S05.E02: The Hand That Sits the Cradle

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

When Jessica offers to help out exhausted new mother Honey with Zuo Yue Zi - which means "Sitting the Month" taking care of her - Honey begins to realize that 30 days of having to abide by Jessica's strict rules and dietary regimen could leave her more harried then she already is. Meanwhile, after watching "Pumping Iron," Eddie and Emery attempt to put together a workout routine in order to buff themselves up; and Louis tries to bond more with Evan, who is a die-hard "mommy guy."

Original air date: 10/12/18

[possibilities]

I'm with Louis about the anthills.

[Camera One]

As usual... poor Honey.

At least this episode was better than the first episode.

[Koalagirl]

The show has definitely lost something so far this season.  I can’t sit through an episode without letting myself be distracted by doing something else at the same time.

[fishcakes]

It seems like they have Eddie sitting down a lot more than in previous seasons to try to hide the actor's obvious growth spurt. If he is standing, he's usually alone in the shot. I wanted to see him standing next to his dad because I'm pretty sure he's taller now -- even when he's sitting you can see how long his legs are.

[readster]

35 minutes ago, fishcakes said:

It seems like they have Eddie sitting down a lot more than in previous seasons to try to hide the actor's obvious growth spurt. If he is standing, he's usually alone in the shot. I wanted to see him standing next to his dad because I'm pretty sure he's taller now -- even when he's sitting you can see how long his legs are.

Problem when you try to do time period pieces like this. While The Goldbergs uses the shifting time line, they did a problem trying to put the series start in 1995 and not a slide 90s timeline. Because all the actors get older and the kids get taller. How long before they have an excuse to try and keep the youngest boy WAY behind his older brothers to keep the age centered. 

5 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

The show has definitely lost something so far this season.  I can’t sit through an episode without letting myself be distracted by doing something else at the same time.

That's the problem when ABC decided to try and bring back TGIF after they got into a tizzy about money and other things with using more DRAMA last year. Speechless was a good choice, but canceling LMS and then thinking Fresh off the Boat (no longer fresh) to try and anchor a new generation of TGIF was not a good marketing strategy. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

15 minutes ago, readster said:

How long before they have an excuse to try and keep the youngest boy WAY behind his older brothers to keep the age centered. 

My worry is that Jessica is going to have a baby. Then the show will officially jump the shark, although it could be argued that it already has. 

[ponyglue]

Is this the first time a show has jumped the shark resulting from a baby that isn't even the main characters'?

[readster]

2 hours ago, Superclam said:

My worry is that Jessica is going to have a baby. Then the show will officially jump the shark, although it could be argued that it already has. 

Babies work when it's written in with the characters and a natural step for the characters. Say a young married couple or in the case like Carla on Cheers. However, with FOB, that is a very horrible choice. Similar to Black-ish going with kids #5 before the creator of the show had a baby late in life too and figured it was a good way since two of the kids were leaving the show in the next two seasons. It backfired because then it was: "Why is Bo home if they have a nanny?" "Why did they bothering writing a baby in if it's ignored for several episodes and then shows up and people have issues with the kid?" It's poor writing and shows the writers/producers don't have any original thinking. Then it goes the opposite way when Amanda Fuller was pregnant in real life during LMS season 3 and they didn't write it in because they didn't WANT to deal with casing a baby. Yet, it would have been natural for Ryan and Kris to deal with having a kid as adults instead of teenage parents and Boyd dealing with being a big brother. However, they rather deal with the characters dynamics because of personal reasons.

  I feel like Fresh off the Boat doesn't know what to do with the characters that is natural or believable. You can only have Jessica being super bossy for so long before someone would push her off a cliff. 

Edited October 13, 2018 by readster

[Camera One]

47 minutes ago, readster said:

I feel like Fresh off the Boat doesn't know what to do with the characters that is natural or believable. 

I get that too.  They keep having to revert Jessica, who learns a lesson and then is back to her old self in the next episode.  The other characters don't even have that.  Without a coherent character journey or developed internal conflicts, the characters do random things in any given episode.  Emery and Eddie in this episode is an example.  The Louis/Evan relationship (or lack of one) had more potential for depth, but it was resolved quickly and randomly (in a very shallow way) and it will probably be forgotten by the next episode.  

