S03.E06: Kamsahamnida

[Armchair Critic]

3 hours ago, Drumpf1737 said:

The traders on Billions have ridiculous cars, homes and leisure activities so I'm really confused at the obsession with Randall and Beth's finances.

I mentioned their finances once in 3 seasons and it's an obsession? Sounds legit.

[debraran]

I feel since Sterling and the writers said they'd be trouble for Beth and Randall, it must be working together. (can you imagine?) Sterling said he was surprised about his "new job" and I assume he meant the political angle.  I hope he comes close but doesn't win, it would seem too odd and maybe his manager runs next? 

I liked the flashbacks and seeing Randall and Jack although Kate and Kevin were in the background. It did seem like "most" of the flashbacks they show Kevin and Randall not getting along so the grownup version is refreshing to see. Randall's disinterest in Jack's background seemed a bit much to me, he was his father and was curious about William, why not Jack's? Nothing to do with love but I don't know if the writers really touched on that.

Having a lab that ate cloth, socks, etc. I was a lot more curious when he pooped, that he passed it....stick anyone?  lol Did a rock just fly out or was it just that he pooped? Doesn't mean the rock passed that time, for my pup it was a day or two or three. ; )  I realize the writers weren't that concerned with that aspect, it was getting Toby out of the house, but still.  I hope Kate's speech on her grown up attitude now is a step to really being that way. I think across most fan forums, they are tired of her whining.

I liked Deja talking to Beth (Tess was out of character yelling at her earlier) It was from the heart. Deja’s description of how much Randall's loved her “He loves you like he’s in a Disney movie or something, like he hears tiny forest animals singing or playing kazoos, whenever you walk into a room.”

Come on, I don't think Jack's kids see that with Rebecca and Jack.  ; )  

Edited October 31, 2018 by debraran

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I, too, have been known to leave a message and then immediately think, "Ugh, why did I say that?" so I felt for Beth.

I was totally fine with her yelling at the kids because Tess was being a brat. If the swiper is so important why didn't TESS bring it? I also hated that they were basically blaming Beth for not selling enough cookies yet. First it was Beth's fault because they couldn't sell at her office because she got fired. Then it was her fault that there was already another troop selling in front of the grocery store (and that was after it was her fault for parking soooooo far away because the parking lot was full). Then it was her fault for trying to sell at a less busy mall. Then it was her fault for not bringing the swiper. Take some responsibility for yourselves, girls! For the record, this is why I hate most fundraising efforts. It ends up being more shit that the parents have to do.

I liked that Deja understands what Beth is going through in a way that Tess and Annie clearly don't.

I loved that Randall's response about the grandmother thinking about his nice hands was "I moisturize."

I'm glad that Randall noticed Beth wasn't okay, but why is his solution to tell her she should work on his campaign? Ugh.

Although I appreciate that Kate told Toby that she will continue supporting him no matter what, I totally laughed when she talked about how she'd been coddled her whole life yet somehow that made her strong as hell.

I get that Kevin is obsessed with solving this mystery but he couldn't give Zoe ONE NIGHT to do her decompression ritual of spoiling herself? So selfish!

5 hours ago, WhosThatGirl said:

I’m curious about what Kevins plan is, is he just going to walk around Vietnam looking for this woman? and be all “Hey I have your necklace!!!!!” Or something? 

Ha, it would not surprise me one bit if that is the extent of his plan. "Hi! Did anyone lose a necklace about 40 years ago? Hello? Anyone?"

[ElectricBoogaloo]

That Was Us:

[doodlebug]

The only thing that would redeem Randall’s storyline for me would be if he realized that his campaign manager was better suited to be councilman and dropped out of the race and supported him instead.

Randall has a campaign headquarters, all kinds of signage and has done all kinds of demographic research, all out of his own pocket?  That’s a ton ‘o money to spend for a council seat. Knowing Randall, if he does get elected, he’d promptly realize that a council member doesn’t have much power and he’d be running for mayor shortly thereafter.

Growing up, I had a friend whose dad was a councilman in our city.  It was a full time gig, but his campaign headquarters was their kitchen and his workers were his kids, family and friends. As for lawn signs and flyers, he solicited donations from local businesses like grocery stores and restaurants to pay for them and display them.  Granted this was many years ago, but it looks like Randall is going to outspend his opponent by a bundle. So, if he wins, it will be at least in part because he’s wealthy and his opponent is not. Score another one for democracy! 

Randall already has far more campaign infrastructure than most council candidates.  He is obviously, for whatever reason, quite financially blessed that he can do it all on his own dime.  Presidential candidates, even ones who are billionaires, go out of their way not to spend any of their own money on their campaigns.

[Jillybean]

It boggles the mind that Jack Pearson could have raised three kids who consistently put their own needs ahead of their partners'.

[Trillian]

It’s only just occurring to me, and maybe I missed it or forgot it, but did Kevin ever go to his dad’s beloved wife or his dad’s beloved best friend and ask about Jack’s history?  My own dad never talked about his experiences as a child in WWII, but I know a fair bit about it because he told my mom and she told me.  My own husband knows all sorts of things about my life - including my love life - before we met that my child could ask of him if she were curious and I was gone.

