S11.E03: Hashtag Murphy Too

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

After Murphy attends a sexual harassment seminar for the ``Murphy in the Morning'' staff, she is surprised to find herself reeling from a long-repressed memory.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Liked tonight's episode. The show is starting to pick up steam. 

[shapeshifter]

Was it supposed to make me cry?

[Annber03]

I liked this episode, too. I especially appreciated how they showed and explained why so many women stay quiet about this stuff for so long. And Murphy confronting the creep was awesome, as was her subtle way of looking out for the young woman working for him. 

Also, I really, really like Avery :). 

[UYI]

Still some awkward parts at times, but still enjoying it. And Murphy getting the award back made me so happy.

And I started to tear up when Jim showed up in the promo for next week. I think his episode was supposed to be the third one, so I guess these two were switched around. 

[friendperidot]

shapeshifter: me too. The past few weeks have brought me so much anger at things happening now and things that happened 50 years ago. I'm pretty close in age to Candace Bergen and to Tyne Daly, I've loved them both for so many years. And this episode said it. Thank you Murphy Brown. I'm still weepy, maybe that's a relief from the anger.

[AntiBeeSpray]

11 minutes ago, UYI said:

Still some awkward parts at times, but still enjoying it. And Murphy getting the award back made me so happy.

And I started to tear up when Jim showed up in the promo for next week. I think his episode was supposed to be the third one, so I guess these two were switched around. 

Yep. But at least it's finding its footing. That's what matters. And Frank getting zapped over and over lol. Word. She took back her power.

Yea I loved seeing Jim again. He finally found Casual Friday :D ;). Love those orange pants. Maybe.

 

14 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I liked this episode, too. I especially appreciated how they showed and explained why so many women stay quiet about this stuff for so long. And Murphy confronting the creep was awesome, as was her subtle way of looking out for the young woman working for him. 

Also, I really, really like Avery :). 

So did I. They handled it with dignity and class.

Edited October 12, 2018 by AntiBeeSpray

[Snow Apple]

Very realistic. Bad guys don't always get punished or even confronted. Like Phyllis told Murphy, do it for the rest of us.

[yellowjacket]

I missed the first two episodes because I thought it was kinda silly to bring it back.  I.was.wrong.  Candace Bergen is a badass.  Love that Murphy didn't sell the Warhol.  I'm  all in.

[izabella]

I liked this episode a lot.  They were able to add some humor with Corky wearing Miles out with her MeToo stories...I'm not even through my 20's yet!  And I loved that Murphy was able to open up to Avery. 

[Gemma Violet]

Excellent episode--the best out of the first three, although I enjoyed the first two as well.  So glad Murphy is back.

[stonehaven]

This was a great episode...great lines...great plot...this is why I was excited to see Murphy Brown.

[GHScorpiosRule]

“I was raised right.”

Just made me smile and teary. Though I loved Murphy confronting that ass, and taking her award, my favorite scene was her telling Avery what happened and the line above.

[kathyk24]

That episode was brilliant. I think my favorite scene was Jessica and Murphy. Murphy realized that it really wasn't her fault and she could prevent someone else from being a victim. The scenes between Murphy and Avery are the best.

[aemom]

There have been several times when I think back to my high school years (in the 1980's) and I have snippets of memories that I know are part of larger memories that I used to have. Things that happened to me and things I saw happening to other girls that just didn't seem ... right. I never told anyone anything, not even to discuss it with my friends. I think that in my mind, that was the way the world was, and that was that.

I can also honestly say that nobody ever laid a finger on me personally or even propositioned me, but there were just some uncomfortable situations.  I can totally see why so many women never said a word about things happening to them that were far, far worse.  I'm glad that the world is changing and it will become much harder for people to abuse positions of power.

This was a great episode, and I never realized how much I missed Murphy Brown on the air.

Edited October 12, 2018 by AEMom
Forgot something

[Sarahsmile416]

11 minutes ago, AEMom said:

There have been several times when I think back to my high school years (in the 1980's) and I have snippets of memories that I know are part of larger memories that I used to have. Things that happened to me and things I saw happening to other girls that just didn't seem ... right. I never told anyone anything, not even to discuss it with my friends. I think that in my mind, that was the way the world was, and that was that.

I can also honestly say that nobody ever laid a finger on me personally or even propositioned me, but there were just some uncomfortable situations.  I can totally see why so many women never said a word about things happening to them that were far, far worse.  I'm glad that the world is changing and it will become much harder for people to abuse positions of power.

