 said:

I think killing off the character Roseanne was the only realistic choice. What other options would there be? Having her supposedly be in her bedroom, out of camera sight, indefinitely while the other characters pretended she was still a part of their lives and a bunch of "Roseanne/Mom said ABC" exposition ensued? That would be ludicrous. Or portraying the situation as Roseanne having decided to leave her entire family behind and go somewhere else alone or with a new romantic interest? That would have been character assassination. Even though Roseanne (the character) was annoying as fuck at times, she obviously cared deeply about her family. So the obvious solution was to have her character die, and her manner of death fit into the events from the previous season. It wasn't Roseanne dying from an OD of pills that had never been mentioned before. And while I acknowledge the "very special episode" feel of this episode, it's not a bad thing to remind the public in general that ODs happen not just to obviously addicted people but to regular middle class people who become dependent on painkillers and one night take one or two too many pills, or take them in combination with other prescription or OTC meds, and the cumulative effect is death. 

Having her divorce from Dan, and move out could have been an alternative, like I said. And a better one at that. Then she would have had a better chance to return, in case ABC let her back on.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Lili

[jsbt]

That would never, ever have happened.

[Jacqs]

There seems to be a desire to rehabilitate Roseanne from some in this thread - who rightfully condemn attempts as rehabbing male crapwheels like Mike Tyson etc,. Can we please let go of the double standards?

[TigerLynx]

Since it seems the writers are going to have Darlene resemble Roseanne, and Becky resemble Jackie (please don't let the writers take Darlene and Becky to the extremes Roseanne and Jackie were), I wonder if Gina will be the Bonnie or Anne-Marie (the logical sensible ones with the dry one liners).  I thought the original show was at its best when Bonnie, Crystal, and Anne-Marie were the women Roseanne and Jackie hung out with.  I never liked Nancy.

I hope that Darlene asking David for a divorce was the end of them as a couple.  I want to see Darlene date other guys.

Edited October 18, 2018 by TigerLynx

[hoodooznoodooz]

Am I the only one who gets confused when one of the latest generation references “Grandma Rose”? I’m, like, who? The Estelle Parsons character? Oooooh. They mean Roseanne.

[Ottis]

17 hours ago, JapMo said:

Where?  Please tell me.  So many shows on now think they are Western Union and have to put out a message.

Unless you count universal concepts like, "Family is important," as messages (I don't, sitcoms have always had at their base a few broad concepts), then you can pretty much go down the ratings list of top sitcoms and take your pick of mindless comedies: Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Modern Family, Last Man Standing (OK, they shade to conservative perspectives, I hear), The Goldbergs, etc.  None of them are even within throwing distance of an All in the Family. The Connors could be, if they don't become too partisan. 

9 hours ago, SpiritSong said:

During that whole scene I kept thinking don't they have a junk drawer? That's where my corn cob holders live.

Heh. Ours, too. In fact, that drawer solves a lot of issues, Jackie!

[BeachDays]

3 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

 

I hope that Darlene asking David for a divorce was the end of them as a couple.  I want to see Darlene date other guys.

 

I think you will get your wish, but I am always going to want them back together.   

[eskimo]

11 hours ago, SpiritSong said:

During that whole scene I kept thinking don't they have a junk drawer? That's where my corn cob holders live.

Not everybody's junk drawers are in the triangle, thank you very much.  :)

[eskimo]

2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Am I the only one who gets confused when one of the latest generation references “Grandma Rose”? I’m, like, who? The Estelle Parsons character? Oooooh. They mean Roseanne.

I suppose it doesn't matter one way or the other now, but it bugged me that she was called 'Granny Rose' rather than 'Nana Rosie'.  It would have been a nod to Shelley Winters and her character, and Roseanne was very similar to her.  They even had a line in one show where Nana Mary said something like 'And someday you're going to be just like me'.   They've portrayed Jackie to favor Bev in her old age in a couple of shows, and Roseanne favored Nana Mary both physically and in personality.  They missed an opportunity to 'plus it' a bit. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 10/17/2018 at 9:17 AM, BW Manilowe said:

They killed Patrick Duffy off of Dallas; then, when he decided he wanted to come back/his BFF, the late Larry Hagman convinced him to come back because Larry missed him being on set, they decided Patrick’s on again-off again wife in the show dreamed his character died (he was the victim of a hit & run meant for her, caused by her half-sister who Patrick’s character had become involved with & who was jealous of Bobby’s continued warm relationship with his ex, with whom he also shared an adopted son). So it’s entirely possible they could retcon Roseanne’s death. They also do it all the time in daytime dramas.

