Season 5 Discussion

[BosomBuddy]

1 hour ago, sistermagpie said:

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Is Carl a puppy? He looks full-grown to me and Sol was passing him off as a rescue found wandering around and the woman who owned his brother suggested he already had a personality etc. I don't remember him even needing to housebreak him, although I guess they might not have said it.

Btw, I loved the way he really did live up to his rep as a snuggler. Any scene he was in he was always lying on someone getting petted.

 

Maybe I thought he was a puppy because he’s so darn cute!

[Sesquipedalia]

4 hours ago, wendyg said:

Just a reminder that in real life Lily Tomlin is 79 and Jane Fonda is 81...and Betty White is 97...and they're all still *working*. It really depends a lot on genetics, lifestyle, health, wealth...

And Nancy Pelosi is 78.

My dad is 82, and I would never dream of trying to tell him what to do.

 

I’m so mad at myself for burning through the whole season already. I waited to comment until I finished because of this weird new format where everything has to be under spoiler bars.

My comments on episode 12, with a brief mention of the last episode:

Spoiler

 

Despite all the tension between the older couples, the wedding was beautiful. I like Allison this season. She has a great smile (and of course the amazing dress already discussed). Lily Tomlin looked so beautiful in the wedding as well. I liked how the kids were included and one of them was a friend of Frankie.

It’s interesting that Frankie was able to pull everything together without Grace around, and last season Grace was happy with a different roommate after Frankie moved to Santa Fe. Their relationship is so intense that they’re almost better off without each other, and yet not, as we see in the next episode.

I like how Frankie is competent but has her own way of doing things. There is method to her madness. This is something Grace should have learned long ago, but in true sitcom fashion the characters have to learn the same lessons over and over again. In a lot of ways, I think the streaming format works against this show because when we binge and/or rewatch, we expect to see linear character development within and across seasons. But Grace and Frankie have to learn to appreciate each other every few episodes and realize they’re each other’s OTP every season.

 

[sistermagpie]

16 minutes ago, Sesquipedalia said:

I like how Frankie is competent but has her own way of doing things. There is method to her madness. This is something Grace should have learned long ago, but in true sitcom fashion the characters have to learn the same lessons over and over again. In a lot of ways, I think the streaming format works against this show because when we binge and/or rewatch, we expect to see linear character development within and across seasons. But Grace and Frankie have to learn to appreciate each other every few episodes and realize they’re each other’s OTP every season.

More about what I think are the last 2 eps here...
 

Spoiler

 

I feel like things like Frankie's ability to pull things together to that extent hints at the same thing her Santa Fe experience did, that some of her flakiness is purely performative. That's why the worst thing somebody can call her is "inauthentic." She's curated her personality carefully. That's partly why Grace is such a good influence, because she doesn't want to completely change her and even obviously admires Frankie, but at the same time she doesn't hold back when she thinks Frankie's just being annoying. Like in the last few eps I don't think Grace saw the method to Frankie's madness. She switched the video because she only cared about keeping her word even if she didn't have an alternate plan after Grace already rejected lying about firing a fake intern. (Which ironically was the plan I first thought of!)

She makes Frankie actually want to show her competent side the way Frankie makes Grace want to show integrity and be fun. In the alternate timeline Frankie had made herself more childlike and helpless--and controlled everyone that way.

But totally agree about the format working against that because it is realistic that they'd keep coming back to the same fight, but when you watch the whole season together it seems like they just had it.

 

[Crs97]

Did Frankie ever apologize for moving to Santa Fe and leaving Grace in the lurch with the company?  If not, then 

Spoiler

Why in the world was Grace having to apologize for not canceling her trip with Nick?  I am so sick of Grace having to apologize over and over while Frankie gets away with murder because she’s just being kooky (to borrow Nick’s nickname for her).

Quote

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Crs97
Because it’s not good to confuse the quote and the spoiler icons.