This was a great episode, and I never realized how much I missed Murphy Brown on the air.

This.  I went to high school a little later than you (mid 90s) and just now I’m remembering things a vice principal did to me in the hallway of my school. Back then I remember feeling uncomfortable but saying nothing. He was the vice principal after all. Now, remembering it all I get angry.  I wish I had said something.  I’m so glad that this movement is out there to help women have the confidence I didn’t have.

Without a doubt, my favorite episode thus far.

[HyeChaps]

My favorite part was Murphy discussing the Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons. It’s funny because it’s true!

[Athena5217]

Loved the conversation between Murphy and Avery. The actors have a convincing mother-son dynamic. I was worried that adult Avery wouldn’t work since the original show’s focus was Murphy’s career. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Either I have forgotten what Miles was like or he is being written badly. I remember Miles being smart and capable. He was high strung and unable to handle Murphy sometimes, but overall he was an effective producer. This Miles just seems like a basket case. He really had to have it explained to him that he couldn’t date an employee?! Also, did the writers forget that Miles and Corky were married? Perhaps she wouldn’t have told him ALL those stories when they were married, but    at least some. They don’t act like two people that were ever more than coworkers.

[Bastet]

23 hours ago, UYI said:

And I started to tear up when Jim showed up in the promo for next week. I think his episode was supposed to be the third one, so I guess these two were switched around. 

Yes, when it was originally announced his first appearance would be in episode three, that was early in the post-production of the initial, filmed-in-advance batch of episodes (after the first handful, future episodes will have a short turnaround and the season finale will be really quick).  Somewhere in there, it was also announced that the #metoo episode had been moved up to slot three.  So it wasn't clear whether we'd see Jim in episode three as would now air, or whether he was in the episode slotted for episode three but now airing as episode four.

Now we know, and I'm looking forward to it.

But I wish they'd moved this #metoo episode up to the episode two slot; it's that good, and would have better capitalized on the first one.

I’d been looking forward to it since I first heard about it, and I think they did a particularly good job with doing this story from the perspective of someone of Murphy’s generation.  “I don’t know any woman who hasn’t had an experience,” contrasted with her initially shrugging that off, but then looking back on things that were regarded then as just par for the course and finally confronting what happened to her.  “I keep going over it in my mind – [when he would do X, I would do Y, and maybe I invited it]” – that transcends generations. 

And when she confronted her harasser – who railed against “women dredging up the past, pointing fingers, ruining reputations” as so many fellow abusers have – and got her particular form of closure.  Fuck, yeah.  That’s why I’ve always loved this show.

I also loved Murphy and Phyllis together, as contemporaries in the “in those days, it was just a bad date” era.  And Phyllis urging Murphy to use her magnified voice on behalf of others.  Murphy and Jessica was also played perfectly, without saying anything explicitly.

“I was raised right.”  I got emotional at that, another pitch perfect thing – Murphy never directly articulated “X happened to me and was wrong, and I want you to do Y instead,” to Avery but still taught him proper respect and boundaries, and he truly learned it -- reflected on the reasons behind it, accepted it, and implemented it.  We need that.  We'll never get anywhere without it.

And, oh gods, Wolf Network’s seminar being about how-to rather than me too.  I roared! 

And Corky’s “I’m not even through my twenties yet” (in listing the things that have happened to her).  Because – yeah.

Begging Ruth Bader Ginsburg to stay healthy, because – yeah. 

And, thank you, Show, for showing a corporation presenting typical sexual harassment training via a man who presents outlandish examples everyone would know are wrong and who acts as if objections to the more common examples are just over-sensitive reactions that would make the company vulnerable to frivolous litigation.  Because – yeah.

In lighter news, I laughed at the PSA about how BB&B coupons don’t expire.

So, I guess in this ridiculous open concept workspace era, no one – even Murphy Fucking Brown – gets an office, so we’re not going to see that as a separate set, and thus not going to see Murphy’s fabulous dart board?

They also haven’t taken advantage of allusions to the many great examples of the elevator doors opening onto the bullpen and wonderful hijinx ensuing.

Edited October 13, 2018 by Bastet

[Annber03]

4 minutes ago, Bastet said:

And, oh gods, Wolf Network’s seminar being about how-to rather than me too.  I roared! 

Same :D. 

And on a related note, this episode is even more appropriate given the news coming out of CBS itself lately, too. 

