Season 1 Discussion

[Dbolt]

But at the same time those overweight men with hot wives are almost always dumb and the butt of many of the jokes. 

[Guest]

On 10/11/2019 at 11:14 AM, Dbolt said:

But at the same time those overweight men with hot wives are almost always dumb and the butt of many of the jokes. 

Exactly. They may have the hot wife but their also bear the brunt of most of the jokes. There are usually constant reminders of how out of their league they are. 60 years ago The Honeymooners were joking about how fat Jackie Gleason was. 

On 10/11/2019 at 10:55 AM, joanne3482 said:

As a fat chick, I've never seen advertised a show with a plus sized woman with a hot husband. And by plus sized woman I mean REAL plus sized woman, not a normal sized woman who Hollywood deems plus size because she is a size 6 and not a size 0.

I don’t watch the show anymore put based on a recent commercial it looks like This Is Us is going in that direction with Kate and Toby. I still wouldn’t call it progress because they but the actor in fat suit when the show started. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by Guest

[Harvey]

Gotta give it to the show, it inspires very intelligent conversation

[possibilities]

I don't see Bob as being portrayed to be a loser. He's well-liked by everyone, he's the only sane person in his family, he's financially successful, he's bilingual and up for the challenge of learning a third, he's woke enough to realize Abishola is not a prize to be won or awarded by external pressure, and he is a decent boss.

It's not like being rejected by someone you asked out and had tea with one time is a tragedy. And Abishola didn't insult him, she just told him she wasn't able to continue to see him. Big deal. It happens all the time.

I do think  it was a mistake to have him go to her home to give her the socks. he should have left them at the hospital with a note, asking her if she'd like to get together sometime. The show could have had similar drama by then having her friends and family get all excited about it, without having made him cross that initial line. If her family had found out about the socks, gotten the story from her, and then gone after him, all the same plot points could have been achieved, including the same jokes, but without starting Bob off as going too far. And it would have reinforced the message he later gave, when he said he didn't want to see her unless she wanted to.

[SmithW6079]

5 hours ago, possibilities said:

I don't see Bob as being portrayed to be a loser. He's well-liked by everyone, he's the only sane person in his family, he's financially successful, he's bilingual and up for the challenge of learning a third, he's woke enough to realize Abishola is not a prize to be won or awarded by external pressure, and he is a decent boss.

It's not like being rejected by someone you asked out and had tea with one time is a tragedy. And Abishola didn't insult him, she just told him she wasn't able to continue to see him. Big deal. It happens all the time.

I do think  it was a mistake to have him go to her home to give her the socks. he should have left them at the hospital with a note, asking her if she'd like to get together sometime. The show could have had similar drama by then having her friends and family get all excited about it, without having made him cross that initial line. If her family had found out about the socks, gotten the story from her, and then gone after him, all the same plot points could have been achieved, including the same jokes, but without starting Bob off as going too far. And it would have reinforced the message he later gave, when he said he didn't want to see her unless she wanted to.

Don't forget, it was Abishola's coworker who sold her out. I think if she had said no, she couldn't give out Abishola's address, that would have ended it.

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I don't know.  For decades white males were portrayed as the winners in life, the center of all stories.  In fact, it still is that way in most movies.  Now that a few TV shows show white males differently, folks scream that it's unfair.

They're not just being portrayed "differently" but as doofuses, uncool, losers, butt of jokes, dumb, whatever.  I think that's just as unfair as it was unfair for white males to always be portrayed as the smartest, most successful, winners at center stage while others were portrayed as subordinates.  Is the goal retribution or equality?  If TV wants to encourage equality I don't think this kind of "tit for tat" trend is going to promote that.

[Yeah No]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

I don't see Bob as being portrayed to be a loser. He's well-liked by everyone, he's the only sane person in his family, he's financially successful, he's bilingual and up for the challenge of learning a third, he's woke enough to realize Abishola is not a prize to be won or awarded by external pressure, and he is a decent boss.

I think Bob acts somewhat loser-ish in seeming a little clueless about how to appropriately approach a woman, which IMO should not involve what I'm seeing as borderline stalker behavior.  To me they are making him come off as that lonely, awkward, heavy guy that doesn't know how to engage with a woman he's interested in for a romantic relationship and who blunders and pushes his way into a woman's life completely clueless about how it may be turning her off.  He may be a winner in his career but as far as women are concerned, not so much. 