It wasn’t that Patrick “decided” he wanted to come back. Larry wanted him to come back. Both he and Patrick’s wife had to convince him. And the only way Bobby could come back was if the season he was dead was a dream. And Pam wasn’t his on again-off again wife. They divorced due to her psycho sister shenanigans and lies and tricking Pam; and remarried when Patrick came back. And then  when Victoria Principal left...well it’s discussed in the Dallas forum. Just wanted to clarify and not go too off topic.

[ButterQueen]

On 10/16/2018 at 8:29 PM, Jillybean said:

Laurie Metcalf made me cry.

.......and laugh.  She is an amazing actress.  I felt her pain losing Roseanne.

I really enjoyed the episode.

[Rap541]

I support John Goodman's weight loss (I always wondered if he was going to go the way of John Candy and Chris Farlay) but I have to be honest... he looks like the specter of Death. 

[peacheslatour]

3 minutes ago, Rap541 said:

I support John Goodman's weight loss (I always wondered if he was going to go the way of John Candy and Chris Farlay) but I have to be honest... he looks like the specter of Death. 

I did too. There times on the original show, when he was so heavy he was constantly sweating and pale. I was afraid he was going to have a heart attack right in front of our eyes.

[LucyEth]

3 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Am I the only one who gets confused when one of the latest generation references “Grandma Rose”? I’m, like, who? The Estelle Parsons character? Oooooh. They mean Roseanne.

Didn't one of them refer to her "Granny Rose"?

[TheLastKidPicked]

16 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

Re: Dan and Mark - I don't think Dan is uncomfortable with Mark being gay, at all. I think he's concerned for his safety as a gay teen in Lanford and he's uncomfortable talking about his crushes, period. Nothing to do with gender. I also see this Dan being the Dan we see.

Yes!  And that is what makes the scene even more funny-- that Dan is uncomfortable with the relationship part.  "There's a reason your mom went to Grandma Rose for this stuff."  

[CherryAmes]

53 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

Didn't one of them refer to her "Granny Rose"?

Unless there's another grandmother who's an active part of their lives this kind of thing always bugs me.  My Nanny was Nanny. Period full stop.  But my other grandmother had died when I was little and that was the same thing that happened with my kids so my mother was Nanny and there was no other grandmother.  Usually though (well usually in the families I know) it's Grandma for one and Nanny or Nana for the other.  Maybe tacking on the name is more common in these days of potentially 3 or more grandmas with divorces and step parents etc.

[theredhead77]

Dan (and Rosanne, RIP) are both fairly young. Maybe they didn't want the full "Grandma / Grandpa" and choose Granny Rose and Granddad Dan (I swear that's how Mark referred to him last night) to keep them from feeling like old grandparents?

[Sakura12]

I called both of mine Grandma with their name so we know which on we were talking about. I never heard anyone I know use Nana or Nanny when I was growing up. I always thought it was a tv/movie thing. 

[Bastet]

10 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

Granddad Dan (I swear that's how Mark referred to him last night)

Grandpa Dan.

[CherryAmes]

11 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I called both of mine Grandma with their name so we know which on we were talking about. I never heard anyone I know use Nana or Nanny when I was growing up. I always thought it was a tv/movie thing. 

Must be a regional thing.  Here it's way more commonly Nanny or Nana.  Granny or Grandma not so much.  For point of reference I'm in Eastern Canada with a British background.   Mémé  is what my grandson calls his other grandmother (French Canadian needless to say :) )  In an homage to Everybody Loves Raymond I tried to get my son and DIL to encourage him to call her Connecticut Grandma but they wouldn't go for it!

Anyway I totally get the grandma and grandpa part - it's adding a name when there's no contact with the other grandparents that I find unusual.  Or did I miss something?  Do the kids have contact with David's parents?

