S01.E21 Mike's Award

[AnnaRose]

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The Kids Are Alright | 71 METASCORE

Mike's Award (Season 1 | Episode 21)

8:30PM EST Tuesday | ABC

Peggy's competitive side kicks in when she learns that Helen's husband's professional accomplishments are getting high recognition, so she decides to get Mike into the limelight. Elsewhere, always seeking glory, Joey acts as Timmy's manager to make sure he performs his magic act at the Pioneer Day Carnival, while Eddie is determined to prove to Frank that the carnival games aren't all rigged.

Airdate:  May 7, 2019

This new episode is listed on ABC's schedule and TVGuide, but TitanTV is listing a repeat instead. (TitanTV also erroneously has Blackish listed, which has been pulled because ABC is airing two episodes of Bless This Mess after The Kids Are Alright.) 

I hope viewers don't miss a new episode because of a listing mistake.  This show could probably use all the viewers it can get, to make sure it gets renewed.

[Phebemarie]

I wish Kids got as much hype from ABC as Bless This Mess.  😞 

[Armchair Critic]

Johnny Carson! That part was funny, and Peg actually liked getting mentioned.

[sugarbaker design]

What did Pat throw at Frank?

[festivus]

I love that the ladder thing paid off at the end.

[Phebemarie]

It's a big week for Kids are Alright.  ABC's upfronts, where next year's schedule is announced, is happening next week.  The cast is "tweeting" with fans to show ABC there's an audience out there.  If you're on Twitter, it might be time to tweet some support.  

[possibilities]

I really do love this show.

Helen is Peggy's best friend!!

[biakbiak]

Eugene! I gave up on TWD years ago but nice to see Josh and Michael together again.

[cbetsky]

8 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

What did Pat throw at Frank?

I believe that was a shrimp.

[Yeah No]

I think this was one of my favorite episodes so far.  That lunchroom looked just like my dad's down to the candy machines.  And he wore a pocket protector with pens in it too, lol.  Pat continues to be adorable and I'm glad the show is utilizing that.  And I didn't think the ladder climbing was a real thing but so glad I was wrong!  If I had to choose a totally useless ability back then it would be making houses of cards.  I could make the most incredible mega-structures.  LOL, great memories.

I knew that Mike would eventually act all proud and not want to accept the raise, but isn't it ironic and all too realistic that he should have gotten it 2 years ago?  So glad that Peg's blabbing worked to their advantage this time, but sorry that the boss had to pay the price.  I don't remember the early '70s being all THAT "commie paranoid", though, but I grew up in NY.

LOVED the "frenemies" banter between Peg and her "best friend" too, LOL.

[tribeca]

Timmy’s their was no magic at the prom but one date did disappear cracked me up.  

I hope the boys got paid by the carnival people upfront. 

[2727]

The throwaway scenes are so good on this show, like Mike being tickled about an uncancelled stamp. He's putting the kettle on!

Joey sitting there with his huge roll of midway tickets was typical. I'm sure his character is a very exaggerated representation of the creator's actual brother, but I like to tell myself it's not because I really want Joey to exist.

Park eggs, yum.

Loved Peggy "accidentally" stabbing Frank with a pin. 

William correcting Joey's crustacean knowledge at the sideshow made me want to give him a big squeeze. Love that kid. Sorry the dogs were so fiery, William!

[JenLily]

3 hours ago, 2727 said:

Loved Peggy "accidentally" stabbing Frank with a pin.

I loved how Mike didn't even react to Frank wearing his mother's dress except for a quick double take, and then when Peg told Frank to take it off so blood wouldn't get on it, he turned around and Mike just unzipped it for him without missing a beat. 😂

[libgirl2]

12 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Eugene! I gave up on TWD years ago but nice to see Josh and Michael together again.

It took me a second and I was like "it's Eugene". I don't watch TWD anymore but I loved those two together. What a nice surprise that was. 

50 minutes ago, JenLily said:

I loved how Mike didn't even react to Frank wearing his mother's dress except for a quick double take, and then when Peg told Frank to take it off so blood wouldn't get on it, he turned around and Mike just unzipped it for him without missing a beat. 😂

I thought he would say something for sure. Very funny. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

16 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Eugene! I gave up on TWD years ago but nice to see Josh and Michael together again.

It took me a second and I was like "it's Eugene". I don't watch TWD anymore but I loved those two together. What a nice surprise that was.

What are y'all talking about?  I usually try to look this sort of thing up myself, but I don't even know where to start.

[biakbiak]

16 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

What are y'all talking about?  I usually try to look this sort of thing up myself, but I don't even know where to start.