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

To me they are making him come off as that lonely, awkward, heavy guy that doesn't know how to engage with a woman he's interested in for a romantic relationship and who blunders and pushes his way into a woman's life completely clueless about how it may be turning her off.  He may be a winner in his career but as far as women are concerned, not so much.

I don’t know if it was a retcon or not, but the last episode fixed Bob’s loser-with-the-ladies status for me when we learned he had been married for a number of years, and that the divorce was just “irreconcilable differences” (right?). 

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I don’t know if it was a retcon or not, but the last episode fixed Bob’s loser-with-the-ladies status for me when we learned he had been married for a number of years, and that the divorce was just “irreconcilable differences” (right?). 

In my experience, having been married before doesn't make any difference whatsoever.  I've met plenty of divorced people just like that, sorry to say.  I did online dating several years ago and met several men that fit that category.  Just because they succeeded once doesn't mean they know how to approach the opposite sex or sustain a long term relationship, and perhaps that's one reason why they're divorced.  Usually it means the person marrying them did so for reasons that most other people wouldn't overlook all that for, like security or a strong drive for children, etc.  I even know people still married that fit that category and their spouses are very unhappy but hang on because they themselves are too dysfunctional or just too hopeless to get out of the relationship.  Which brings me to one of my irritations about this show - That Bob is supposedly some kind of "prize package" that Abishola (or anyone) should fall for.  He is NOT, sorry, and I think it's almost insulting to both her and the audience that we're supposed to find him and his so far creepy behavior "endearing" and "sweet".  Of course it's only a TV show and not realistic, so they're going to do their best to try to change my mind but right now it still bugs me.

[AnimeMania]

7 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I don’t know if it was a retcon or not, but the last episode fixed Bob’s loser-with-the-ladies status for me when we learned he had been married for a number of years, and that the divorce was just “irreconcilable differences” (right?). 

The only part I remembered was that before they got married they looked like different people and by the time they got divorced they looked like the same person.

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

That Bob is supposedly some kind of "prize package" that Abishola (or anyone) should fall for.  He is NOT, sorry, and I think it's almost insulting to both her and the audience that we're supposed to find him and his so far creepy behavior "endearing" and "sweet".

I thought the TV show was trying to show, let's pick two people who everybody would agree have little in common and show that they are not as different as everybody thought. Everybody knows they are going to end up together and be happy, so this is a the journey being more interesting than the destination story.

[possibilities]

To me, Bob just seems like a normal guy. Not everyone is a leading man style hunk or a smooth talking charmer. In everyday life, those kinds of people tend to also be unbearable jerks; it's only on TV that they're considered normal or desireable.

I have known plenty of people who thought a man with steady money was a great catch, regardless of his other attributes, so I don't find that lacking credibility, either.

He's not my type (I don't go for guys of any type), but he doesn't seem at all abnormal, to me.

I agree this is supposed to be a show about how people you wouldn't think were a match might be, and how that would work once they got together. There's a lot of material in the cultural clash, opposites attract, and odd couple dynamics.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I thought the TV show was trying to show, let's pick two people who everybody would agree have little in common and show that they are not as different as everybody thought. Everybody knows they are going to end up together and be happy, so this is a the journey being more interesting than the destination story.

@AnimeMania, your post perfectly describes what attracted me to the show—even if I didn’t know it, LOL. 

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I thought the TV show was trying to show, let's pick two people who everybody would agree have little in common and show that they are not as different as everybody thought. Everybody knows they are going to end up together and be happy, so this is a the journey being more interesting than the destination story.

Yeah, like she can say to him in 10 years, "When I met you, you were an insufferable fat dweeb stalker and I was a standoffish, cold fish, but look how we overcame our differences to find love".....barf.

Might be interesting if the journey didn't feel so forced and the characters predictable.  Except for the Mandarin Chinese, which I guess was an attempt to make dishwater dull Bob look more "interesting".

[SnarkySheep]

On 10/8/2019 at 7:24 AM, SmithW6079 said:

Why? Because black people can't be bigots? We saw in this episode that Abishola and her friend are clearly bigots toward African Americans. 