Edited October 18, 2018 by CherryAmes

[Annber03]

I used "Grandma", too. In my case there was no need to use any of my grandparents' actual names, because both my paternal grandma and maternal grandpa died when I was really little, and my memories of them are vague at best. And my other grandpa died well before I was even born. So I only ever got to know and spend time with my maternal grandma as a result. 

[BeachDays]

What do the kids call Beverly?  Great-Grandma?  Or Granny Bev?  

[ButterQueen]

On 10/17/2018 at 11:29 AM, DXD526 said:

The running bit with Jackie cleaning the kitchen was so well played. It was a joke at first, but then just kept escalating, to the point at the end where she's torn the whole place apart. It was heartbreaking when Darlene walked in to see all the cabinets open and empty and Jackie looking distressed and clueless. I've done that kind of thing in that situation, threw all my efforts into a stupid task just because I didn't know what else to do with myself. They played that so well. 

That was so well played.  Not as brilliant as Jackie’s phone call to Aunty Barbara when her dad died, but very close.

I also loved the ball of necklaces Becky found.  I lost my mom last year, and while cleaning her house, my siblings and I had a couple WTF laughs as well.  It’s how we survive the pain.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

Do the kids have contact with David's parents?

Probably not, unless he reconciled with them.  But presumably Mary has a relationship with her other set of grandparents.  So maybe Harris and Mark originally called Roseanne and Dan Granny and Grandpa, and then when Mary came along and started calling them Granny Rose and Grandpa Dan to distinguish them from her other grandparents, the other grandkids followed suit.  Or maybe when Harris was learning to talk, Darlene asked Dan and Roseanne what they wanted her to call them and Granny Rose and Grandpa Dan were the picks from the beginning.

To Roseanne and Jackie, their grandmother was Nana Mary, but to Becky, Darlene, and D.J., their grandmother was Grandma (Bev, anyway; I don't remember what they called Dan's mom).  And their grandfathers were both Grandpa.  So there's no strict family tradition; it's probably whatever the grandparent or the grandparent/grandkid combo comes up with for themselves.

@BeachDays, I was wondering about Bev/the great-grandkids, too, but I don't think we ever heard them address her directly.  I think Darlene referred to her as "Grandma Bev" with respect to Harris in this episode, though, so that may be who she is to them.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Bastet

[ButterQueen]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:31 AM, shirazplease said:

I watched it just now here:   https://abc.go.com/shows/the-conners/episode-guide

If you have Xfinity, it is On Demand.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I hated the scene when DJ's wife told Darlene that she was going to hell. That's a fucked up thing to say for so many reasons, but I'll start with Darlene's mother just died. Darlene's Non-Religious MOM just died and Geene's making jokes about how non-religious people burn in hell for eternity. What an incredibly heartless thing to say. Religion is supposed to bring people comfort and peace; it's not a stick you use to beat people who disagree with you.

That rubbed me the wrong way too. Yes, I understand that it was meant to be lighthearted and it was just a way for the writers to short-hand this kind of dynamic between Darlene and Gina, or to establish that Gina is a devout Christian, but it was a clumsy and insulting way to do it. You don't tell people to reserve a spot in hell if they don't believe in the Bible after their mother just died, and I don't care if you're "joking" or not. If this is the way writers think a typical Christian acts then I don't want them trying to portray one on their show at all.

Quote

I hope that Darlene asking David for a divorce was the end of them as a couple.  I want to see Darlene date other guys.

Since The Big Bang Theory is ending this year, and not by Johnny Galecki's choice, reportedly, it occurs to me he might join the show as a regular next season, assuming there is one. 

[Lemons]

22 hours ago, msrachelj said:

 i guess some actresses must get tired of the plastic surgery upkeep and decide to age an normally/naturally as they can after all the work done previously.

I recognized her right away.  I thought she looked like a woman who is in her 60's with plastic surgery.  I've never thought she looked younger than her years.  