[LuvMyShows]

17 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

  Hide contents

 

Is Carl a puppy? He looks full-grown to me and Sol was passing him off as a rescue found wandering around and the woman who owned his brother suggested he already had a personality etc. I don't remember him even needing to housebreak him, although I guess they might not have said it.

Btw, I loved the way he really did live up to his rep as a snuggler. Any scene he was in he was always lying on someone getting petted.

 

Doesn't Carl have to be a puppy, since Sol bought him from a dreaded puppy mill?  They wouldn't have held onto him until he was full-grown.  Also, the suggesting that he already had a personality is something you would say of a young puppy, not a full-grown dog, which would be expected to already have a personality.

17 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

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I'm very confused as to how Bud can insist that Grace have a home health care aide as some kind of condition for letting Frankie visit alone with her grandchild.  

The part that confused me was that Bud put that condition on Frankie because he was genuinely worried about his grandchild, but then he only jokes about the short-comings of the caregiver that Frankie selected, yet still goes along with it.

[BosomBuddy]

Episode 13

Spoiler

I thought it was interesting that Frankie has threee strokes in the alternative. Grace takes better care of her and/or encourages her to take better care of herself compared to the rest of the Bergsteins. I love how they bring out the best in each other. 

Re Grace and Nick getting married, why does a romantic relationship has to be more important than a true friend? As Frankie might say, it’s so heteronormative.  

[sistermagpie]

Spoiler

 

3 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

Doesn't Carl have to be a puppy, since Sol bought him from a dreaded puppy mill?  They wouldn't have held onto him until he was full-grown.  Also, the suggesting that he already had a personality is something you would say of a young puppy, not a full-grown dog, which would be expected to already have a personality.

Not a puppy mill, a reputable breeder (which Sol was still against on principle, of course) where he paid $3,000 for him. He was show quality. If he was at a puppy mill I'm sure Sol would have been working to shut the place down and probably would have liberated all the dogs there with Frankie's help. He'd never have given them $3,000. (I don't think they'd be able to charge that kind of money either.)

The woman in the park didn't say he had a personality already. I was referring to her saying that Carl was even more of a snuggler than her dog, which sounded like something you wouldn't be able to say about a puppy because you don't know how he'll be when he grows up.

9 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

The part that confused me was that Bud put that condition on Frankie because he was genuinely worried about his grandchild, but then he only jokes about the short-comings of the caregiver that Frankie selected, yet still goes along with it.

I guess the idea was that he just wanted someone there, he didn't care who? But yeah, Joan Margaret has all of Frankie's and Grace's flaws double it seems to me, so she's not solving anything.

3 minutes ago, BosomBuddy said:

I thought it was interesting that Frankie has threee strokes in the alternative. Grace takes better care of her and/or encourages her to take better care of herself compared to the rest of the Bergsteins. I love how they bring out the best in each other. 

I loved that detail too. Frankie in that universe was more coddled but less healthy.

 

[Miss chi chi]

22 hours ago, debraran said:

 

Now if Betty White or Dolly can make an appearance : )

Carol Burnett!!!!

[Sesquipedalia]

Thoughts on the ending:

Spoiler

 

The alternate reality episode was hard to watch, especially because of Grace’s face. It was hard to look at but brilliantly done. I think Grace would have married more of a country club type boring man and not lost her sense of style, but this scenario was obviously more entertaining.

Are we supposed to believe that G&F both had the same vision of their alternative path? How? Did Babe show it to them? There wasn’t any kind of set-up to show why they were seeing it, or did I miss it?

It will be interesting to see how they hit the reset button on the ending. The situation of Nick and Grace’s marriage is far from ideal since she married him in the throes of despair caused by her blowout with Frankie. And she looked pretty bummed when she told Frankie she was married at the end--like oh shit, what have I done? But she does love Nick. I kind of hope they don’t kill him off. That would be depressing since they already killed off one of her beaux.