Also, when Bob walked Abishola back to the nurses' station in the second ep, she suddenly got very abrupt. He asked her if she were embarrassed to be seen with a white man, and she said yes.

I admit to having a moment where the thought crossed my mind that if it were Bob saying he were embarrassed to be seen with a black woman, there would no doubt be internet riots, demanding the show be taken off the air. But Abishola's prejudice just rolled right on by. 

As I mentioned before, I want to like this show, partly because I like Billy Gardell and partly because I could use some more sitcoms to "break up" all the serious dramas I watch every week. But I'm still kind of lukewarm toward this one.

[jewel21]

New episode tonight. 

S01.E04: Square Hamburger, Round Buns

After Abishola calls off things with Bob, her Auntie Olu sets her up with a Nigerian pharmacist, and Bob tries online dating.

Airdate: 10.14.2019

[joanne3482]

On 10/12/2019 at 7:57 AM, Yeah No said:

I think it's almost insulting to both her and the audience that we're supposed to find him and his so far creepy behavior "endearing" and "sweet".  Of course it's only a TV show and not realistic, so they're going to do their best to try to change my mind but right now it still bugs me.

For me it is because of Billy Gardell that makes it sweeter.  Another actor it could be construed as creepy. 

On 10/11/2019 at 7:19 PM, SmithW6079 said:

Don't forget, it was Abishola's coworker who sold her out. I think if she had said no, she couldn't give out Abishola's address, that would have ended it.

But he insisted he wanted to bring it to her home and he bribed the coworker. Yes, the coworker should have stuck to her guns, but he was rather pushy. 

[Scarlett45]

On 10/13/2019 at 6:55 PM, SnarkySheep said:

Also, when Bob walked Abishola back to the nurses' station in the second ep, she suddenly got very abrupt. He asked her if she were embarrassed to be seen with a white man, and she said yes.

I admit to having a moment where the thought crossed my mind that if it were Bob saying he were embarrassed to be seen with a black woman, there would no doubt be internet riots, demanding the show be taken off the air. But Abishola's prejudice just rolled right on by. 

I’m not denying Abishola’s statement was prejudiced, but given the social history of heteroromantic/sexual associations between black women and white men the opposite statement (if Bob said he was ashamed to be seen with a black woman) doesn’t have the same meaning. 
 

For a black woman, shame with being seen with a white man (traditionally) could come from the fact that you are seen as “kept”, the “side piece”, the “mistress”, the “sexual play thing”, because there is no way a white man is going to be serious about you romantically, he’s going to marry a white woman and have white children. You may genuinely like him and he may treat you well (and any kids you have he may support) but you are always a second class citizen in the relationship. Yes I know miscegenation has been legal for 50 years, but social attitudes don’t go away over night. Also Abishola is Nigerian- is she seen with a white man because she so “loose” etc etc no upstanding Nigerian man would have her?

The same thing doesn’t apply the opposite way- a white man can be with anyone he wants and it’s not a reflection on his social status. He can have several women, just to have “variety” and he’s not going to be looked down on the way a woman (of any race) would be. No one would assume Bob was so sexually promiscuous or compromised a white woman wouldn’t be seen with him- cause those attitudes don’t apply to men of any race. 
 

Just one way of looking at it. Now Abishola’s Aunt doesn’t see things that way, in her eyes he’s a man with a job who wants her niece so she needs to be receptive (which is a problem in and of itself), but that doesn’t mean the rest of the community is going to see it that way or Abishola will be quick to change her own conditioning on the idea. Now she likely will cause we need them together for the show to work, but that statement doesn’t surprise me.  

[shapeshifter]

I don’t know if “soul mates” or “true love” or “love at first sight” really exist, but I am enjoying this portrayal of them. 

[jewel21]

My favourite part of the episode was the end where Abishola and Bob were sitting quietly drinking their tea. I do wish she had told him she hated the mustache, though, because I keep hoping he'll shave it off, heh. 

I also liked the Uncle enjoying the Baconator. Now I really want one, damn it. 

[Harvey]

The scenes with just Bob and Abishola together are so charming. Their accidental meeting at the bench at the end of the episode was the highlight for me.

