First of all, though I loved this episode, its only March, much too early for the prom. I mean, seriously, prom in March. My proms and all that I have heard of have occurred in May, but whatever.
I'll get to that plot last because it still leaves me with a smile on my face.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) have decided to start walking because according to Dr. Oz, sitting is the new smoking. Here they meet others also walking and they get along much better with the others than with themselves. They have run out of things to say to each other. So Frankie decides to throw a dinner party, but that plan backfires. The others have actually traveled to foreign and domestic places, leaving Frankie and Mike out. So they hide in the laundry room where they spy on the Donahues arguing over petty things. This makes Mike and Frankie feel much better about themselves and gives them something to talk about.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) needs to do something different than the typical book report and enlists Axl's (Charlie McDermott's) help. Axl doesn't want to, but then Brick convinces him that he hit the jackpot when it came to little brothers. So Axl helps him, by placing all the books Brick had read throughout this life in a long chain so it's his life in books. And it would have been so cool, except for the fact that Axl had the camera turned the wrong way, which meant that his face was filmed the whole time. Brick isn't pleased, but Axl immediately shakes it off and informs him that grades don't matter until high school.
Now, to the major plot. Sue (Eden Sher) begins the show by lamenting to her mother about how she doesn't have a date for prom. Frankie lies to her and said that neither did Beyonce. However, that quickly changes for Sue. First, her manager at Spudsy Malones, Edwin (Jimmy Bellinger) asks her and then Sean (Beau Wirick) changes his plans and drives six hours from Notre Dame just to take Susie Q to prom. Then Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) insists she goes to prom with him because they are both dateless and he can do her make-up. And if that still wasn't enough, Derrick Glossner (David Chandler) informs her that the two of them are going to prom together. Darrin (John Gammon) asks her also solely to be polite but this is the one that she really wanted. So she begins the long process of cancelling on her other dates. Brad doesn't take it well, because blond guys will come and go, but friends are forever. Sean is actually truly upset and probably won't do Sue any favors anytime soon. Derrick's brother tells Sue and he can't take her to prom because he's in juvie and then Edwin cancels about he heard about her and Brad and isn't pleased with her decision, because it is a step down from him. And then, in the worst possible moment, Darrin leaves her a voicemail because he heard about her other dates, so she doesn't really need him and he didn't really want to go to prom anyway.
So Sue decides to take herself to prom and puts on a stoic face while Axl takes her picture. Brick says that that is the saddest thing he's ever seen. Even Axl has to agree. And when Darrin shows up at the house later, Axl lets him have it. This is probably Axl's finest moment in some time. He defends Sue. Says that she gets all googly eyes and big smiles around him which makes Axl want to throw up. Axl tells Darrin that she really wanted to go with him and that he hurt Sue which isn't cool.
Darrin immediately starts running to prom, where Sue has ended up with Weird Ashley (Kaitlin Mastandrea), because, it just wouldn't be prom unless that happened. And just when you think that Darrin won't find Sue, because she's about to leave, he finds her and redeems himself. He tells Sue that he can't stop thinking about her and though he tells himself every morning he won't think about her, it backfires because then he's thinking about her anyway. He may not care about prom but he cares about her. The ending is truly sweet and romantic, with them kissing and then slow dancing. A great, perfect ending.
This episode was great, solely because of the Sue prom plot and one of my favorite, if not my favorite TV couple gets back together. The other plots weren't that bad, but Sue's was great. Sure, there may not have been many funny moments, but that didn't matter. The acting was great and Gammon deserves plenty of credit for playing Darrin. Grade: A
Side Notes:
-Sue wears a beautiful pink prom dress and tells her brothers that she is taking herself to prom just like Molly Ringwald did in Pretty in Pink.
-The guests at Frankie's dinner party tell her that the food looks great, which sort of surprised me, though she probably ordered it from somewhere because she never cooks.
-Darrin is really interested in the behind the scenes action of Sue doing laundry. I hope he knows how to do his own laundry, but it was still an interesting gag.
-Edwin will not be informing Sue early about the special potato; she will have to wait like everyone else.
-Weird Ashley is still wearing the same cape she wore to prom for the past three seasons, saving her parents tons of money.