Quote

Re Grace and Nick getting married, why does a romantic relationship has to be more important than a true friend? As Frankie might say, it’s so heteronormative.  

Right? This is the central tension of this show and Will & Grace. What are you supposed to do when your deepest relationship is not with your lover in a world where romantic partnerships are valued above all else? Maybe G&F will buck the norms and have Grace stay married but also live at the beach house with Frankie. The show could easily hand wave Nick's existence 90% of the time.

 

[debraran]

39 minutes ago, Sesquipedalia said:

Thoughts on the ending:

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The alternate reality episode was hard to watch, especially because of Grace’s face. It was hard to look at but brilliantly done. I think Grace would have married more of a country club type boring man and not lost her sense of style, but this scenario was obviously more entertaining.

Are we supposed to believe that G&F both had the same vision of their alternative path? How? Did Babe show it to them? There wasn’t any kind of set-up to show why they were seeing it, or did I miss it?

It will be interesting to see how they hit the reset button on the ending. The situation of Nick and Grace’s marriage is far from ideal since she married him in the throes of despair caused by her blowout with Frankie. And she looked pretty bummed when she told Frankie she was married at the end--like oh shit, what have I done? But she does love Nick. I kind of hope they don’t kill him off. That would be depressing since they already killed off one of her beaux.

Right? This is the central tension of this show and Will & Grace. What are you supposed to do when your deepest relationship is not with your lover in a world where romantic partnerships are valued above all else? Maybe G&F will buck the norms and have Grace stay married but also live at the beach house with Frankie. The show could easily hand wave Nick's existence 90% of the time.

 

I think that will probably be plan re Nick 

[bijoux]

3 hours ago, BosomBuddy said:

Episode 13

  Hide contents

I thought it was interesting that Frankie has threee strokes in the alternative. Grace takes better care of her and/or encourages her to take better care of herself compared to the rest of the Bergsteins. I love how they bring out the best in each other. 

Re Grace and Nick getting married, why does a romantic relationship has to be more important than a true friend? As Frankie might say, it’s so heteronormative.  

It doesn't really 

Spoiler

speak well of Sol, because he's been documented to be a hard ass about Robert's health. Frankie doesn't matter as much? I can see his guilt over leaving her playing into him being more lenient, but maybe he should have buckled down after the second stroke, you know?

To be fair, I don't think we should judge secondary characters by this what if scenario, we're mostly supposed to see it as Grace and Frankie realizing how important they are in each other's lives.

[Crs97]

I could totally picture Nick 

Spoiler

Agreeing to move into the beach house.  He told Grace he knew they were a package deal.  The beach house is gorgeous and Frankie has her own space there anyway.  They can spend time next season saying he is traveling for business whenever he isn’t needed for the plot.  

 

[sistermagpie]

Re: ep 13:

Spoiler

1 hour ago, bijoux said:

speak well of Sol, because he's been documented to be a hard ass about Robert's health. Frankie doesn't matter as much? I can see his guilt over leaving her playing into him being more lenient, but maybe he should have buckled down after the second stroke, you know?

 

 

Spoiler

 

Or it doesn't speak as well about their relationship. Sol has a history of wanting people to like him and seeing Frankie as fragile where Grace as a rep as a hard ass who doesn't find Frankie's act amusing. Everyone in the alternate universe had gotten sucked into treating Frankie like a china doll--the kids clearly weren't riding her as hard about her health either, they were just trying to get out of moving in as full-time caregivers. Sol had broken his heart by leaving her and she could ride that guilt to stop him from ever being too harsh with her. This is the guy who'd lied to her for years about that Kenny Loggins painting because he really obviously doesn't believe in her the way Grace does. And Frankie in many ways likes that about him, really--this is the woman who thanked Bud for keeping quiet about seeing the dads kissing because it gave her 5 more years with Sol. She preferred the pleasant fiction to the reality.