I find it interesting that Abishol and her Aunt think so differently. Her aunt only wants a man for Abishola for the financial aid it would mean for the family, but Abishola seems to want to be someone she actually likes. But if they are of the same culture shouldn't Abishola have similiar values too where she is primarily focused on a "husband" from the point of view of him being a provider, not a love/soulmate she actually has to like. I read a book about african tribes before where the women thought similiarly to Abishola's aunt and laughed at the american idea that you have to love your husband.

[Snow Apple]

I wonder if that doctor will have a role of some sort in future episodes. Not a romantic rival hopefully. A recurring antagonist?

how many of us will be having a Baconator for lunch? With extra pickles.

[Raja]

50 minutes ago, Harvey said:

The scenes with just Bob and Abishola together are so charming. Their accidental meeting at the bench at the end of the episode was the highlight for me.

I find it interesting that Abishol and her Aunt think so differently. Her aunt only wants a man for Abishola for the financial aid it would mean for the family, but Abishola seems to want to be someone she actually likes. But if they are of the same culture shouldn't Abishola have similiar values too where she is primarily focused on a "husband" from the point of view of him being a provider, not a love/soulmate she actually has to like. I read a book about african tribes before where the women thought similiarly to Abishola's aunt and laughed at the american idea that you have to love your husband.

While it seems some men from her language ethnic group work for Bob she still remains a micro minority. And  the values would extend beyond husband provider to that hierarchy we were discussing earlier. First Yoruba, I believed they identified her as, then other Nigerian from the proper Christian denomination/sub group until you finally get down the line to Bob.

[msrachelj]

On 10/11/2019 at 1:55 PM, joanne3482 said:

And yet Kevin James has had TWO TV shows where he, the fat guy, has had a hot, successful wife while I've never seen the reverse. And while they've gotten better about women being the brunt of fat comments, there are still shows that fat shame women.

As a fat chick, I've never seen advertised a show with a plus sized woman with a hot husband. And by plus sized woman I mean REAL plus sized woman, not a normal sized woman who Hollywood deems plus size because she is a size 6 and not a size 0. 

Next week looks promising. I think I'm going to be amused by their dating stories. 

On Days of our Lives there was a plus sized, really plus sized, woman who was married to a hot doctor. I may have seen another example but can't think of it right now. But yes, very few. 

[Dbolt]

When Bob and Abishola were sitting on the bench at the end, I couldn’t help thinking that it would be nice if they became best friends instead a couple. I don’t get any sexual chemistry between them but would love to watch them help and support each other navigate through life. There is no way this show would go that way though. 

[jewel21]

Just now, Dbolt said:

When Bob and Abishola were sitting on the bench at the end, I couldn’t help thinking that it would be nice if they became best friends instead a couple. I don’t get any sexual chemistry between them but would love to watch them help and support each other navigate through life. There is no way this show would go that way though. 

The thought crossed my mind as well. If they can't be together, I would be happy with them being friends. It does appear though that Abishola is going to start developing some romantic feelings for Bob. Where the show goes with that, I don't know, but I look forward to seeing it play out. 

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, Harvey said:

But if they are of the same culture shouldn't Abishola have similiar values too where she is primarily focused on a "husband" from the point of view of him being a provider, not a love/soulmate she actually has to like. I read a book about african tribes before where the women thought similiarly to Abishola's aunt and laughed at the american idea that you have to love your husband.

Well people are individuals even if they are raised in the same culture, you have to account for innate personality differences and life experience. Also, Abishola has been effectively single for many years, she knows she can do things alone, why be with someone she doesn’t like aka “I can do bad by myself.” Her aunt is older and has likely had a partner her ENTIRE adult life, so not having one would seem like a “tragic” thing to her.
 

I’m sure you’ve come across people (men and women) that have always been partnered (or met their spouse young) and are always concerned single people are “lonely” for some strange reason- because to them, their emotional, sexual and financial needs have been met by this person that’s a constant, so they wonder (even unconsciously) how people feel who don’t have that. 

[zoey1996]

On 10/11/2019 at 1:55 PM, joanne3482 said:

As a fat chick, I've never seen advertised a show with a plus sized woman with a hot husband. And by plus sized woman I mean REAL plus sized woman, not a normal sized woman who Hollywood deems plus size because she is a size 6 and not a size 0. 

2 hours ago, msrachelj said:

On Days of our Lives there was a plus sized, really plus sized, woman who was married to a hot doctor. I may have seen another example but can't think of it right now. But yes, very few. 