Ughh. Randall Pearson as the saviour of the Korean community.  A community gathered helplessly in the town square, feeling neglected and ignored, but unable to produce a candidate themselves or to mobilize themselves until a Pearson appears to bring them joy and political wisdom.  This plot line seems far more racist to me than a silk pillow case. 

[Katy M]

I was tired and had a headache, so I only watched the first 15 minutes of the show, but that was enough to annoy me.

1. Church is for worshipping God, not for political grandstanding.  If I knew that a candidate was going to church just to get votes, I might vote against him just for that.

2. I hope Kate's dog-parenting skills aren't a foreshadowing of her baby-parenting skills.  

3. This didn't really annoy me as I know you're not supposed to do this any more, but hey kids, go door to door like we used.  Yeah, yeah, I know.   But, to actually whine about how your mother not having a job any more affects your cookie sales is annoying.  And, I thought Beth's place of work was fairly small.  How were they selling 150 boxes there?

What I did like was Madison.  Though she annoys the crap out of Kate, she really is a good friend and clearly cares about her.  She was more excited about Kate's pregnancy than Kate.  

[ShadowFacts]

6 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Really, because this is one of the few things in the election story that rings true to me.  There are so many communities out there that get taken completely for granted or are completely ignored.  IF you are a person who there whole life has never seen somebody come into their community and address your concerns you stan for the first guy who shows up.   I have seen it so many times this election season "nobody has ever come to this neighborhood before..."  

It is the voting side of representation.  The first time people see somebody like them on TV it is a powerful experience.   So the fact that the role is small or degrading isn't an issue.   It is just amazing to see yourself reflected back.  Then a few years down the road the group of kids who grew up seeing themselves on TV are no longer impressed by that and wonder why the people that look like them don't have a real part, aren't the heroes, are the criminals, the background players, the sacrificed in the first scenes bit and they demand more.  

What really worked for me in this was the mother was inspired by Randall.  Her kids were not.   They pegged Randall as a guy who was going to show up once, court their vote, and never show up again.  It was two different generations and a very real response.  I'm white and middle class and I've seen a lot of my own representation all over the world.  But I've campaigned this year with a candidate who is committed to meeting everybody and I can't tell you the number of people who have signed up to vote for the first time because it was the first time they ever felt a politician heard them.   

It didn't ring true to me because a) he didn't say anything that compelling, and b) he actually was not targeting the Korean community because he cared a whit about them, he was doing it because he saw they loved the Manny, and then found they didn't come out for his opponent in the past.  He's kind of using them.  To me it seemed like he had a few experiences not connecting with the black people in the district, and now he's stumbled upon a possible path into office.  It's not a good look to me.  Like some have mentioned here, I hope he rethinks this or loses, it's just a wrong thing/place for him. 

[Pallas]

10 hours ago, voiceover said:

Cheers to Mandy Moore.  The moment Jack said, "You know, my brother and me...", the look on her face was: He mentioned his brother!  Don't scare him! He might talk more!!

 

Absolutely. Wonder-struck.  

That scene was their best together yet. In part because the moment allowed Milo to go quiet, tentative and warily, boyishly confidential. "The Squid..." And gave Mandy the chance to show Rebecca drawing him out -- as she would one of her sons -- rather than finding a new way to look appreciative and outdone.

[bybrandy]

14 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

It didn't ring true to me because a) he didn't say anything that compelling, and b) he actually was not targeting the Korean community because he cared a whit about them, he was doing it because he saw they loved the Manny, and then found they didn't come out for his opponent in the past.  He's kind of using them.  To me it seemed like he had a few experiences not connecting with the black people in the district, and now he's stumbled upon a possible path into office.  It's not a good look to me.  Like some have mentioned here, I hope he rethinks this or loses, it's just a wrong thing/place for him. 

I agree with all of this except that one point.  For her he’s the first politician who has taken n interest.  His campaign is gross. He is using them. I hope he loses.  But nobody has ever come and spoken to this lady about the needs of her community before so it resonates with her in a way it doesn’t to anybody who has ever had representation.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

4 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

I agree with all of this except that one point.  For her he’s the first politician who has taken n interest.  His campaign is gross. He is using them. I hope he loses.  But nobody has ever come and spoken to this lady about the needs of her community before so it resonates with her in a way it doesn’t to anybody who has ever had representation.  

I agree - what mattered to her is that she finally felt seen.

[BusyOctober]

For a show that was 'must see' S1 & S2, S3 is not doing it for me.  I get that we are watching a multi-generational/multi-time line show about a specific family, so of course it would be "Pearson" focused.  Yet the self centeredness of the Big 3 and their constant "LOOKATMEEE! SEE MEEE???  I HAVE NEEEEEEEDS!!" shtick is becoming a problem.  They are getting very close to what I dubbed the "Braverman Black Hole" territory...anyone in the orbit of that family on (the also once good show) "Parenthood" got sucked into a vortex of selfishness and ego maniacal behavior (and additionally, had to bear witness to all the various implausible 'miracles' that the Bravermans could perform). Now it's happening on this show.  Beth, Toby, Miguel, Zoey, Deja...all of their individuality is being stripped away or somehow turned into something Randall/Kate/Kevin has to handle/control/fix to satisfy their own needs. Even the episodes centered around the Pearsons' spouses is flipped back to the effects their own issues have on R/K/K.  They are just 'moons' of Planet Pearson.