Where as Robert has always been someone he's seen as strong and able to take care of himself. He's probably argued with him harshly a lot and never felt he had to indulge his flights of fancy or whatever. It's a problem with Sol, but also Frankie.

Like, it's not that he doesn't love Frankie as much, he just accepts her as somebody who can't be expected to take care of herself while Grace thinks that's bullshit and knows she can.

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by sistermagpie

[OtterMommy]

Okay, folks, I know the change to an all season thread is frustrating.  If you are looking for the reasoning why this thread has gone to an all-season format (and some others have gone from forums to threads), our site administrator has explained it here.

While you do not need to use spoiler tags in this thread, doing so in consideration of your fellow posters is fine for now.  I will ask that once we are one month past the drop of the show (mid-February) that spoiler tags no longer be used unless they refer to an actual spoiler for season 6.

Finally, please remember that this thread is to discuss season 5.  This forum does still have a small talk thread for off-topic discussion.  However, it is not allowed to discuss moderator actions in any thread, small talk or otherwise, on PTV.

Any posts here that do not contain any discussion about season 5 have been and will be removed.

[howiveaddict]

11 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

On 1/20/2019 at 4:10 PM, sistermagpie said:

 

 

Is Carl a puppy? He looks full-grown to me and Sol was passing him off as a rescue found wandering around and the woman who owned his brother suggested he already had a personality etc. I don't remember him even needing to housebreak him, although I guess they might not have said it.

Btw, I loved the way he really did live up to his rep as a snuggler. Any scene he was in he was always lying on someone getting petted.

 

 

Doesn't Carl have to be a puppy, since Sol bought him from a dreaded puppy mill?  They wouldn't have held onto him until he was full-grown.  Also, the suggesting that he already had a personality is something you would say of a young puppy, not a full-grown dog, which would be expected to already have a personality.

Spoiler

I think he bought him from a responsible breeder. Not a puppy mill. Big difference.  They said he had his AKC papers.

Edited January 22, 2019 by howiveaddict

[possibilities]

RE dog story:

I didn't mind them having Sol buy from a breeder, as a way to show his hypocrisy. But I was really disappointed that they went out of their way to say Carl is better behaved than any of the rescue dogs they've had before. That's because Carl was given training, and not just subjected to Sol's usual permissive laxity. Rescues have enough of a problem getting adopted, the show didn't need to reinforce a negative stereotype about them.

[Crs97]

I think my favorite episode is 7: The Tremor.

Spoiler

The secret exam is worth the price of admission.  My favorite part was Joe making Frankie chase the rice container so he could check her eyes!

 

I also loved Nick’s realization that he is in a relationship so “It’s not my schemes, it’s our schemes.”

[txhorns79]

Spoiler

I appreciated that two of the groups on Frankie's free vibrator white board  were "Time Travelers" and "Suspected Benjamin Buttons."

Edited January 22, 2019 by txhorns79

[Crs97]

Penultimate episode:

Spoiler

Was Frankie’s cake-yata big enough to feed everyone at the wedding?  I am a big dessert person and would be annoyed if I didn’t get any cake or just the tiniest taste while they had a perfectly good extra cake in the kitchen.

[AuntieMame]

Spoiler

22 hours ago, BosomBuddy said:

Episode 13

  Hide contents

I thought it was interesting that Frankie has threee strokes in the alternative. Grace takes better care of her and/or encourages her to take better care of herself compared to the rest of the Bergsteins. I love how they bring out the best in each other. 

Re Grace and Nick getting married, why does a romantic relationship has to be more important than a true friend? As Frankie might say, it’s so heteronormative.  