American Housewife features Katie and Greg Otto.  Katie was described as the second fattest woman in Westport, Connecticut, and her husband Greg, a college professor, is, if not hot, at least average and not overweight.  

This Is Us has the example of Kate and Toby.  In a recent episode, Toby takes off his shirt and reveals to Kate, who is obese, a smaller and better toned body than she'd seen before.  That the show had him wear a fat suit in the beginning (or so I've read), meant that they were both overweight when they met.  

Dietland had Plum hook up with a pretty hot guy, but it turned out that he had a "fat woman" fetish and it did not go well.

So, examples exist, but they are few and far between.

[Neurochick]

On 10/13/2019 at 7:55 PM, SnarkySheep said:

I admit to having a moment where the thought crossed my mind that if it were Bob saying he were embarrassed to be seen with a black woman, there would no doubt be internet riots, demanding the show be taken off the air. But Abishola's prejudice just rolled right on by. 

Probably because of the historical aspect of racism in America.  White people weren't redlined, lynched, etc in the US to the extent black people have been.  

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Dbolt said:

When Bob and Abishola were sitting on the bench at the end, I couldn’t help thinking that it would be nice if they became best friends instead a couple. I don’t get any sexual chemistry between them but would love to watch them help and support each other navigate through life. There is no way this show would go that way though. 

No, this is not that show, but I would like to watch that show too.

[Harvey]

The description for the next episode seems very interesting. Might be the most stimulating episode yet.

Spoiler

After Abishola has a romantic dream about Bob, she tries to suppress her feelings for him and pays the price

[Lady J]

On 10/8/2019 at 2:54 PM, Harvey said:

Bob loves Abishola because the way she pronounces the word "Bob" is appealing to him.

The ❤️ wants what the ❤️ wants.

[AnimeMania]

We also have to factor in that Abishola already had a husband, they both had decent jobs and a child together. The husband decided that his career was more important than his family and left them to find a better job. When he found that job, for some reason he didn't include his old family, but started a new one. Not knowing what her first husband was like, makes it hard to judge what Abishola might be looking for in a husband. I am sure someone who cares a great deal about their job status would probably be a turn-off, as well as someone who wants a wife just so they can claim that they have a great wife. 

[Browncoat]

At this point, it doesn't seem to me that she is interested in a husband at all.  Her Auntie, Uncle, and friends are all pushing her.

[DoYouLikeMutton]

What is Abishola apologizing for when she stopped the doctor from prescribing a medication that is counter-indicated with another med the patient is already taking???  

I am trying very hard to like this show, especially since Carol’s Second Act and The Unicorn are such huge disappointments.  😲

[grawlix]

23 minutes ago, DoYouLikeMutton said:

What is Abishola apologizing for when she stopped the doctor from prescribing a medication that is counter-indicated with another med the patient is already taking???  

I am trying very hard to like this show, especially since Carol’s Second Act and The Unicorn are such huge disappointments.  😲

She corrected the doctor's prescription in front of a patient.  In doing so, the doctor felt it undermined the patient's confidence with the treatment the doctor was providing.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, DoYouLikeMutton said:

What is Abishola apologizing for when she stopped the doctor from prescribing a medication that is counter-indicated with another med the patient is already taking???   

For not catering to the doctors fragile ego by pointing out the he was wrong in front of the patient. 

I really liked how they showed Abishola getting fed up with being expected stay in her place just because people outranked at work and at home. It showed how someone like Bob who sees her as an equal would appeal to her. 

13 hours ago, Harvey said:

I find it interesting that Abishol and her Aunt think so differently. Her aunt only wants a man for Abishola for the financial aid it would mean for the family, but Abishola seems to want to be someone she actually likes. But if they are of the same culture shouldn't Abishola have similiar values too where she is primarily focused on a "husband" from the point of view of him being a provider, not a love/soulmate she actually has to like. I read a book about african tribes before where the women thought similiarly to Abishola's aunt and laughed at the american idea that you have to love your husband.

In every culture there are those who strain against the values of the culture. It makes perfect sense for Abishola to become increasingly frustrated with a culture that expects her to be subservient when she is exposed to a wider array of beliefs. 