[kit.kat343]

Jake McDorman and Tyne Daly are both incredible on this show.  Casting did a great job of adding wonderful new actors to this show.  Candace Bergen is an amazing actress, but I hope the writing picks up a little - they haven't given her as much good material to work with.  Her interactions with Avery are great, I just wish the show's other writing was a little stronger for her.   

[Snow Apple]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

Murphy and Jessica was also played perfectly without, without saying anything explicitly.

Yes, the writing was good in this scene. They didn't come out and say it but it made you wonder how many interns were between Murphy and Jessica. And of course he took credit for Murphy's success and used it to tempt the students how he can do the same for them. After all, he's so great that Murphy even "gave" him her award.

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

And Corky’s “I’m not even through my twenties yet” (in listing the things that have happened to her).  Because – yeah.

I remember telling a male friend about a man following me on the street (the first time it happened; it's happened to me more than once). My male friend asked how old I was when this happened. I was 14. I looked older, as I was an early bloomer, but still: 14. 

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

Yes, the writing was good in this scene. They didn't come out and say it but it made you wonder how many interns were between Murphy and Jessica. And of course he took credit for Murphy's success and used it to tempt the students how he can do the same for them. After all, he's so great that Murphy even "gave" him her award.

I thought the scene between Murphy and Jessica was excellent. And I also wondered if the prof had developed a reputation in the intervening years that Jessica was aware of, because I got the sense that Jessica was thinking, yeah, I'll probably need this card.

[AriAu]

While still entertaining and while I still lover Candace Bergen and Murphy Brown, the prior incarnation of this show was funnier while it got its point across. This was a solid episode that got its point across very well and actually aired out lots of sides of the argument (old guy thought it was flirting, "in the day we called it a bad date"....."but now I know he was grooming me for this"), but hit the perfect note at the end ...."I was raised right", which is the point. Preachy, yeah a little, but spot on.

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 I remember Miles being smart and capable. He was high strung and unable to handle Murphy sometimes, but overall he was an effective producer. This Miles just seems like a basket case.

No, he was always a basket case.....and very good at his job and I am sure that at some point they will show us that he is good at his job.

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Also, did the writers forget that Miles and Corky were married? Perhaps she wouldn’t have told him ALL those stories when they were married, but    at least some. They don’t act like two people that were ever more than coworkers.

Thank you...I have been wondering the exact same thing.

[Tanichka]

43 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

And I also wondered if the prof had developed a reputation in the intervening years that Jessica was aware of, 

And yet, she's still there.  

Could this series be any more predictable?  #metoo - check.  Murphy suddenly remembers something which happened 50 years ago.  

Horrible acting, horrible writing, trying so hard to be relevant.  I'm done.

[proserpina65]

God, that was awful!  I could've lived with the extremely heavy-handed preachiness, because MB was pretty preachy in its original incarnation, if anything had been funny.  But I did not laugh one time during the entire show.

I'll hang around for next week because Jim is returning, but after that I might be out.

[Tanichka]

13 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

if anything had been funny.  But I did not laugh one time during the entire show.

That's the problem, isn't it?  Not funny.

[Sarah 103]

13 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

“I was raised right.”

Just made me smile and teary. Though I loved Murphy confronting that ass, and taking her award, my favorite scene was her telling Avery what happened and the line above.

That scene was wonderful. Also, they need to put Avery in a shirt like that again, but not when it's a big emotional heart to heart type scene. 

I did not like the biometric feedback at the end of the subplot with Frank and the app. Having thoughts and feelings and acting on them are two different things. Frank can think whatever he wants when a woman passes by. If he doesn't make unwanted physical contact or catcall her, then as far I'm concerened, there is no issue.

Once when I was in graduate school I was thinking about pursing a relationship with another classmate. We had only spent time together as part of a large group and I wanted to get to know him better. I found out he was married and felt awful. One of my friends pointed out that I hadn't done anything wrong. I hadn't hit on him or made any sort of advances. Thinking something and doing/saying something are two totally different things.  

[iMonrey]

While I thought this episode had something important to say, I think I figured out what's wrong with the show overall. Politics just aren't funny anymore. These are different times, and things have changed a lot since the late 80s and the 90s. This country is a lot more partisan and divided than we were just 20-30 years ago. Nobody on the left thinks the current state of affairs is a joking matter anymore, and nobody on the right is probably going to watch this show anyway.

[proserpina65]

3 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Nobody on the left thinks the current state of affairs is a joking matter anymore,

I disagree with that.  I'm firmly on the left, and I think there's plenty in the state of our politics now which can be joked about, even if the subject matter is heavy and emotional.  (Exhibit #1: SNL)  My problem is that the current iteration of Murphy Brown just isn't doing it well enough to keep me watching because it simply hasn't been all that funny.