 

Episode 13

Spoiler

I agree and if the writing is good, examining the conflict between Grace and Frankie's relationship and Grace and Nick's relationship could be very interesting. Often in reality, romantic partners come and go, even including spouses, but friends stick around. I've often wondered if a different family model might be possible where the center of a household was women and children and men came and went as they wanted. The stability would be the women. Female alliances are observed in other species. We don't give a lot of value in friendship in adulthood, especially once a marriage has taken place. I love Grace and Frankie together and have to admit that a little subconsciously i put Nick and the marriage higher in the hierarchy than Grace and Frankie's transformative and solid friendship. I can't help liking Nick, but the assumption that he is now the most important person for Grace and his needs come first is interesting and disturbing. And how long is Nick going to live happily with someone he refers to as kooky?

I loved Frankie's cakeyata but I wondered if it would serve everyone too. I hated the scene where Frankie dumped all of that did into the bin. If they hadn't been in such a fight, the extra came might have been a good thing.

Edited January 22, 2019 by AuntieMame

[NeenerNeener]

On 1/19/2019 at 3:04 PM, Wicked said:

I won't spoil anything, but someone needs to earn an Emmy or what ever award they give for special effects/make up for a certain make up job on a certain character in the last episode.  Insane!

Yeah, it's like someone made a mask of all the actual bad plastic surgeries that Goldie Hawn, Beverly DeAngelo and Fran Drescher have all had, and then had someone who seems to have aged relatively gracefully wear it. I couldn't stop laughing at it; I called my sister and told her to watch just the last episode it was so spectacular.

This season had too much Robert's theater group and not enough Grace and Frankie, at least as far as I'm concerned. YMMV.

Edited January 22, 2019 by NeenerNeener

[wendyg]

I did not care for this season (in my head, the series ended at the end of season 3...), but as I said when she appeared on TRANSPARENT and again on SUPERSTORE...I love Meagan Fay *so much*.

[BosomBuddy]

2 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

 

This season had too much Robert's theater group and not enough Grace and Frankie, at least as far as I'm concerned. YMMV.

Agreed. The whole Peter story was horrible in so many ways. Watching the rehearsals and singing is like unnecessary filler - what is the point!? 

[txhorns79]

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Agreed. The whole Peter story was horrible in so many ways. Watching the rehearsals and singing is like unnecessary filler - what is the point!? 

It did make me wonder if Martin Sheen had some kind of clause in his contract where he gets to live out his musical theater dreams, because the storylines around that plotline are boring and really do go nowhere.  I'd just say that Sol and Robert are written as fairly boring characters, so trying to make them seem interesting outside of their interactions with Grace and Frankie doesn't really work. 

[debraran]

11 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

It did make me wonder if Martin Sheen had some kind of clause in his contract where he gets to live out his musical theater dreams, because the storylines around that plotline are boring and really do go nowhere.  I'd just say that Sol and Robert are written as fairly boring characters, so trying to make them seem interesting outside of their interactions with Grace and Frankie doesn't really work. 

 

11 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

It did make me wonder if Martin Sheen had some kind of clause in his contract where he gets to live out his musical theater dreams, because the storylines around that plotline are boring and really do go nowhere.  I'd just say that Sol and Robert are written as fairly boring characters, so trying to make them seem interesting outside of their interactions with Grace and Frankie doesn't really work. 

I was going to write the same thing re Martin Sheen. Way too much of the theater, if it wasn't written in as part of contract, someone like the director, just likes to see it. I did like Impossible Dream though. ; )

Edited January 23, 2019 by debraran

[palmaire]

Not only are Sol and Robert's lives getting a little redundant/boring, so are Grace and Frankie's. As @Sesquipedalia said, the characters are being forced to relearn the same lessons about their friendship every season.

The show seems to be doing well for Netflix, but it's officially outlasted my interest. I should have stuck with last season's ending of Grace and Frankie sitting on the beach chairs watching the ocean and holding hands.

[LuvMyShows]

On 1/21/2019 at 10:13 PM, howiveaddict said:

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I think he bought him from a responsible breeder. Not a puppy mill. Big difference.  They said he had his AKC papers.