[possibilities]

Even within my family, which has lived in the same part of the world for generations, there is a variety of values. I'm sure we've all met people who don't conform to the expectations of their elders, on all kinds of issues. I don't find it surprising that Abishola and her aunt and uncle are having this kind of conflict.

[Harvey]

4 hours ago, Dani said:

For not catering to the doctors fragile ego by pointing out the he was wrong in front of the patient. 

I really liked how they showed Abishola getting fed up with being expected stay in her place just because people outranked at work and at home. It showed how someone like Bob who sees her as an equal would appeal to her. 

In every culture there are those who strain against the values of the culture. It makes perfect sense for Abishola to become increasingly frustrated with a culture that expects her to be subservient when she is exposed to a wider array of beliefs. 

48 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Even within my family, which has lived in the same part of the world for generations, there is a variety of values. I'm sure we've all met people who don't conform to the expectations of their elders, on all kinds of issues. I don't find it surprising that Abishola and her aunt and uncle are having this kind of conflict.

This of course makes perfect sense.

However.

If she is more of a "free thinker" within her culture there is no reason for her to be insistent on wanting a husband from the "same tribe" since that husband is more likely to have these old-fashioned views she is so opposed to, as shown in this episode as well. There is a contradiction there.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Harvey said:

This of course makes perfect sense.

However.

If she is more of a "free thinker" within her culture there is no reason for her to be insistent on wanting a husband from the "same tribe" since that husband is more likely to have these old-fashioned views she is so opposed to, as shown in this episode as well. There is a contradiction there.

People are full of contradictions but I don’t consider that to be one. Her saying that she would only marry a Nigerian was a moot point because she has repeatedly said she will not get married again. She does not need a husband because she has a husband. That ended badly and now she just wants to live her life and focus on her son but no one will let her. 

Edited October 16, 2019 by Guest

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Dani said:

4 hours ago, Harvey said:

This of course makes perfect sense.

However.

If she is more of a "free thinker" within her culture there is no reason for her to be insistent on wanting a husband from the "same tribe" since that husband is more likely to have these old-fashioned views she is so opposed to, as shown in this episode as well. There is a contradiction there.

People are full of contradictions but I don’t consider that to be one. Her saying that she would only marry a Nigerian was a moot point because she has repeatedly said she will not get married again. She does not need a husband because she has a husband. That ended badly and now she just wants to live her life and focus on her son but no one will let her. 

Both of your comments make sense, as could other interpretations of what makes Abishola tick

—which can be due to really good writing (if the writers are deliberately holding back from sharply defining her personality in order to leave room for growth and /or surprising reveals)

—or could indicate that the writers have no idea where they are going with this character, perhaps in part because they are neither familiar with Nigerian social customs nor with those of Nigerian America immigrants —especially of women —and/or they are just flying by the seat of their pants for the whole story. 
And now I’m wondering if the 1960s Bewitched writers gave much thought to character development. Probably not. They had a simple formula for hi jinx. 

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

perhaps in part because they are neither familiar with Nigerian social customs nor with those of Nigerian America immigrants —especially of women

Gina Yashere, the woman who created the show and plays the Hospital Cook, parents are Nigerians that immigrated to London. I am sure she cherry-picked lots of situations that happened to different relatives to flesh out her characters.

[CrazyMoon]

"My heart says to love you, my head says to run

My heart's afraid to tell my mind what it's done"

("Must Be the Whiskey" Cody Jinks)

I think this describes Bob & Abishola perfectly.

[tennisgurl]

The ending with Bob and Abishola randomly meeting on the bench and chatting was quite sweet, I am actually excited for them to actually start dating as I think their scenes together are a highlight, and I would like to see what an actual relationship between them would be like.  

[shapeshifter]

14 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Gina Yashere, the woman who created the show and plays the Hospital Cook, parents are Nigerians that immigrated to London. I am sure she cherry-picked lots of situations that happened to different relatives to flesh out her characters.

Yes, but does she write a lot of the dialogue? I'm curious.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, but does she write a lot of the dialogue? I'm curious.

Yes, she does. She had a writers credit on the first two episodes and a story credit on episodes 3 and 4. She has the authority to change anything she doesn’t like. 