[needschocolate]

16 hours ago, BookWoman56 said:

I think killing off the character Roseanne was the only realistic choice. What other options would there be? Having her supposedly be in her bedroom, out of camera sight, indefinitely while the other characters pretended she was still a part of their lives and a bunch of "Roseanne/Mom said ABC" exposition ensued? That would be ludicrous. Or portraying the situation as Roseanne having decided to leave her entire family behind and go somewhere else alone or with a new romantic interest? That would have been character assassination. Even though Roseanne (the character) was annoying as fuck at times, she obviously cared deeply about her family. So the obvious solution was to have her character die, and her manner of death fit into the events from the previous season. It wasn't Roseanne dying from an OD of pills that had never been mentioned before. And while I acknowledge the "very special episode" feel of this episode, it's not a bad thing to remind the public in general that ODs happen not just to obviously addicted people but to regular middle class people who become dependent on painkillers and one night take one or two too many pills, or take them in combination with other prescription or OTC meds, and the cumulative effect is death. 

Well, they could have done what they did with Becky - have  a similar looking actress take her place, then, if the real life Roseanne improves her image enough to be asked back on the show, they could have her come back and make a snappy comment about how she looks different.  I'm kidding, i think her dying was the right decision.  I find it interesting that the first season of the reboot ended with Rosie taking pain killers.  It was almost as though the show thought there was a chance they would have to write her out at some point.  

[ams1001]

Roseanne just doesn't strike me as a "Granny"... Grannies have gray hair in a bun and knit in a rocking chair while they watch their stories.

 

3 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I called both of mine Grandma with their name so we know which on we were talking about. I never heard anyone I know use Nana or Nanny when I was growing up. I always thought it was a tv/movie thing. 

My cousins' kids called my aunt Grandma Billie, but my uncle is just Grandpa. They were pretty young when their other grandfathers died (my aunt died 6 years ago and both of the other grandmothers are still alive) so they mostly didn't need to differentiate between Grandpas when they were growing up. But they usually only did that if they needed to make it clear; if they were directly addressing my aunt, it was just Grandma. (I never knew my mom's parents (her mom died 10 years before I was born and her dad when I was 5; he lived several states away and I don't remember him), so my dad's parents were just Grandma and Grandpa to us.)

My friend's mom is "Geema" (with a hard G) to her grandkids. Not sure where that came from, exactly. (Her stepmother is "Grandma Pat.")

 

2 hours ago, ButterQueen said:

I also loved the ball of necklaces Becky found.  I lost my mom last year, and while cleaning her house, my siblings and I had a couple WTF laughs as well.  It’s how we survive the pain.

I seem to be working on a ball of necklaces on my own dresser. Not nearly as impressive as Roseanne's, but I'm only 43; maybe in another 20 years or so it'll get there.

[Westiepeach]

I called mine Gramma (paternal last name) and Gramma (maternal last name). Worked for me!

[Bastet]

26 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Roseanne just doesn't strike me as a "Granny"... Grannies have gray hair in a bun and knit in a rocking chair while they watch their stories.

They might have chosen it precisely because of the disconnect between what "Granny" brings to mind and Roseanne's life when she became a grandma - young, still working, etc.  Or she could have done a "Granny" imitation at some point (I'm thinking of the several imitations Dan and Roseanne had done to embarrass the kids back in the day) and it stuck.  (Or she just liked it, but - especially in this family - it's possible it was rooted in humor.)

[willowk]

On 10/17/2018 at 9:18 AM, Rap541 said:

I just... am tired of the "gay kid changes an older person's view on homosexuality" trope. And I hate that it's always portrayed as an ignorant older person finally getting a clue on how to be decent. The reality in this world? Is that Mark *wearing skirts* would be a HUGE issue in an elementary school in the Midwest, complete with threats towards the family etc. Also complete with beatings at school and school employees willfully "not seeing" the incident and possibly even the school insisting on a dress code so little Mr Fancy Skirts would be required to dress a certain way. I just think this gives a really unrealistic image of what coming out in middle school really looks like. It would be nice to see a more honest portrayal and less "Silly Dan finally gets a clue on how to be open minded because his grandson is gay and so he can finally see gay people as something other than gay stereotypes."

Like, for example, how about a discussion with Mark on how Enrique or Joey (or whatever his name was) might not actually want to be "seatmates" with a fellow boy? That his friends might not have crushes on him and might not reciprocate? Because trust me, however open minded Dan and Darlene might be, Enrique or Joey's parents might not be enthralled with this turn of events. 