The election plot is just beyond stupid.  No way that it ends in a believable way unless Randall loses or drops out of the race.  If he wins...I'm out next season.  I'm a creative person and can release my tenuous grip on reality to go along with fictional TV...but only to a point.  A non-resident of the district or the Goddamned STATE he's planning to represent is more "out there" than anything happening in any SciFi offering on Netflix.  And bringing Beth into the campaign...WTF?  No financial concerns about keeping a roof over your family's heads on a city Councillor & local municipal campaign employee salaries?  What about childcare conflict?  Any thought to Deja's adoption in jeopardy b/c of loss of income or lack of parental presence in the home?  

 

 Same implausibility applies to the Girl Scout Cookie plot.  I was a GS leader & Cookie Mom for 5 years.  The competition to get a cookie booth is brutal.  No, you don't just show up with a few cases of Thin Mints & open for business.  It is a huge, pain in the ass process. You think hockey moms are tough? I witnessed a physical fight between a bunch of GS moms in front of a CHURCH when 2 troops set up tables one year.  I always stuck to pedaling to friends and family via work & Facebook.

If the newest twist in Jack's story is he has a Vietnamese love child (God, please Nooo)...why would be a flaw in 'perfect' Jack's character?  He wasn't married or dating anyone while he was in Vietnam, so he didn't cheat on the girl back home.  If he had fathered a child, it is likely he may not have even known about it. Based on what we know about Jack so far, I don't think he'd ever actively choose to abandon his child and the mother.  Plus, 'perfect' Jack's character already has a notch in it- his drinking problem.  I think (HOPE) we will find out the woman in the picture was his brother's GF, or maybe she was the GF of a soldier in his unit who died.  Please let it be anything other than another Pearson who's been sucking all the air out of the room in Hanoi while looking for his/her father.

[Haleth]

10 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Pleeeeeeease don't let the mystery woman in Vietnam be Jack's baby mama it's just so trite.

I speculated last week that she is Nick's baby mama but St Jack took care of the family after Nick died.

This episode really pissed me off.  I normally like Randall but his solution for Beth's discouragement is for her to come work for him, support his latest vanity project?  No.  Why not ask her what she wants?  It's always, me, me, me with the Pearsons.

Hopefully they'll wrap up the election storyline next Tues on, you know, election day.

Kevin and Zoe have zero chemistry.

The best part of the show continues to be the remarkable child actors.  And I generally can't stand kids on dramatic shows.

[bichonblitz]

4 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

I mentioned their finances once in 3 seasons and it's an obsession? Sounds legit.

I happen to wonder about the finances, too. It costs a huge amount of money to run a campaign and NJ is one of the most expensive states in the nation to live. The property taxes alone will kill you. 

[PRgal]

Oh, Randall, I know EXACTLY how you felt at the church.  And I'm not even a transracial adoptee!  That's me when I'm visiting a friend whose family is more "culturally Chinese" than mine or if I'm in Hong Kong.  It's funny how people sometimes ASSUME you know things about certain cultures, yet you are completely clueless and don't know how to behave.  

 

Tess:  Please don't get mad at your mom because she forgot to bring the swiper.  When SHE was little, people paid cash.  That's how things worked in the 80s and 90s.  Yes, I know, it was the previous century, but it wasn't THAT long ago!!!  

[chocolatine]

8 hours ago, Drumpf1737 said:

The traders on Billions have ridiculous cars, homes and leisure activities so I'm really confused at the obsession with Randall and Beth's finances. A man who paid for a 100K+ car in cash is not hurting for money. I'm sure Beth isn't a Mercedes driving welfare queen so what's the problem? 

That kind of lifestyle is only sustainable when you have a large amount of money coming in on a regular basis, or you have enough money invested to be set for life. In the first season, when Beth had the pregnancy scare, Randall said another child would ruin his plans to retire in ten years, which means he was nowhere close to being set for life. Now he’s been unemployed for over a year, his wife just lost her job, and he owns a money pit building and finances his own campaign. For the astute viewer, it’s not an obsession to wonder when the financial chickens are going to come home to roost for Randall and Beth.

[Blakeston]

A lot of people are convinced that Randall will win the election, but I'm not so sure.

I don't think the writers will want to deal with political plotlines in future seasons. I can easily picture a scenario where Randall miraculously is in the lead, but then he has to choose between winning the election and doing the right thing for his family.

And then Beth can point out that he's been neglecting his family while he pursues his latest crusade, and how he's lost sight of what really matters, blah blah blah. And then he tanks the election but doesn't care, because he knows in his heart he did the right thing blah blah blah.

That will free him up for next season's storyline, where he becomes an Antarctic explorer because William mentioned once that he thinks penguins are cute.