[floridamom]

I think these two should spend a lot of time starting out as each other's supportive friend. I think they have rushed this romantic thing between them in the first two episodes. I also find it hard to believe that Abishola's aunt and uncle, who are supposed to be fine, upstanding people and who do the right thing, would never encourage their niece to 'look for a husband' when she still has a husband in Nigeria. This woman is not eligible to remarry or pursue another husband at this stage of the game. I would think her aunt would fine it wrong. They very well know where the husband is and what he is doing in Africa as Abishola spoke to her son about his communicating with his father via social media. He may have 'another family' over there but they are still quite legally married. A fine, upstanding person with the same type of family would take care of the marital situation before pursuing a serious new relationship. (Sorry, I know I was a bit wordy here, but it's early in the morning.)

[Yeah No]

I just wanted to say that (shock, surprise) I actually liked this episode.  Bob didn't come off so badly in it and I found his interactions with Abishola to be sincere and sweet.  He's really a nice, likable guy when he isn't giving off stalker-ish vibes, and I didn't feel any this time even though he showed up at the bench again.  I agree with everyone that it's a good thing that they are becoming friends first and not rushing into any kind of romantic relationship.  Abishola is showing signs of softening to him and I love the way the actress is playing this so subtly.  It's believable.  Plus I absolutely LOVE Abishola's relatives, along with the baconator jokes, etc.  So I'm definitely staying with this.  I wasn't ready to bail or anything because I know new shows often need some time to find their stride.  Of course, every time I do that lately, just when I finally decide I like a show, it gets cancelled.  I hope that doesn't happen with this show, but if it continues to improve like this it won't.

[SmithW6079]

I wish they hadn't made the dates so over-the-top horrible just to force the Bob/Abishola relationship. I think the two leads have a good chemistry together, and I think it would happen organically. Maybe they will develop the friendship route first, even though Bob is interested in Abishola romantically.

As for Abishola's workplace incident, I think the doctor (is he Indian?) was justified. It's not that she corrected him, but that she corrected him in front of a patient, who was already anxious. I've been in the hospital many times, and it would bother me too. Abishola appeared certain of her information, so it would have been better for her to have taken the doctor aside and expressed her concerns. It's not like he gave her the order to administer the medication right then.

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, floridamom said:

I think these two should spend a lot of time starting out as each other's supportive friend. I think they have rushed this romantic thing between them in the first two episodes. I also find it hard to believe that Abishola's aunt and uncle, who are supposed to be fine, upstanding people and who do the right thing, would never encourage their niece to 'look for a husband' when she still has a husband in Nigeria. This woman is not eligible to remarry or pursue another husband at this stage of the game. I would think her aunt would fine it wrong. They very well know where the husband is and what he is doing in Africa as Abishola spoke to her son about his communicating with his father via social media. He may have 'another family' over there but they are still quite legally married. A fine, upstanding person with the same type of family would take care of the marital situation before pursuing a serious new relationship. (Sorry, I know I was a bit wordy here, but it's early in the morning.)

I see her Aunt coming from the opposite way- Abisola shouldn’t push her husband for a divorce etc until she has another fiancé/potential husband lined up. Her husband has “left her” physically and emotionally, but is still very much legally and financially responsible for things. As long as they are still married if something happens, she’s got duties to him and vice versa.   The Aunt wouldn’t want her to let that go and give a BLESSING for him to commit himself to his other family until she knew Abisola (and her son) were taken care of first. 
 

Abishola has a “grass widow” to quote a phrase from Mildred Pierce. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SmithW6079 said:

As for Abishola's workplace incident, I think the doctor (is he Indian?) was justified. It's not that she corrected him, but that she corrected him in front of a patient, who was already anxious. I've been in the hospital many times, and it would bother me too. Abishola appeared certain of her information, so it would have been better for her to have taken the doctor aside and expressed her concerns. It's not like he gave her the order to administer the medication right then.

She didn’t correct him in front of the patient. She asked for confirmation and only brought up the drug interaction when he responded, “Do you have a problem with that?” She apologized twice and keep her demeanor submissive even though he was a complete ass to her and clearly did not know about the drug interaction. She only gets an attitude when gets in her face and says, “If you have something to say then say it.”

He was justified it telling her not to question him in front of the patient but he was wrong in every other aspect. 

If I was a patient it would make me nervous but I’d rather be aware of the issue.