[madfortv]

To echo many of the other posts, this episode was the best so far.  I'm hoping it will continue to improve.

[Tanichka]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

I disagree with that.  I'm firmly on the left, and I think there's plenty in the state of our politics now which can be joked about, even if the subject matter is heavy and emotional.  (Exhibit #1: SNL)  My problem is that the current iteration of Murphy Brown just isn't doing it well enough to keep me watching because it simply hasn't been all that funny.

Absolutely agree!  I have a dark sense of humor & can/will laugh at a lot of things, but MB needs new writers (or something).

[ItsJessMe]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

While I thought this episode had something important to say, I think I figured out what's wrong with the show overall. Politics just aren't funny anymore. These are different times, and things have changed a lot since the late 80s and the 90s. This country is a lot more partisan and divided than we were just 20-30 years ago. Nobody on the left thinks the current state of affairs is a joking matter anymore, and nobody on the right is probably going to watch this show anyway.

That’s my issue with it.  I watch TV to escape the current situation so watching a show about it is painful.  But I still watch because I love these characters!

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

 

Once when I was in graduate school I was thinking about pursing a relationship with another classmate. We had only spent time together as part of a large group and I wanted to get to know him better. I found out he was married and felt awful. One of my friends pointed out that I hadn't done anything wrong. I hadn't hit on him or made any sort of advances. Thinking something and doing/saying something are two totally different things.  

You're absolutely right, but I think Frank is portrayed as someone who has very limited filters, which isn't unheard of in the real world. CoughTrumpCough

. I don't know if they really needed to include that, either. 

[magicdog]

I'm just not feeling it.  Not only the lack of laughs (or one good line per episode) but I think characterization for Murphy is slipping.

Quote

Could this series be any more predictable?  #metoo - check.  Murphy suddenly remembers something which happened 50 years ago. 

This.  Murphy didn't take crap from guys like the professor character.  That was one of the things that made her such an intrepid journalist;  even a 19 year old Murphy would have seen it coming.  If the Murphy  we've always known had walked into the man's house and there were no other party guests around, she would have done a 180 and left!

 

Quote

I did not like the biometric feedback at the end of the subplot with Frank and the app. Having thoughts and feelings and acting on them are two different things. Frank can think whatever he wants when a woman passes by. If he doesn't make unwanted physical contact or catcall her, then as far I'm concerned, there is no issue.

Ditto!  I love Frank's character and he deserves something better.  It's not a crime to find a person attractive even if you don't initiate contact.

Miles also deserves better - even he knows dating in the workplace is often frowned upon in some companies. He would have been informed of the rules regarding such things when he signed on.  

The ICE joke wasn't funny either.  Maybe that's a clue that Miguel should "make it legal" rather than hide like a child because he heard "that word".  If he is a Dreamer, he would have filed the paperwork already.

So far, we have yet to really see Avery at work or on his show.  I think we need to see more of him doing his thing.

 

Quote

So, I guess in this ridiculous open concept workspace era, no one – even Murphy Fucking Brown – gets an office, 

Hard to say.  I work in TV news and since Murphy and the gang work for a cable network of some size, they likely all have offices and at least one assistant to handle certain tasks.  The meeting was held on set, which is not uncommon when there is a large group to gather for a meeting like that.  Regular meeting rooms tend to be too small unless they hold them off property.  It doesn't necessarily mean they don't have offices.  Miles's position demands office space, so it's not a stretch for Murphy, Corky or Frank to have one too.

 

If Diane English really wanted to take a chance on something contemporary, lets see a bookend episode in which Avery is called out publicly by a girl he once dated in college (or better still - someone who crushed on him but he didn't reciprocate) for touching/harassing her a decade ago.   Then Murphy has the issue of wanting to be Mama Bear (because she knows her son would never do such a thing) and also consider that others could have had their reputations destroyed undeservedly. 

[Tanichka]

Avery being called out for an incident in his past is a great idea!  

I agree that Murphy would have figured out where her prof was coming from.  That situation did not ring true.  They are trying too hard to be current and relevant.