[Neurochick]

8 hours ago, Drumpf1737 said:

The traders on Billions have ridiculous cars, homes and leisure activities so I'm really confused at the obsession with Randall and Beth's finances. A man who paid for a 100K+ car in cash is not hurting for money. I'm sure Beth isn't a Mercedes driving welfare queen so what's the problem? 

Sterling K Brown has responded to me on Twitter in the past. I'm gonna try again and ask if there's a scene where he and Beth hold up their bank statements or say something like "ooh wee baby we rolling in it because I was a fucking commodities trader that made loads of cash. Good thing we bought that startup stock before it went public." 

LOL, this is so true.  I don't care about their finances or how they travel, etc.  I'm from NYC and EVERY TV show or movie gets it wrong, from logistics, to apartments that a person really can't afford to have (unless it's rent control).  This is a TV show, not a documentary.  Beth and Randall don't need to hold up bank statements, and I don't need to see a map showing how long it takes to get everywhere.  It's a show.  

[Arcadiasw]

3 hours ago, Jillybean said:

It boggles the mind that Jack Pearson could have raised three kids who consistently put their own needs ahead of their partners'.

Not really. When you see how many times they did get what they wanted as kids with the exception of kid Kevin sometimes their adult behavior makes sense. 

 

54 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

I happen to wonder about the finances, too. It costs a huge amount of money to run a campaign and NJ is one of the most expensive states in the nation to live. The property taxes alone will kill you. 

When you purchase a dilapidated building that needs a lot of work to incorporate all the things Randall promised the tenants, you quit your high paying job, run and financed a campaign on your own and your wife loses her job too, it's fair to question the finances. Randall and Beth have money but they don't have lottery money. It's a TV show and there's always exaggeration for plots to make sense but this is a bit much. 

I probably wouldn't raise my eyebrow as much if I were really into the plot. I'm not and there are other stories for Randall that could've been told. 

Edited October 31, 2018 by Arcadiasw

[TV Diva Queen]

9 hours ago, Drumpf1737 said:

Wouldn't this satisfy everyone's griping that Jack is too perfect? Wouldn't this finally dispel the mythology of St Jack?

I'm not a fan of the Vietnam storyline at all. I'm not a parent but I do wonder sometimes if there's a way to instill in kids that parents are still people and deserve privacy and their own existence so why go picking at something that Jack obviously wanted to put behind him.

I teared up at Deja talking about how it made her feel when Randall told her she was exceptional. 

The traders on Billions have ridiculous cars, homes and leisure activities so I'm really confused at the obsession with Randall and Beth's finances. A man who paid for a 100K+ car in cash is not hurting for money. I'm sure Beth isn't a Mercedes driving welfare queen so what's the problem? 

Sterling K Brown has responded to me on Twitter in the past. I'm gonna try again and ask if there's a scene where he and Beth hold up their bank statements or say something like "ooh wee baby we rolling in it because I was a fucking commodities trader that made loads of cash. Good thing we bought that startup stock before it went public." 

signing on to this 100%.  I truly believe they've got some serious bank. 

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

Hopefully they'll wrap up the election storyline next Tues on, you know, election day.

Apparently not, I think the next episode is in two weeks.

27 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

I don't think the writers will want to deal with political plotlines in future seasons. I can easily picture a scenario where Randall miraculously is in the lead, but then he has to choose between winning the election and doing the right thing for his family.

I agree.  I don't see him actually becoming a councilman, at least not if Kate has a successful pregnancy; having them both "winning" doesn't leave enough room for melodramatic angst.  I'm back to getting cynical about the direction the show is going.  Maybe he can learn some very special lessons about what is important and how he has gotten off track because of his own navel-gazing, that would ring true to me. 

[Lady Calypso]

10 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

I agree.  I don't see him actually becoming a councilman, at least not if Kate has a successful pregnancy; having them both "winning" doesn't leave enough room for melodramatic angst.  I'm back to getting cynical about the direction the show is going.  Maybe he can learn some very special lessons about what is important and how he has gotten off track because of his own navel-gazing, that would ring true to me. 

I'd hope for this, but...what would he end up doing instead? If he doesn't win this election, or chooses to step down, I don't know what his next project would be. Clearly, he won't be a stay-at-home dad...unless he decides to get involved in his children's school. He always seems to need to save people, but I don't know how else he'd be able to.

45 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

That will free him up for next season's storyline, where he becomes an Antarctic explorer because William mentioned once that he thinks penguins are cute.

This made me snort, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Randall's next storyline took him overseas.

[Arcadiasw]

6 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

signing on to this 100%.  I truly believe they've got some serious bank. 

I agree they have money but it's a bit contradictory when Beth mentioned she applied to several jobs and hasn't  received a response. Beth hasn't been unemployed long. What's the rush to find another job if she can take her time? We know why but it was weak way to resolve that plot. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

44 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

That will free him up for next season's storyline, where he becomes an Antarctic explorer because William mentioned once that he thinks penguins are cute.

Ha, yes! I can’t wait to watch him go parka shopping. 