But not a big difference in terms of the net effect on the premise, that Sol was shown to be a hypocrite for (dog manufactured for sale vs. dog that already existed and was unwanted).  Likewise, it doesn't make a difference if the puppy was from a breeder or a mill, in terms of the fact that for them to have remarked that it already had a personality, means that (for the show's premise) it is a puppy, not a full-grown dog, which would be expected to already have a personality.  Also, according to the American Kennel Club, the best age to send puppies to their new homes is from 7 to 12 weeks, which appears to be in the standard range among vets and breeders, so this "responsible breeder" presumably followed that practice.  Now, it's time to put puppy-gate to rest...  

[sistermagpie]

Spoiler

 

15 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

Likewise, it doesn't make a difference if the puppy was from a breeder or a mill, in terms of the fact that for them to have remarked that it already had a personality, means that (for the show's premise) it is a puppy, not a full-grown dog, which would be expected to already have a personality. 

There still seems to be confusion about this line and I think I accidentally started it. Nobody on the show said Carl already had a personality as if this was unusual. The woman in the park who owned his brother simply said, in response to Sol saying he wanted a snuggler like her dog, that he had a brother who was even more of a snuggler. There's nothing about the line that says the dog was a puppy. I thought he was at least close to full-grown based on his size for a Jack Russell, though he could still be young.

 

 

 

[AZChristian]

We were discussing where to have lunch on the road tomorrow.  Del Taco won!

[Arynm]

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

I thought the lady also said that her dog was 8 months old. So Carl would be 8 months old as well.

[BosomBuddy]

20 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

But not a big difference in terms of the net effect on the premise, that Sol was shown to be a hypocrite for (dog manufactured for sale vs. dog that already existed and was unwanted).  Likewise, it doesn't make a difference if the puppy was from a breeder or a mill, in terms of the fact that for them to have remarked that it already had a personality, means that (for the show's premise) it is a puppy, not a full-grown dog, which would be expected to already have a personality.  Also, according to the American Kennel Club, the best age to send puppies to their new homes is from 7 to 12 weeks, which appears to be in the standard range among vets and breeders, so this "responsible breeder" presumably followed that practice.  Now, it's time to put puppy-gate to rest...  

My issue with the young dog/puppy is that nobody said anything like, “aren’t you a little old to get a dog? Who’s going to take of it when you’re old and feeble?” Kind of like, when Grace and Frankie went to get a loan for Vybrant and the guy at the bank basically said they were too old unless they wanted a one year loan. Just another example of how sexist ageism is! 

[sistermagpie]

16 hours ago, BosomBuddy said:

My issue with the young dog/puppy is that nobody said anything like, “aren’t you a little old to get a dog? Who’s going to take of it when you’re old and feeble?” Kind of like, when Grace and Frankie went to get a loan for Vybrant and the guy at the bank basically said they were too old unless they wanted a one year loan. Just another example of how sexist ageism is! 

See also Sol's retirement where Joan Margaret was the one to tell him Bud thought he was creating more work than he was doing. Meanwhile Grace and Frankie, who recently started a successful business, are tricked into a home where one of the rules is they can't run a business.

It's also not like anyone has any concerns about Robert potentially having threesomes with his heart etc. This is the kind of thing that would be considered a problem for the women, it seems to me.

Edited January 24, 2019 by sistermagpie

[possibilities]

I'm surprised the writing isn't better. I'd think Tomlin and Fonda could get the absolute best team on the planet, and that they'd both know enough (and have enough leverage) to insist on it.

[Mom x 3]

On 1/21/2019 at 11:30 AM, Miss chi chi said:

Carol Burnett!!!!

Okay, that is inspired.

On 1/22/2019 at 6:18 AM, txhorns79 said:

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I appreciated that two of the groups on Frankie's free vibrator white board were "Time Travelers" and "Suspected Benjamin Buttons."