-Derrick tells Sue that she will have to pick him up for the prom.
-What did Derrick do to land himself in juvie? Do we really want to know?
-Less is more when it concerns chives.
-The song that ends the episode is the same one that Sue and Darrin danced to before the trash can kiss last season.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season One Recap and Reaction
This is certainly one of the best new comedies on the air this season.
Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) is the goofy cop, but he is actually good at his job. Still, rules aren't really his thing and he hates that the new boss, Holt (Andre Braugher), makes him wear a tie. Though Holt and Peralta don't always get along, Holt will still stick his neck out for Jake.
The show's supporting cast is also brilliant. Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) recently went on a diet because his wife felt fat after giving birth to their twin daughters. As a result of the births of his daughters, Cagney and Lacey, he is worried about dying on the job and thus has issues with being on active duty. Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is cold, cold, cold. She is rough and tough and rarely shows her soft side, though one does exist. Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) is a foody and for the majority of the season has a huge crush on Rosa though once he meets food critic, Vivian (Marilu Henner), that basically goes away. He and Vivian become engaged because when Boyle is in to a woman, he dives head first. However, because Vivian wants to move to Canada for a better job, the relationship fizzles out, though the actual reason for their break-up is truly unknown. He takes the break-up extremely hard, eating food only for nourishment, not because it tastes good. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) wants to be Holt's favorite and will do almost anything to please him. And then there is Gina (Chelsea Peretti). She is horrible at her job, which is a secretarial position, because she is so lazy. She likes dancing and carries a hair dryer in her purse because she's not an animal.
In addition to Boyle's crush on Rosa, Jake and Amy have a bet which Jake wins, meaning, he must take her out on a date. She doesn't hate it as much as she expected though it was pretty horrible as he makes her wear an ugly prom dress. However, soon she starts dating someone else, but in the finale, Jake tells her that he wished something could have happened between them.
In the finale, Holt tells Jake to get fired and so Jake causes an epic scene because his instincts were right about a guy he suspected of skimming money for his own uses. And in order to get close, he needs to be fired and then go under cover to investigate.
But what interests me more is that Boyle, with his egg bag and matrix costume, wakes up next to Gina. I was fully expecting Rosa so I was shocked. But this could certainly be interesting.
This show boosts one of the best, well-rounded casts on television, not to mention the most diverse, with each actor fitting in to their roles as though they were written specifically for them. The writing is also sharp and the funny moments come when you least expect them. I'm very glad that this show was renewed for a second season. Finale: A, Season: A-
Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) is the goofy cop, but he is actually good at his job. Still, rules aren't really his thing and he hates that the new boss, Holt (Andre Braugher), makes him wear a tie. Though Holt and Peralta don't always get along, Holt will still stick his neck out for Jake.
The show's supporting cast is also brilliant. Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) recently went on a diet because his wife felt fat after giving birth to their twin daughters. As a result of the births of his daughters, Cagney and Lacey, he is worried about dying on the job and thus has issues with being on active duty. Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is cold, cold, cold. She is rough and tough and rarely shows her soft side, though one does exist. Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) is a foody and for the majority of the season has a huge crush on Rosa though once he meets food critic, Vivian (Marilu Henner), that basically goes away. He and Vivian become engaged because when Boyle is in to a woman, he dives head first. However, because Vivian wants to move to Canada for a better job, the relationship fizzles out, though the actual reason for their break-up is truly unknown. He takes the break-up extremely hard, eating food only for nourishment, not because it tastes good. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) wants to be Holt's favorite and will do almost anything to please him. And then there is Gina (Chelsea Peretti). She is horrible at her job, which is a secretarial position, because she is so lazy. She likes dancing and carries a hair dryer in her purse because she's not an animal.
In addition to Boyle's crush on Rosa, Jake and Amy have a bet which Jake wins, meaning, he must take her out on a date. She doesn't hate it as much as she expected though it was pretty horrible as he makes her wear an ugly prom dress. However, soon she starts dating someone else, but in the finale, Jake tells her that he wished something could have happened between them.