3 hours ago, Jillybean said:

It boggles the mind that Jack Pearson could have raised three kids who consistently put their own needs ahead of their partners'.

It actually makes sense to me because Jack managed to make at least two of his three kids feel like they were the center of his universe so it makes sense that they still expect to be treated that way by everyone else.

Instead of modeling his behavior, they are older versions of those kids who Jack treated like the sun and moon and still need to feel that way. 

[ChromaKelly]

1 hour ago, bichonblitz said:

I happen to wonder about the finances, too. It costs a huge amount of money to run a campaign and NJ is one of the most expensive states in the nation to live. The property taxes alone will kill you. 

I'm wondering too, wouldn't say I'm obsessed. I get that Randall was ballin' with his job, and Beth probably brought in a decent salary, so I'm sure they will be ok for a while living off savings and Beth's severance package. However, they were living an upper-middle class lifestyle in a high cost of living area. Shouldn't there be just a smidge of talk about hey, let's cut back, maybe Randall or Beth can freelance to bring in some money, stuff like that. They have three kids in private school. That alone can run $100k a year. 

[Jillybean]

13 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

It actually makes sense to me because Jack managed to make at least two of his three kids feel like they were the center of his universe so it makes sense that they still expect to be treated that way by everyone else.

Instead of modeling his behavior, they are older versions of those kids who Jack treated like the sun and moon and still need to feel that way. 

You make a valid point!

[Guest]

I was really hoping Randall’s storyline would go a different direction after last week. Realizing the councilman has been involved for so long and done good for so many in the community, I was really hoping he would try to work with him (maybe for him) to try to help direct his attention to the areas he thought he was missing. Not using The Manny’s popularity in Korea as a strategy. Which he then told his opponent.... what?

[albinerhawk]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

I was tired and had a headache, so I only watched the first 15 minutes of the show, but that was enough to annoy me.

1. Church is for worshipping God, not for political grandstanding.  If I knew that a candidate was going to church just to get votes, I might vote against him just for that.

2. I hope Kate's dog-parenting skills aren't a foreshadowing of her baby-parenting skills.  

3. This didn't really annoy me as I know you're not supposed to do this any more, but hey kids, go door to door like we used.  Yeah, yeah, I know.   But, to actually whine about how your mother not having a job any more affects your cookie sales is annoying.  And, I thought Beth's place of work was fairly small.  How were they selling 150 boxes there?

What I did like was Madison.  Though she annoys the crap out of Kate, she really is a good friend and clearly cares about her.  She was more excited about Kate's pregnancy than Kate.  

Regarding church, I think the councilman was pointing this out when he asked about Randall's family. 

[Katy M]

6 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

Regarding church, I think the councilman was pointing this out when he asked about Randall's family. 

I think he was just pointing out that they weren't part of the community.  But, what he did was just as wrong, anyway, so it doesn't matter.

[ChromaKelly]

A nitpick about the credit card swiper thing - If they were using PayPal Here (and I have to imagine other services work similarly), you can manually enter the card number, or you can email the customer an invoice and they pay it online on their end. But, Beth was stressed and I can see how she probably just didn't think of it.

[TwoGrayTabbies]

I’m really hoping that Randall will lose the election and have an epiphany along the lines of “I have got to commit myself to a realistic plan to make a genuine contribution to the community without shortchanging my family and draining our financial and emotional resources.”  But I also was hoping Randall would respond to Beth’s “I’m not okay “ by conscientiously addressing her needs for once.

[Rebky]

I don't get the rock thing at all.  They showed Audio digging through the trash.  Who puts rocks in a trash bag? Why couldn't it have been something more realistic such as the dreaded chicken bone????

Edited November 2, 2018 by Rebky
Improper spacing

[Kdawg82]

12 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I work in a different town that takes me an hour and a half, without traffic, to get to. My boss lives even further and takes her about two hours to get to work and she has two kids. The difference is that she has her husband and other family members to help out when needed. Randall and Beth, to my understanding, don't have anyone close enough to help care for the kids while they're working in Philly. 

Also, speaking from experience, my dad may not have run for an election himself, but he's been a campaign manager for years for the mayors in our town. And let me tell you that it's a really tough job, filled with a LOT of late nights and a lot of time away from the home. This past election, one he wasn't even officially running but just helping out on, I barely saw him. The times that I did see him, he was either on the phone a lot or he had the campaign members over at our house. We live in Canada and he does business here still, but him and my mom have been working in the States for five years now and this past year, he's spent a lot of time away from her because he's had to be back in Canada for election stuff, both in May and this past month. He's done a lot of flying back and forth solely for the campaigns, even had to fly home last week for our election for three days. Not to mention, yeah, it's basically non-profit and strictly a volunteer job. Any money that does stem for the election is going strictly toward the campaign. 

So, to make a long anecdote short, Randall and Beth are likely not making it home for dinner every night. They're going to be both spending a lot of time in Philly, where they'll have to be out talking to people, going to debates, putting up signs, and much more. They may or may not have health insurance now that both don't have jobs, they may have some money saved up but they aren't making any money at the moment either, and it's going to be a lot of travel time for them. Even if they moved the family to Philly, which would be dumb in the first place, it's unlikely that Randall and Beth would still be able to spend time with the kids. 