Damnit.  Now I have to rewatch the entire season to get to that episode.  Thanks a lot.  

On 1/22/2019 at 8:42 AM, Crs97 said:

Penultimate episode:

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Was Frankies cake-yata big enough to feed everyone at the wedding? I am a big dessert person and would be annoyed if I didnt get any cake or just the tiniest taste while they had a perfectly good extra cake in the kitchen.

This!  That was the dumbest ever.  Also, that looked like plain candy in that cake-yata.  You know that Allison was allergic to SOMETHING in that cake.

[Megan]

Lily Tomlin has amazing hair. I was literally thinking that when the show mentioned hair snakes.

ETA: I now realize she's wearing a wig. Obvi I think it's a good wig and her real hair is also great.

Brianna is terrible. June Diane is a treasure.

Alll these spoilers in an all season discussion for a show that releases all episodes at one time is annoying,

Edited February 1, 2019 by Megan

[wendyg]

I continue to feel that Martin Sheen was miscast in a very specific way: he was chosen to be the perfect husband for Jane Fonda, which he is. But he has no chemistry with Sam Waterston, and without that it's very hard to root for them as a couple. I think the idea behind the musical comedy is that now that the two have come out of the closet and are happy together both are breaking the bounds of their repressed characters - Sol by becoming more assertive and Robert by loosening up - among other things, by singing. Sheen is a fine actor, but I just think he wasn't right for this.

I've been trying to think of 80-ish actors who might have had better luck, and one that springs to mind is Charles Kimbrough (Jim Dial on MURPHY BROWN).

[Prevailing Wind]

Excellent choice! Kimbrough can do "stick up the butt" and also play loose & giddy - and he IS a Broadway musical star - see "Company" and "Sunday in the Park with George."  But I understand he's back as Dial in the MB re-boot.  On the other hand, perhaps a different Sol would have worked better (as much as I adore both Waterston & Sheen)...who could be sufficiently goofball to be Frankie's mate for all those years and still have chemistry with Sheen? Barry Corbin? (Maurice Minnefield/Northern Exposure)  Howard Hesseman? (Johhny Fever/WKRP) How about Patrick Stewart?

[Eeksquire]

I think my biggest objection to this season was Joan Margaret - she annoyed me everytime she was on the screen.  (And don't get me started on the running back and forth at the crosswalk!)

[wendyg]

I think they picked both men for their chemistry with the women, not with each other. I just think Kimbrough could have made all the stuff Sheen did a *lot* funnier.

He only did two episodes in the MB reboot.

[UsernameFatigue]

I still have two episodes to watch (because hubby only wants to watch at most two at a time) but so far I have not enjoyed this season at all. I wasn't happy at the first of the season that they were bringing Nick back, as I prefer when they focus on Grace and Frankie. Now I would be happy if they made Frankie a recurring character and focused on Grace and Nick. Frankie has gone from the kooky character she was was to just plain grumpy. And annoying, more so than usual. At this point I would take more of the kids over Frankie.

I agree with those who have said that there has been way too much theater with regarding to  Sol/Robert. It is boring. The best thing about this whole season has been the addition of Sol's dog. Though I will admit that I always wonder when a series brings on a dog (or cat for that matter) what its life is like IRL. Hopefully it has an actual home, and is not just used as a "working" dog without a loving family to go home to. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by UsernameFatigue

[rainsmom]

11 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Though I will admit that I always wonder when a series brings on a dog (or cat for that matter) what its life is like IRL. Hopefully it has an actual home, and is not just used as a "working" dog without a loving family to go home to. 

They generally live with their trainer (who is usually their owner) and are much loved and spoiled. :-)

[UsernameFatigue]

26 minutes ago, rainsmom said:

They generally live with their trainer (who is usually their owner) and are much loved and spoiled. :-)

I have heard that, but I also remember the furor over the dog in A Dog's Purpose movie where the trainer appeared to be making his terrified dog jump into the raging water. I worry that in the end money is more important than the animal. I also wonder on shows like Mom, where one of the characters has several cats. I hope they all have loving homes. But that is just me, as I am more of an animal lover than a people lover. 