I suppose I really dont want to see a painful story about gay hate but at the same time... I wish television shows would stop presenting this fantasy of "when you come out, your family will understand and things will only get better". Because that really is a fantasy for a lot of people.

I agree that the Mark character is a bit much, would have preferred if they had made his gender presentation and sexual orientation a bit more ambiguous and had the storyline develop over time. No way would the quick acceptance by family and the community have happened IRL. And realistically, the kid would have struggled with it. And the rest of the characters are so grittily realistic that Mark seems more like an alien than a Conner.  But the rest of the cast fit, and even Harris is growing on me.

[TWP]

I was overwhelmed by how good this episode was.  I figured there was no way the show would ever be as good without her, but now I think lack of Roseanne  is an improvement.  Her voice grates and she can't act.  Sometimes I think she got herself fired on purpose, knowing that the show would be better without her.  Roseanne is secretly a saint, heh.

If they ever want Roseanne back, they can say it was all a opioid-laced dream, definitely an easy move for this show.

Edited October 19, 2018 by TWP

[buffy11bnl]

6 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

Unless there's another grandmother who's an active part of their lives this kind of thing always bugs me.  My Nanny was Nanny. Period full stop.  But my other grandmother had died when I was little and that was the same thing that happened with my kids so my mother was Nanny and there was no other grandmother.  Usually though (well usually in the families I know) it's Grandma for one and Nanny or Nana for the other.  Maybe tacking on the name is more common in these days of potentially 3 or more grandmas with divorces and step parents etc.

Ugh, David’s Mom was an abusive, alcoholic nightmare - it’s the reason Roseanne let him come live with the family (he was planning on running away) so hopefully it’s just something the writers decided on and not an indication that they are in touch with the “other” grandma.

[buffy11bnl]

Just rewatched the whole episode and here are some things that stood out even more the 2nd time through  

 

(On not returning glass casserole dishes in a timely manner)”Other people are dying and their relatives are getting food in Tupperware”

 

To Bev, after she said a mother should never have to bury their child “Mom, you’re 92 you’re going to bury us all”

 

Chuck’s, deep legit concern about the “truck through the house thing” not just being an expression 

 

“Seen a little too much action in Nam, Joey?” 1000% spot on Dan Conner 

 

The gag of them all sitting around the couch was top notch - I cackled the first time I watched (DJ’s “my ass is wet!” also made me laugh)

 

The scene on the porch between Marcy and Dan is some of the most honest, fucking deeply painfully relatable acting I’ve ever seen -on this show or any other. 

The convo in the garage between Dan and Darlene was a little meta, but just this once it’s understandable.

 

In my family the corn holders go in a small ziplock bag in the silverware drawer/on the outside of the utensil holder thingy

 

Dan helping Mark pick his seat mate was fantastic - as an adult I’m so team Enrique but I guess it makes sense that he’s got a thing for dark and brooding lol.

DJ and the girls in the kitchen was another moment that was just so authentic to the characters and the situation that I’m really really looking forward to seeing how things play out.

Finally that last scene, just give Goodman all the awards please.

 

Honestly I’m so happy with how this episode turned out, here’s hoping they can keep the quality consistent/even better than this episode. 

[Bastet]

14 minutes ago, buffy11bnl said:

To Bev, after she said a mother should never have to bury their child “Mom, you’re 92 you’re going to bury us all”

And then be buried by a robot.

[Melgaypet]

I just realized I have no idea where our corn cob holders are. This is going to bug me until I find them.

Oh, Dan. He's so much like my dad, it breaks my heart. John Goodman slayed it this episode. The scene with Mary Steenburgen alone was Emmy-worthy, for both of them.

I liked Geena. I'm not Christian, but I wasn't bothered by what she said, it felt like typical acid-tinged Conner banter to me. Darlene clearly wasn't offended, I don't see that I need to be.

[BookWoman56]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

They might have chosen it precisely because of the disconnect between what "Granny" brings to mind and Roseanne's life when she became a grandma - young, still working, etc.  Or she could have done a "Granny" imitation at some point (I'm thinking of the several imitations Dan and Roseanne had done to embarrass the kids back in the day) and it stuck.  (Or she just liked it, but - especially in this family - it's possible it was rooted in humor.)