Edited October 12, 2018 by Tanichka

[friendperidot]

I don't know that as a 19 yr old journalism student, that Murphy would have stood up to and confronted an older, influential professor, she was flattered by his attention and 50 years ago, there really were no consequences for his behavior and even if she felt uncomfortable, she was probably not comfortable enough to say anything. I can understand her questioning what she had done to let him think this was ok with her. It was what was done. I know, up to a year ago when I was put in a very awkward situation by a male "friend" I worried and stressed for weeks. When I assaulted by an older, bmoc in high school, I certainly didn't have any skills to handle it, no where to turn, so I stuffed it down, never entirely forgotten, but compartmentalized and put away until the past few weeks and things have come rushing back. About a year ago, a male "friend" decided that even though I had made statements like, "no, I am not interested in sex with you or anyone else at this stage of my life," he had to push his agenda, decided one day while visiting me and watching a stupid documentary on Netflix that was right up his alley of conspiracy theories, but not at all related to anything sexual, he decided he had to whip it out and jerk it off. After I got him out of my house, I cut off all contact, but it still took me 3 days of wondering what I had done to "ask" for that behavior and then I came to the realization, I hadn't done a damn thing, it was all on him, he was the one that decided to do that. When I came to that realization, I talked it over with a very trusted, gay, male friend. And there is a reason why I put "trusted, gay and male" in that statement. I've had too many of the other kind of experiences and I don't trust most men any more. Now, Murphy wouldn't have gotten to that point, she would have ordered his ass out before he got it all the way out and I hope to be more like Murphy, but I'm not. I was shocked. But in high school, I had zero experience with sexual matters and had no clue, I had been raised to be a "good" girl and "good" girls didn't push envelopes, most of us no idea what an envelope was at that point. And even more to the point, sexual assault is not about sex, it is about power and control over the other person. I am never giving up my power again.

[treeofdreams]

The whole atmosphere back when Murphy was 19 was different that it is today, or even was 20 or so years ago.  I lived through that time, and I have no problem believing that Murphy wasn't prepared for what happened.  But she did push him off and get out of there.  Standing up to him and telling him off?  Just not done back then.

Edited October 12, 2018 by treeofdreams

[Tanichka]

Murphy’s mother was a tough, strong woman, so I’m sure Murph wasn’t a babe in the woods.  I think in the instance that they outlined on the show, Mary Richards could have handled it.  Nothing happened other than disillusion, so I doubt she is traumatized 50 years later.

Standing up and telling him off, maybe not.  Running like hell, for sure!  And it would not have been a secret, either.  The word spread would have been along the lines of, “Do you know what that asshole tried to pull?”  I am of that time, and we were not timid hothouse flowers.  You had to look out for yourself.

[chitowngirl]

2 hours ago, magicdog said:

This.  Murphy didn't take crap from guys like the professor character.  That was one of the things that made her such an intrepid journalist;  even a 19 year old Murphy would have seen it coming.  If the Murphy  we've always known had walked into the man's house and there were no other party guests around, she would have done a 180 and left!

It was probably this incident that made Murphy the Murphy we’ve always known.

[Snow Apple]

If she did tell back then, what would have happened? Either she won't be believed or get brushed off with "Well dear, you got away so nothing really happened. Don't make waves." 

Look at how victims are dragged through the mud nowadays. Imagine how much worse it was back then for women to be taken seriously. Even someone like Murphy.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

If she did tell back then, what would have happened? Either she won't be believed or get brushed off with "Well dear, you got away so nothing really happened. Don't make waves." 

Look at how victims are dragged through the mud nowadays. Imagine how much worse it was back then for women to be taken seriously. Even someone like Murphy.

Especially if the prof really did make careers. "You want to be a journalist, don't you?" That's very common even today (I can think of several instances of women I know personally who have dealt with/are dealing with this.)

[ombelico]

Adding the story of the professor sexually harassing college student Murphy helps to loop back to Murphy's vociferous defense of Corky when she was being sexually harassed by the network exec, and Murphy told him that if he bothered Corky again she would punch him so hard he'd "be coughing up things [he] ate as a child."

[Guest]

I thought that was the worst episode of the three. I know it was trying to be relevant, but unlike the other episodes, it had no humor. In the past, even when Murphy Brown covered a tough, relevant subject, they did it with wit. This time they did a joke about Bed Bath and Beyond and that was supposed to pass as the humor for the episode?

[Panopticon]

If the only good thing that came out of this reboot was viewers getting a chance to meet grown up, smart, decent, sweet, funny Avery, it would have been worth it. As others have said, I love that he has a mutually supportive, respectful, (mostly) positive adult relationship with Murphy rather than going the predictable route of having them be estranged and his rebellion leading to his opposing her politically.

But... as of this episode, I don't think that was the only good thing about the reboot.

I really enjoy Tyne Daly as Phyllis. I'm glad she was interested in taking the role.