In the finale, Holt tells Jake to get fired and so Jake causes an epic scene because his instincts were right about a guy he suspected of skimming money for his own uses. And in order to get close, he needs to be fired and then go under cover to investigate.
But what interests me more is that Boyle, with his egg bag and matrix costume, wakes up next to Gina. I was fully expecting Rosa so I was shocked. But this could certainly be interesting.
This show boosts one of the best, well-rounded casts on television, not to mention the most diverse, with each actor fitting in to their roles as though they were written specifically for them. The writing is also sharp and the funny moments come when you least expect them. I'm very glad that this show was renewed for a second season. Finale: A, Season: A-
Monday, March 17, 2014
How to Love by Katie Cotungo
Again, I don't normally blog about books but once again, I'm going to make an exception.
Here is a book where I have issues with, yes, a ton of them, but it also truly made me think and change my opinion.
Reena Montero (real name Serena) has loved Sawyer LeGrande for years, though I don't really know why. Her friend, Allie, tells her she won't be able to handle it and, in a way, Allie's right. The relationship does nearly destroy her and most certainly destroys all of her hard-earned plans for her future.
Then, just as quickly as he leaves, Sawyer comes back, each have their secrets. Reena's is no spoiler, it's revealed in the inside book jacket--she was pregnant before Sawyer took off and now she's struggling being a single mother to young Hannah, working as a waitress and taking classes at a local community college so her brain doesn't completely turn to mush.
She has also moved on, dating Aaron, the twin brother of her new best friend, Shelby, and he's a great guy, but he's safe and there is no passion, really, between the two. And now Sawyer's back. He may be a jerk (that's putting it mildly) but he wants to make amends. Will Reena give him a second chance? Should she give him a second chance?
I have tons of problems with the book, starting with the time line. Reena gets pregnant probably in April of her junior year of high school, but she graduates a year early, not that she can go away to college or anything, but then part of the book (told before and after he leaves) occurs during the summer, so Hannah must be more than fourteen months old, a major problem.
Now, this problem needs some background. Reena's father and stepmother, the sweet Soledad, are devote Catholics, so her pregnancy isn't celebrated, and when she finally snaps at her father, for treating her like a whore and only loving her when she was good, she is punished for it. He has another heart attack. That chapter just knocked me sideways. In high school, I could never understand why teachers would swap pregnancy stories with some of the students, happy for them. One of my parents' friends had something good to say about that and it certainly applies to this book. It was still a life and that should be celebrated, regardless of the circumstances. Which brings me back to the original point, Reena is being treated like a leper in her own home, yet, her father didn't kick her out and doesn't criticize her decision. Sawyer had no idea how bad she had it without him. His parents, good friends of Reena's parents, have nothing to do with the baby, and when Lydia (Sawyer's mother) offers to put the baby down to bed, Reena just snaps.
This also leads to another problem, without the baby shower and only working part-time as a waitress, how can Reena afford everything she has? She has her own car and never complains about not having stuff for Hannah, so she must really know how to budget or maybe her parents are helping her out more than it is revealed.
Another problem exists in how Reena got pregnant. She never discusses if they used condoms or anything like that. Sawyer leaves, nowhere to be found and then she starts getting sick in the morning.
And, then, comes the main problem of Sawyer. Now, I can't reveal too much or else I will spoil some secrets that the book keeps hidden. He is nice, his mother certainly at least attempted to raise a gentleman. But everything goes south when he decides not to go to college, and even though he claims he loves Reena, he still treats her horribly, but upon his return, he is actually, and truly great with Hannah.
Still, I can't help but root for the couple and Reena's a great character. When Sawyer returns, she tries to treat him badly, she really does, even going as far as telling him that everything worked out, but he knows what he did wrong.
Also, for the most part, the supporting characters are well-developed. Shelby is an amazing best friend, and Soledad is a great stepmom, though Sawyer's parents and Reena's brother, Cade, aren't that well developed but the book doesn't suffer much because of that. The dialogue is fantastic and the writer fully captures Reena's inner most thoughts.
This is a book, I'd recommend to all as it changed the way I view single teenage mothers. I wonder what it will do to you. Grade: A-
Here is a book where I have issues with, yes, a ton of them, but it also truly made me think and change my opinion.