I assumed, quite possibly mistakenly, that "Granny" in reference to Roseanne was an inside joke alluding to the video horror game Granny. The kids would no doubt be aware of the game; my 6-year-old grandson knows about this game, so older kids/teens would definitely know about it. Among kids the age of my grandson, if you mention going to see "Granny," their response vacillates between fear and excitement until you break it to them that it's not the game but a real person. I could easily see Roseanne's grandchildren agreeing to use "Granny Rose" at the suggestion of their parents and snickering about it every time they say it.

[StaceyNotStacie]

26 minutes ago, BookWoman56 said:

I assumed, quite possibly mistakenly, that "Granny" in reference to Roseanne was an inside joke alluding to the video horror game Granny. The kids would no doubt be aware of the game; my 6-year-old grandson knows about this game, so older kids/teens would definitely know about it. Among kids the age of my grandson, if you mention going to see "Granny," their response vacillates between fear and excitement until you break it to them that it's not the game but a real person. I could easily see Roseanne's grandchildren agreeing to use "Granny Rose" at the suggestion of their parents and snickering about it every time they say it.

Granny doesn’t surprise me, but I’m surprised that they referred to her as Rose. Dan always called her Rosie, so you’d think that they’d call her Granny/Grandma Rosie instead of Granny Rose. 

[Bastet]

The "Rose" thing makes me think of when Dan went to get a tattoo of her name, but backed out halfway through because it hurt, so it was "Rose" rather than "Roseanne."  He tried to play it off as intentional, but she pointed out he never calls her that.  He offered to go back and have it made "Rosey," saying he can handle adding a "Y."

No one else called her Rose, either ("It's not my name, it's Mrs. Kennedy's name"), so I think the only way to explain it is as a thing just for the grandkids. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by Bastet

[Sile]

2 hours ago, buffy11bnl said:

Ugh, David’s Mom was an abusive, alcoholic nightmare - it’s the reason Roseanne let him come live with the family (he was planning on running away) so hopefully it’s just something the writers decided on and not an indication that they are in touch with the “other” grandma.

Funny you should use that term, because we called my grandmas Grandma Last Name and Other Grandma.  We picked it up just from my maternal always referring to my paternal as "your other grandma".  Not in a negative way, but just differentiating like "that's not my casserole dish, it must belong to your other grandma".  

Even though it might seem dismissive, to me "other" meant really special and extremely loved.  Even though I'm an adult and they've both passed I still think of her and talk about her as Other Grandma.  And now I'm tearing up because I just put it together that today is the 20th anniversary of her passing...

[Emily Thrace]

3 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

Granny doesn’t surprise me, but I’m surprised that they referred to her as Rose. Dan always called her Rosie, so you’d think that they’d call her Granny/Grandma Rosie instead of Granny Rose. 

I wonder if it's what Roseanne Barr's grandkids call her. She did tend to bring her home life to work.

[FairyDusted]

All this talk about Granny had me thinking. On one side of my family all the Grandparent and Great were called Gramma Last Name and Granpa Last name. The other side we had Nana and 
Papa and Greats were Gramma and G Last name. 

We chose Nana and Papa for our Littles and its funny because we were young parents and Grandparents but the other side for them goes by Gramma FIRST NAME. I swear I would have been sent across the room. My Grands didn't even know my real name until they overheard someone call me. Shocked I tell ya. LOL My bestie had the best idea though. They are Lolly and Pop. Totally cute.

I rewatched the episode again last night. I'm always amazed at what I missed the first go around. I chased my husband with corn holders today for fun. Luckily he watches too! 

[Pete Martell]

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

That rubbed me the wrong way too. Yes, I understand that it was meant to be lighthearted and it was just a way for the writers to short-hand this kind of dynamic between Darlene and Gina, or to establish that Gina is a devout Christian, but it was a clumsy and insulting way to do it. You don't tell people to reserve a spot in hell if they don't believe in the Bible after their mother just died, and I don't care if you're "joking" or not. If this is the way writers think a typical Christian acts then I don't want them trying to portray one on their show at all.

I did think the writing was very clumsy (and I'm not sure how it's going to come across if the only religious person in the family is a black woman - are there any black female writers on the staff since Wanda Sykes left?), but I took the scene as probably being part of a long-running back-and-forth that both women are used to or enjoy. There was a certain playful tone under the barbs. 