The person who played Mike’s boss was on The Walking Dead with Michael Cudlitz. 

[lefawn]

When they mentioned Dan Blocker (Hoss from Bonanza) was going to be at the banquet I got super excited and assumed his son, Dirk Blocker (Hitchcock on Brooklyn 99), was going to show up in a scene at the event and that would be the big final pay off of the episode.  Since I watch both shows on Hulu, I forgot/didn’t realize the shows were on two different networks. If this show was on NBC, that cameo would have happened!  

I’m glad Frank learned that sometimes it’s fine just having fun doing something you’re good at. He got a win! And shrimp!

$46 more a week is huge!  Peg’s speech about how that would have a real impact on her life and the life of the kids totally had me.  Mike, as a machinist at a defense company, should be making decent money but, with eight kids, economizing is still essential. But that extra bump in cash will really help at home.

[geauxaway]

22 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

What did Pat throw at Frank?

I think it was a shrimp. 🍤

[xander874]

I kind of thought this episode was all over the place. Almost too much going on. Eddie’s plot was so random and didn’t really go anywhere except for his advise to Frank at the end. And that green screen of Mike’s plant was so bad to me. 

I think Peg was cut out of the newspaper picture and thought that would be a thing but it wasn’t so maybe I am wrong. 

And of course Pat is adorable. His lobster crab was wonderful.  

[Manhands]

This show is hilarious!! When I saw those little sunny side eggs on the platter I was thinking they made a mistake making them look so small. But then the pay off...park eggs. It was great to see “Eugene” as mikes boss acting a little less weird than on TWD. 

[dcalley]

4 hours ago, lefawn said:

$46 more a week is huge!

It is. That's almost $2400 a year. I'd be thrilled with that today. The BLS CPI inflation calculator says $46 in June 1972 is worth ~$280 in 2019. That's more than $14,000 in a year. That is a massive raise.

3 hours ago, xander874 said:

I think Peg was cut out of the newspaper picture and thought that would be a thing but it wasn’t so maybe I am wrong.

She was complaining about not getting credit for the 9 months per kid (10 1/2 for Frank), so I do think it bothered her that she was cut out. When Carson mentioned her she said she finally got some crumbs.

(This is from memory, forgive any errors.) Pat: I wish I was a pioneer.

Peggy: You likely would have died in childbirth and taken me with you!

Pat: Sorry, mommy.

Peggy: Yeah, me too.

[Cowgirl]

Glad Eddie got Frank to loosen up some.  His comment about the contortionist at the beginning was particularly harsh.  It was something like, "In a more civilized society she would have been stoned." Geez Frank!  In a less civilized society someone would already have hit YOU with a rock for being so annoying in the past. 

[SmithW6079]

13 hours ago, dcalley said:

Pat: I wish I was a pioneer.

Peggy: You likely would have died in childbirth and taken me with you!

Pat: Sorry, mommy.

Peggy: Yeah, me too.

That exchange had me laughing out loud.

[dcalley]

I just remembered that Pat licked all the caramel off the apple that Frank later ate. 

[methodwriter85]

Aww, the Beach Boys. This makes me want a beach episode.

[geauxaway]

57 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Aww, the Beach Boys. This makes me want a beach episode.

The first live concert I ever went to. 6 years old.   I still LOVE my Beach Boys music.  It was my dad’s FAVE.  

[Cowgirl]

"Feed all the shrimp you want to anything with a face, for an extra 25 cents!"

Peggy wanting to arrive early to pay the valet to ding Helen's car! 

Her dress looked a lot like one my mom had from that era!  The fashion on this show is so spot on! (As opposed to the Goldbergs, which never seems to get it quite right.)

Edited May 10, 2019 by Cowgirl

[hoodooznoodooz]

I liked Mike’s boss describing his family as comically large (or something like that).

[Rebky]

This show so takes me back to my childhood. I lived in a neighborhood with 5 Catholic kids (all of whom I loved dearly). I went to public school and they went to private (Catholic school). They always said that I should change schools and go to school with them - because there were plenty of non-Catholic kids at their school. I was raised up Baptist and did not understand how I could possibly attend their school? My mom (who was one of the sweetest, nonjudgmental persons ever) informed me that the non-Catholic students were usually kicked out of public school due to behavioral problems, and their parents could afford tuition. That ruled me out on all sides. To this day, we watch this show and love it. My friends were only like the Cleary's because of the Catholicism. Their dad was not Catholic and never attended mass, but he sure worked hard to pay tuition for his 4 girls and one son to attend private school. His wife? Totally Peggy.