It's just a ridiculous plotline for many reasons, and Beth joining the campaign makes me confident that this is going to be stupid. 

ALL OF THIS! SERIOUSLY! Writers forget a lot of the reason for this show's success is the sort of relatable moments that we personally feel and call backs to our own families growing up in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s...whenever it was . But the big 3 are my generation so I take interest in that time frame.  The ever flowing $$$$ for their whims is NOT relatable. The lack of child care explanations, when are they getting all this time to go running and working out they keep referring to??!! Do they all have Kevin's movie star time and $?! It's annoying/unrealistic. I have 3 kids and it is NEVER not a problem to figure out ways to make $ or get 5 minutes alone time to even have a convo as a married couple like "baby, I'm sinking." No- we soldier on and text the important stuff. 

[BonnieD]

Quote

Who is going to pay the bills when Randall and Beth are both not working? That city council job is not going to pay much even if he does win. Also why would you tip your opponent off about how you are going to win?

One of the things I came here to post! They can't continue living at the level they're at without fresh income. How long can they live on a severance package? I don't buy that the job search wouldn't be top priority for this family for at least one of the two breadwinners. Maybe they're going to make Deja get a job and support them.
I understand they wanted to make the point about smiling at your opponent when he's thrown a good punch, but really dumb! to let him know you plan to win Korea town. I have to say, adding in the Korean angle made the political campaign storyline marginally more interesting to me. Even though the set up is highly unlikely. Plus hot new campaign manager is a plus.

I don't recall any mention of Kevin's new gf being a documentarian last season. Did they mention it? Pretty sure they added it just so she'd have a perfect reason to travel along with him on this roots journey.

Glad they finally gave Kate an opportunity to be a strong shoulder for someone else and to admit out loud that she's been too willing to be taken care of all her life. This is a new Kate I can get behind. Sidenote: I fully expected that dog to eat another rock when Toby let him off leash LOL.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, BonnieD said:

 

I don't recall any mention of Kevin's new gf being a documentarian last season. Did they mention it? Pretty sure they added it just so she'd have a perfect reason to travel along with him on this roots journey.

Wasn’t she only in about 5 minutes of the show last season? I don’t think they really had time to give her a career.

19 minutes ago, TwoGrayTabbies said:

I’m really hoping that Randall will lose the election and have an epiphany along the lines of “I have got to commit myself to a realistic plan to make a genuine contribution to the community without shortchanging my family and draining our financial and emotional resources.”  But I also was hoping Randall would respond to Beth’s “I’m not okay “ by conscientiously addressing her needs for once.

Instead, he seems to have Jack’s focus on “fixing” what is wrong instead of listening to what is wrong. I know people joke about “St. Jack” but to me, Beth is the true saint on this show, doing the majority of the emotional labor for her family and her husband’s whims. 

And I need to see what she has texted Miguel about this whole situation. You know it’s good.

[Blakeston]

I can buy that Randall's partnership in his old firm pays enough to cover his family's expenses. What doesn't add up is what Chocolatine pointed out - that Randall said he can't retire to Charleston in 10 years if they have another kid. I'd say that maybe he meant that he wouldn't want to move away with a kid still in school...but since when does Randall care if his dreams inconvenience his family?

Speaking of finances, have they explained how Toby is making a living? Does he still have his job? If not, how the hell are they affording IVF? And how do they think they'll handle the expenses of a new child? There's no way Kate is doing enough Adele-o-grams to pay the bills.

[TV Diva Queen]

1 hour ago, Arcadiasw said:

I agree they have money but it's a bit contradictory when Beth mentioned she applied to several jobs and hasn't  received a response. Beth hasn't been unemployed long. What's the rush to find another job if she can take her time? We know why but it was weak way to resolve that plot. 

The rush is that she loves to work.  I got restructured out of a job about 3 years ago, I was all happy and thought that it would be an extended paid vacation, then after about 2 weeks, I was dying to get back to work, and thought in my head that everyone is DYING to hire me.  Well, I had a rude awakening, it took me 2 years to find a job.  You get a certain age, you get TOO much experience (a new boss, who's younger than you no doubt, doesn't want you showing them up).  I got teary eyed when she was talking about her struggle, I lived it a couple years ago. 

[Kdawg82]

If dragging us through this "Randall running for office" storyline is a must, I really enjoyed the Korean vote portion of it. It was a refreshing approach and surprised me. I like the campaign manager as well. Randall trying to make a connection to an unexpected community was good. I know he truly cares so nice if he were to become legit. I also wonder though if the "she" they refer to is Beth because she beats him at politics ultimately and makes office lol! How's that for a twist?! 

Confused about the boxing and Jack teaching Randall to fight. Did we already forget he was in Karate or Taekwondo at like age 7 or whatever he was?! And taking my kids to Taekwondo is how I learned the word "KAMSAHAMNIDA."