I have to admit I had a few of the same reservations though. 

[Pete Martell]

7 hours ago, TWP said:

I was overwhelmed by how good this episode was.  I figured there was no way the show would ever be as good without her, but now I think lack of Roseanne  is an improvement.  Her voice grates and she can't act.  Sometimes I think she got herself fired on purpose, knowing that the show would be better without her.  Roseanne is secretly a saint, heh.

If they ever want Roseanne back, they can say it was all a opioid-laced dream, definitely an easy move for this show.

I went back and watched some old episodes today, which I haven't done in a very long time, and it reminded me of how much the character meant to me, even with Barr never being the most natural actress. I just felt a real connection with her, which is one of the reasons why I checked out of the old show as she and what surrounded her became more and more sour and scattered...and also one of reasons that the way she was written for the revival felt like such a betrayal. Enough of one that I was still going to take a pass even after her exit and just keep my memories. The constant barrage of trolls attacking the cast is what changed my mind, and I'm glad they did. 

I also decided to watch a bit of last season, and she was very rusty indeed. I think she had a few decent moments, and I think she would have improved with another season, but it was such a struggle to separate Roseanne Connor from Roseanne Barr - it was like seeing a loved one you'd been close to become mean and broken, and you wonder if you had just made up the happy memories, or if you'd been fooling yourself all along. 

The show isn't the same without her, but it feels like so much of Roseanne Connor died a long time ago anyway. And in death, for all the talk of how this is some kind of insult or slap in the face to have her die while hiding her dependence on pain pills, I think it reconnects the character to what she used to be. On the old show, especially in the earlier to middle seasons, Roseanne kept so much of her pain to herself, because she felt like she had no real choice. She had to keep the family going. That she died for this reason, pride and fear and responsibility, and keeping secrets that she couldn't trust anyone else with, is a fitting sendoff, and an honest one. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by Pete Martell

[buffy11bnl]

7 hours ago, Sile said:

Funny you should use that term, because we called my grandmas Grandma Last Name and Other Grandma.  We picked it up just from my maternal always referring to my paternal as "your other grandma".  Not in a negative way, but just differentiating like "that's not my casserole dish, it must belong to your other grandma".  

Even though it might seem dismissive, to me "other" meant really special and extremely loved.  Even though I'm an adult and they've both passed I still think of her and talk about her as Other Grandma.  And now I'm tearing up because I just put it together that today is the 20th anniversary of her passing...

Oh man, I’m sorry to hear that, it’s such a hard loss, even after so many years.

Your comment really struck home though because in my family there was a similar sort of distinction- my maternal grandma (who at the time lived about 2 miles away) was just “grandma” but my paternal grandma (who lived halfway across the country) was “grandma firstname” 

[llewis823]

16 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

In an homage to Everybody Loves Raymond I tried to get my son and DIL to encourage him to call her Connecticut Grandma but they wouldn't go for it!

Growing up, my mom's mom lived in Texas (and we are in Missouri) so when I needed to differentiate my grandmas in talking to someone else, I called the one Grandma Lastname and the other was "Texas Grandma" Sounds like a sitcom title, doesn't it? LOL  Now that I'm a grandma, my daughter's stepdaughter calls me Grandma Firstname. My bio granddaughter is only 8 months old so I'm anxious to see what incarnation of "Grandma" will come out of her mouth. She says Mama and DaDa so I don't think it will be long before she is trying to say Grandma. : )

[BlossomCulp]

4 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

On the old show, especially in the earlier to middle seasons, Roseanne kept so much of her pain to herself, because she felt like she had no real choice. She had to keep the family going. That she died for this reason, pride and fear and responsibility, and keeping secrets that she couldn't trust anyone else with, is a fitting sendoff, and an honest one. 

This reminds me so much of women of an earlier generation who literally would rather die then go see a doctor about a lump in their breast or pain in their "woman's place".  It's just so sad but totally believable to me that while women may feel more open to getting help now in some areas both men and women will still keep secrets around their health issues even if it means putting their lives at risk.

Edited October 19, 2018 by BlossomCulp