The harassment training wasn't ha-ha, laugh out loud at the punchline funny, but it was funny in a quietly observant way because it was so freaking accurate. I remember the first time I went to one of those. I was just out of school, the room was mostly men old enough to be my father/grandfather, and at least half a dozen of them walked in and yelled "I'm all ready to learn how to harass!" The shout out to all of the men who had their names on their shows and fell from grace may have been low-hanging fruit, but it was well placed. As was Wolf Network's training being more of a how-to.

And I'm glad for #MurphyToo. No, it wasn't funny. But it was a thumb in the eye to the narrative that if a woman is smart enough, tough enough, loud enough, strong enough, it would never happen to her, not even when she was a teenager and the man involved had fifty kinds of authority over her. That narrative is wrong. It just is. It happens to all kinds of women from all walks of life because it's impossible to spend all of one's brainpower calculating whether every move you make could be interpreted by a man who is supposed to be doing his job as a "signal." Thanks, Murphy.

[bybrandy]

I really, really haven't liked much of anything in the reboot except Avery and wasn't all that excited to watch this one.  Best one yet, by far.   I think they still have work to do with Frank and Miles but this felt like it was headed in a much, much better direction.

[AntiBeeSpray]

3 hours ago, deaja said:

I thought that was the worst episode of the three. I know it was trying to be relevant, but unlike the other episodes, it had no humor. In the past, even when Murphy Brown covered a tough, relevant subject, they did it with wit. This time they did a joke about Bed Bath and Beyond and that was supposed to pass as the humor for the episode?

 I didn't mind it. Not every show has to be laughs all the time. I think given the subject matter, there's nothing wrong with it being more serious. I don't think it being uber funny would have worked there in my opinion. The Bed, Bath, Beyond joke was Murphy trying to put up a wall when something was wrong. Found nothing wrong with it.

Edited October 13, 2018 by AntiBeeSpray

[pricklypear]

This was definitely better than the first two episodes. I agree that Murphy and Avery are amazing together. I like Phyllis, too. I hope they just keep improving. It always takes shows -- brand new or returning -- to find their footing again. The one thing that is different for me this go 'round is that politics in the first incarnation was kind of a secondary character, almost subliminal (with some notable exceptions, like the Dan Quayle episode). It was always there, but it was woven into other, bigger plots. A good example was Murphy having a baby. The main plot of those episodes was her being pregnant and deciding to have the baby, and you obviously can't get through a story like that without some relevant, political humor. And the Dan Quayle issue was just mining what had actually happened in real life. It was a lucky (and hilarious, poignant, of course) coincidence. This time, the plots revolve around the politics itself. It's kind of like That 70s Show for me. The seventies were always in the background, and jokes were sometimes made about it, and those jokes were funny, but most of the basic plots were everyday, "normal" stuff. Then they aired That 80s Show, and almost every single joke was about the eighties decade itself. It really wasn't funny because they tried too hard to make the underlying thread -- the absurdity of the decade -- the main plot.

 

Last week's episode was very much like this. The whole thing revolved around Murphy's big speech at the press conference. The #metoo episode this week was better, I think, because the plot stemmed from a broader issue of sexual harassment seminars (and who hasn't had to sit through one of those?). Her revelation, and the conversations after, were a little more natural than the first two episodes. Not sure if I'm explaining that well, but I think if they put the horse back before the cart, they'll be fine. Politics will always be a part of MB, and it will always be a left-leaning show. It just needs to be a little more organic, I think.

[IDreamofJoaquin]

Some of the jokes were corny but this episode at least finally toned it down a little from trying to include themselves in every single event/hashtag that has happened in the last few years.

I appreciated the women on the show addressing that it was a different time back then, and that Corky had a long list of being harassed because that's so true.  I'm almost 40 and I could tell just as many stories.  

Murphy being someone who would not take shit or was always a strong person is neither here nor there.  The fact is many strong women know what's up but they had no support. I have always known when something was wrong, even as a little girl, and was vocal about it and was mocked for being "too dramatic" or not believed and the behavior was never addressed properly. I don't know why people like to turn the other cheek but they do.

[wendyg]

At the time when Murphy would have been in college, a big reason you'd have turned the other cheek is that you were by and large focused on proving you should be taken seriously in whatever profession you were entering. Part of that was also strenuously avoiding suggestions that you "slept your way to the top". #murphytoo didn't feel right to me either. The episode did make me wonder, though, if Murphy was telling the story of something that actually happened to Diane English.