[Nancybeth]

9 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

I can buy that Randall's partnership in his old firm pays enough to cover his family's expenses. What doesn't add up is what Chocolatine pointed out - that Randall said he can't retire to Charleston in 10 years if they have another kid. I'd say that maybe he meant that he wouldn't want to move away with a kid still in school...but since when does Randall care if his dreams inconvenience his family?

Speaking of finances, have they explained how Toby is making a living? Does he still have his job? If not, how the hell are they affording IVF? And how do they think they'll handle the expenses of a new child? There's no way Kate is doing enough Adele-o-grams to pay the bills.

Toby seemed to have a decent job last season, with people working for him -- something in IT, maybe?  He's clearly the breadwinner there.  The airfare back and forth to the East Coast alone must cost a lot, and it feels like they're always showing up.  I would assume he's been taking paid sick leave to deal with the depression.  

[Christina87]

1 hour ago, ChromaKelly said:

I'm wondering too, wouldn't say I'm obsessed. I get that Randall was ballin' with his job, and Beth probably brought in a decent salary, so I'm sure they will be ok for a while living off savings and Beth's severance package. However, they were living an upper-middle class lifestyle in a high cost of living area. Shouldn't there be just a smidge of talk about hey, let's cut back, maybe Randall or Beth can freelance to bring in some money, stuff like that. They have three kids in private school. That alone can run $100k a year. 

Exactly this!!! If Randall and Beth decided to downsize their life and move to a rural town in the South (and I'm not insulting the South; I live here), they could take a break from work and still live a rich life. They could buy a nice house, put their kids in public school, and have enough money to live off of for a while. However, they're maintaining a certain lifestyle in an extremely rich area, where everyone is working constantly to maintain what they have. If Randall and Beth are around 38, that's sixteen years tops of making that kind of money out of college...and Beth mentioned being broke while they pursued grad school. That probably doesn't amount to much more than ten years of a high salary, granted that they got a high salary right out of school! You can't just work ten years and live a lavish lifestyle in an expensive area forever. If so, why would so many reality stars who were famous about that long go broke?

[topanga]

5 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

The rush is that she loves to work.  I got restructured out of a job about 3 years ago, I was all happy and thought that it would be an extended paid vacation, then after about 2 weeks, I was dying to get back to work, and thought in my head that everyone is DYING to hire me.  Well, I had a rude awakening, it took me 2 years to find a job.  You get a certain age, you get TOO much experience (a new boss, who's younger than you no doubt, doesn't want you showing them up).  I got teary eyed when she was talking about her struggle, I lived it a couple years ago. 

Agreed. And though I don’t like the way Randall rushed in with a solution, I did like him reminding Beth about when they were poor grad students who lived with a mattress on the floor. This flashback, I’d definitely want to see. 

[Soup333]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I'd hope for this, but...what would he end up doing instead? If he doesn't win this election, or chooses to step down, I don't know what his next project would be. Clearly, he won't be a stay-at-home dad...unless he decides to get involved in his children's school. He always seems to need to save people, but I don't know how else he'd be able to.

This made me snort, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Randall's next storyline took him overseas.

Do any of the kids know about Jack's dream of Big 3 construction? If not then maybe Rebecca mentions it and Randall decides to honor his dad's dream and start a construction company...in Pittsburgh. *shrugs* No more unrealistic than what we've already got.

[BonnieD]

Quote

Did we already forget he was in Karate or Taekwondo at like age 7 or whatever he was?! 

Ha! Good call. I forgot about that. So martial arts is okay with Beth but boxing not because it's considered more of a contact sport? Although at the end, the entire family is on the couch enjoying the sport together.

Show geography (almost any TV show you can name) is not real life geography. People can suddenly be across country in a heartbeat. Expense? What expense? Travel time to, let's say, Australia. What travel time? Let's not even go there about time of day--when one character's story arc is happening in daylight and another one's at night, or one day versus several days. To me, that nonchalant attitude about time/space for the sake of plot points the writers want to make is just lazy lazy writing. Set a frickin' timeline and stick to it. Details matter. Consider the  cost of travel (and amount of time it takes) and make it believable to the viewer. Think about living expenses for the average person and make your characters worry about finances like real people do! *end rant*

[Kirkydee]

I dont know if this has been said yet ( I hsvrnt read all the posts yet)- but this show comes back in 2 weeks.  After election Tuesday.  Will they have wrapped up the Randall campaign then?  This show, when in present day, pretty much sticks to the actual date.  Maybe will have a "Well, I gave it a good run but can't overcome Brown's stronghold" or some fast forward throwaway line.  I dont mind Randall running.  I agree with everyone's view that him being 2 hours away is nonsense.

Would anyone on this board vote for a local representative that lived 2 hours away out of state?

[CountryGirl]

12 hours ago, voiceover said:

Niiiiiiiiiice!

I am so very behind any Randall/Kevin sl, even tonight's mini-one.  My new favorite line: Randall's "I love you!...I know I don't say it enough! <inserts laughing crying emoji>"

Cheers to Mandy Moore.  The moment Jack said, "You know, my brother and me...", the look on her face was: He mentioned his brother!  Don't scare him! He might talk more!!