[rainsmom]

1 hour ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I have heard that, but I also remember the furor over the dog in A Dog's Purpose movie where the trainer appeared to be making his terrified dog jump into the raging water. I worry that in the end money is more important than the animal. I also wonder on shows like Mom, where one of the characters has several cats. I hope they all have loving homes. But that is just me, as I am more of an animal lover than a people lover. 

That video was cut to show that. The full video -- which was released -- showed from different angles, and it was not like that at all.

It takes time and effort to train animals for TV and movies -- and it's all fun, treat-based, positive methods. Animals who are stressed don't work. The animals are in good hands with people who worship the ground they walk on.

[AZChristian]

I had never been to a Del Taco until after watching Jane Fonda go Meg Ryan (in "When Harry Met Sally") over one of their burritos this season.  

I am now a convert to DT . . . and could eat their desserts until I died from happiness or diabetes (whichever came first).

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, rainsmom said:

It takes time and effort to train animals for TV and movies -- and it's all fun, treat-based, positive methods. Animals who are stressed don't work. The animals are in good hands with people who worship the ground they walk on.

Luckily not only did Carl not have to do any stunts, he was mostly called on to lie on laps and get petted.

[UsernameFatigue]

2 hours ago, rainsmom said:

That video was cut to show that. The full video -- which was released -- showed from different angles, and it was not like that at all.

It takes time and effort to train animals for TV and movies -- and it's all fun, treat-based, positive methods. Animals who are stressed don't work. The animals are in good hands with people who worship the ground they walk on.

 Actually while the video was spliced, American Humane, the animal welfare group on set in charge of supervising the animals, released a statement that said that the handling of the dog in the first scene in the video should have been gentler, and signs of stress recognized earlier. It was obvious that the dog was stressed and scared.

So while it should be fun and games, I don't think that is always true.  Circus animals certainly aren't treated well, and work out of fear in many cases. And people who train dogs differ greatly on the methods they use. So while I would love to think that animals are never mistreated,  I don't know that that is 100 percent true.

Back to the show - one of the few funny lines for me this season was when Grace said she was leaving Say Grace to spend less time with her family. Priceless!

Edited January 27, 2019 by UsernameFatigue

[HelenCrump]

I just finished watching season 3 tonight.  I love this series!   A few in general thoughts:

Spoiler

 

Brianna annoys me except in conjunction with Barry.  I like him as a character so much that I enjoy their scenes.

I love some of the fun little details mentioned here, like Bud and Coyote swimming with the pool noodle, and Frankie's white board notations.

I enjoyed the crosswalk episode.  Frankie is my favorite character, and I thought Lily Tomlin was terrific in that episode.

Nick is a nice match for Grace.  I also suspect that in season 6 he will move into the beach house and be busy with work a lot.

Loved Carl the doggie!   I also think he was supposed to be 8 months.

I like Bud and Allison ... she has grown on me as a character.  Agree with all the great comments here about her dress!

Cake-yata looks like fun ... now I sort of want to make one.

We no longer have Del Taco in this area, and this show made me hungry for Del Taco.

(Sorry, last comment about food in G & F)

I also would like to see Robert and Sol buy the gay bar.

Has the show been renewed for season 6?

 

[chitowngirl]

12 hours ago, HelenCrump said:

Has the show been renewed for season 6?

It has!

[OtterMommy]

Another reminder folks.  this thread is for season 5 discussion only.  Any off-topic posts will be moved or removed.  

Also, do not discuss mod actions or site business, including the re-org, in the thread.  If you have any questions, you may PM me.

[HelenCrump]

6 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

It has!

Thanks, Chitowngirl.   Great news that the show was renewed.