The alternative to having deeper characters is making the show funny, but the jokes are hit and (mostly) miss.

Edited October 13, 2018 by Camera One

[ClareWalks]

Oh my god, Jessica is once again THE WORST.

[tennisgurl]

There were some laughs here and there, but I was mostly bored. Jessica learns the same lesson over and over again, and Louis fumbles with being a dad. Rinse and repeat. 

I did laugh at them making fun of Twister, as my dad and I have a long running joke about how much he loves Twister, and how stupid I always find it. 

[SanDiegoInExile]

On 10/13/2018 at 7:49 AM, readster said:

Problem when you try to do time period pieces like this. While The Goldbergs uses the shifting time line, they did a problem trying to put the series start in 1995 and not a slide 90s timeline. Because all the actors get older and the kids get taller. How long before they have an excuse to try and keep the youngest boy WAY behind his older brothers to keep the age centered. 

Not sure what "slide 90s" means?  Although the opening credits indicate 1995, the show is in 1998 or 1999.  They have moved ahead several years.

[lynxfx]

On 10/13/2018 at 7:49 AM, readster said:

Problem when you try to do time period pieces like this.

That 70's Show had this issue. They started out mid 1977 for the first season. Then 8 years later, they close out in 1980. They couldn't even get to Empire Strikes Back, considering Stars Wars was such a big source of material for the show.

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I did laugh at them making fun of Twister, as my dad and I have a long running joke about how much he loves Twister, and how stupid I always find it. 

I don't know what it is with that movie but I catch myself rewatching if it comes on. So many fun actors in it and some great lines. "What's an F5? ..... A finger of god."  And of course "Cow..." Perfect example of a 90's summer blockbuster. 

This has been one of my favorite shows so I hope it gets back on track. It does seem like it has been stumbling a bit. 

[Mellowyellow]

"My sons will probably all marry strong women who I will be too old to overpower"

Hehe loved that line! Classic Jessica.

Whilst I know a thing or two about confinement I hate that they wrote it as Jessica ultimately making it about her and her issues. They could have had the same story with poor Honey being constrained by confinement but had Jessica do it because she genuinely believed it was good for Honey and that Honey will get permanent sore bones in old age if she doesn't listen to her. Some asians are INSANE about confinement and it would have delivered the same humour without making Jessica look selfish *sigh*

I did like the advice she gave Louis and I found the Louis/Evan storyline decent. I don't feel like they actually resolved anything and became best buds but rather they can get along and will stumble upon something they both like. I didn't get the impression they will ever be close from the way it resolved.

[SmithW6079]

On 10/15/2018 at 8:11 AM, Mellowyellow said:

"My sons will probably all marry strong women who I will be too old to overpower"

Hehe loved that line! Classic Jessica.

Whilst I know a thing or two about confinement I hate that they wrote it as Jessica ultimately making it about her and her issues. They could have had the same story with poor Honey being constrained by confinement but had Jessica do it because she genuinely believed it was good for Honey and that Honey will get permanent sore bones in old age if she doesn't listen to her. Some asians are INSANE about confinement and it would have delivered the same humour without making Jessica look selfish *sigh*

I did like the advice she gave Louis and I found the Louis/Evan storyline decent. I don't feel like they actually resolved anything and became best buds but rather they can get along and will stumble upon something they both like. I didn't get the impression they will ever be close from the way it resolved.

But Grandma basically stated that she took care of Jessica for selfish reasons -- to get over her husband (or was it father?) dying. Which makes it seem as though this ritual can only take place conveniently right after tragic events to the caregiver. 

While I'm glad they made the book an utter failure, I still don't care for Jessica. I cringe whenever she's front and center.

[LisaM]

I miss Eddie's friends when they are not in an episode. They crack me up.

[TigerLily20]

My mother in law tried to do that whole sitting the month thing with me after my first born, and I was like, umm not leaving the house for a month......yeah not happening lol, I do like when they incorporate the Chinese culture, I do feel like that has been missing some

[floridamom]

Grandma's "apartment" in the garage is not believable or possible. In Central Florida, garages are like ovens most of the year. The garage was shown and is wasn't an add on to the living space of the house. 

[EtheltoTillie]

This is the worst show. So unfunny!  I tuned in to a random episode because I saw the lead actress in Crazy Rich Asians.