I feel like Deja's speech to Beth, and Kate's to Toby, was some fan service for those of us (and I am one) who have griped that one was an Eeyore and the other, a bottomless pit of needy.  Eh.  Nice work.

I'm all about 5-star vacays, for any reason, but -- "Decompress"???? Zoe looked like she's just *come from a spa.  

Yes, exactly!

I loved how she restrained herself from asking for more and just enjoyed this little glimpse into her husband's past. 

I smiled when later, he told her that seeing her in a robe and boxing gloves was a fantasy he didn't even know he had.

Randall and Kevin's exchange re the woman in the photograph slayed me.

Kevin: "I mean look at that, Dad’s obviously in love with that woman, right?" Kevin, ever the romantic.

Randall: "I don’t know, I can’t read her face. Is it love, or is it years of poverty and occupation by a foreign government?"

D-E-A-D.

I guess I'm in the minority because I don't think there's going to be any other Pearsons (Jack or Nicky's) out there. Even for this show, that would be a little too soapy. I think there will be some kind of relationship between her and Jack and I'm sensing she gets killed. 

I agree that Jae-won should run for office, not Randall.

And Beth can do better than assisting Randall's campaign as she could do that in her sleep. 

I loved her talk with Deja after (rightfully) telling off her self-proclaimed brat Tess. 

It was sweet to see the nurture aspect of them raising Deja and my heart melted a little bit when she advised Beth that Randall loves her like he's in a Disney movie and laughed out loud when she said Randall hears forest animals playing kazoos when he sees her...and Beth realizing she was right.

[Blakeston]

29 minutes ago, Nancybeth said:

Toby seemed to have a decent job last season, with people working for him -- something in IT, maybe?  He's clearly the breadwinner there.  The airfare back and forth to the East Coast alone must cost a lot, and it feels like they're always showing up.  I would assume he's been taking paid sick leave to deal with the depression.  

His job is definitely in IT. And it must offer a lot of leave, because he was also able to take off a whole lot of time when he had his cardiac episode - and then aimlessly followed Kate around the northeast while she went to fat camp and all of that.

It would be nice for someone to acknowledge that he needs to return to work at a certain point, just to remind us that someone on this show doesn't live a life of limitless resources and zero responsibilities. (And that includes Zoe, whose documentaries are so popular that she can afford to repeatedly spend thousands of dollars on spa treatments at five-star hotels.)

Edited October 31, 2018 by Blakeston

[Nancybeth]

10 minutes ago, Kirkydee said:

I dont know if this has been said yet ( I hsvrnt read all the posts yet)- but this show comes back in 2 weeks.  After election Tuesday.  Will they have wrapped up the Randall campaign then?  This show, when in present day, pretty much sticks to the actual date.  Maybe will have a "Well, I gave it a good run but can't overcome Brown's stronghold" or some fast forward throwaway line.  I dont mind Randall running.  I agree with everyone's view that him being 2 hours away is nonsense.

Would anyone on this board vote for a local representative that lived 2 hours away out of state?

Except Girl Scout cookie sales don't usually take place in the fall.  According to their website, most cookie sales take place between January and April, although they caveat that some start as early as September.  So I guess it's not unheard of for cookie sales to be going on during election season, but it struck me as odd last night.  

Quote

His job is definitely in IT. And it must offer a lot of leave, because he was also able to take off a whole lot of time when he had his cardiac episode - and then aimlessly followed Kate around the northeast while she went to fat camp and all of that.

I was going to say that he must get a LOT of sick leave, considering how long he was out for his cardiac issues last year!  They really need to figure out a logical way for Kate and Toby to move to the East Coast because with just the two of them in L.A., the plot gets real convoluted.  Wait until she has that baby and the Pearsons are always showing up at a moment's notice.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Nancybeth

[Soup333]

10 minutes ago, Kirkydee said:

I dont know if this has been said yet ( I hsvrnt read all the posts yet)- but this show comes back in 2 weeks.  After election Tuesday.  Will they have wrapped up the Randall campaign then?  This show, when in present day, pretty much sticks to the actual date.  Maybe will have a "Well, I gave it a good run but can't overcome Brown's stronghold" or some fast forward throwaway line.  I dont mind Randall running.  I agree with everyone's view that him being 2 hours away is nonsense.

Would anyone on this board vote for a local representative that lived 2 hours away out of state?

To answer your question, no. As for the bolded, I'm not sure this is still true. After all, Girl Scout Cookie sales traditionally start near the beginning of the year as opposed to during the fall. And I'm anal enough to have gone to the website to double-check when sales would start in Alpine. Not for another 73 days. I think they play - or are starting to play fast and loose with things of this nature. If the election was to be held by next episode that wouldn't give Beth or the new guy enough time to really help Randall win his campaign, not without a lot of time jumps.

ETA: Nancybeth, great minds...

Edited October 31, 2018 by Soup333

[Haleth]

11 minutes ago, Kirkydee said:

Would anyone on this board vote for a local representative that lived 2 hours away out of state?

Even if he had nice hands?