Reena Montero (real name Serena) has loved Sawyer LeGrande for years, though I don't really know why. Her friend, Allie, tells her she won't be able to handle it and, in a way, Allie's right. The relationship does nearly destroy her and most certainly destroys all of her hard-earned plans for her future.
Then, just as quickly as he leaves, Sawyer comes back, each have their secrets. Reena's is no spoiler, it's revealed in the inside book jacket--she was pregnant before Sawyer took off and now she's struggling being a single mother to young Hannah, working as a waitress and taking classes at a local community college so her brain doesn't completely turn to mush.
She has also moved on, dating Aaron, the twin brother of her new best friend, Shelby, and he's a great guy, but he's safe and there is no passion, really, between the two. And now Sawyer's back. He may be a jerk (that's putting it mildly) but he wants to make amends. Will Reena give him a second chance? Should she give him a second chance?
I have tons of problems with the book, starting with the time line. Reena gets pregnant probably in April of her junior year of high school, but she graduates a year early, not that she can go away to college or anything, but then part of the book (told before and after he leaves) occurs during the summer, so Hannah must be more than fourteen months old, a major problem.
Now, this problem needs some background. Reena's father and stepmother, the sweet Soledad, are devote Catholics, so her pregnancy isn't celebrated, and when she finally snaps at her father, for treating her like a whore and only loving her when she was good, she is punished for it. He has another heart attack. That chapter just knocked me sideways. In high school, I could never understand why teachers would swap pregnancy stories with some of the students, happy for them. One of my parents' friends had something good to say about that and it certainly applies to this book. It was still a life and that should be celebrated, regardless of the circumstances. Which brings me back to the original point, Reena is being treated like a leper in her own home, yet, her father didn't kick her out and doesn't criticize her decision. Sawyer had no idea how bad she had it without him. His parents, good friends of Reena's parents, have nothing to do with the baby, and when Lydia (Sawyer's mother) offers to put the baby down to bed, Reena just snaps.
This also leads to another problem, without the baby shower and only working part-time as a waitress, how can Reena afford everything she has? She has her own car and never complains about not having stuff for Hannah, so she must really know how to budget or maybe her parents are helping her out more than it is revealed.
Another problem exists in how Reena got pregnant. She never discusses if they used condoms or anything like that. Sawyer leaves, nowhere to be found and then she starts getting sick in the morning.
And, then, comes the main problem of Sawyer. Now, I can't reveal too much or else I will spoil some secrets that the book keeps hidden. He is nice, his mother certainly at least attempted to raise a gentleman. But everything goes south when he decides not to go to college, and even though he claims he loves Reena, he still treats her horribly, but upon his return, he is actually, and truly great with Hannah.
Still, I can't help but root for the couple and Reena's a great character. When Sawyer returns, she tries to treat him badly, she really does, even going as far as telling him that everything worked out, but he knows what he did wrong.
Also, for the most part, the supporting characters are well-developed. Shelby is an amazing best friend, and Soledad is a great stepmom, though Sawyer's parents and Reena's brother, Cade, aren't that well developed but the book doesn't suffer much because of that. The dialogue is fantastic and the writer fully captures Reena's inner most thoughts.
This is a book, I'd recommend to all as it changed the way I view single teenage mothers. I wonder what it will do to you. Grade: A-
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The Middle: Stormy Moon
This was an interesting episode.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) is arrested, in her Sunday Best, as she was cleaning out the stove, for having an overdue library book. Brick (Atticus Shaffer) is oblivious, not even bothering to tell Mike (Neil Flynn) that she was arrested. Instead, after a dreadful day in the slammer, Frankie arrives home to see the whole family eating pizza. Naturally, she blames Brick for the overdue book and forces the whole family to rip apart the house to try and find it, but nothing comes up, though the family manages to get into an epic fight. However, though she begs to court to let her off, once the description of the book is read, the book wasn't checked out by Brick, because it is something similar to 50 Shades of Gray, so yes, Frankie was in the wrong. Still, the Hecks prove that they are bad parents because Brick checks out another copy of the book and reads the whole thing.
Sue (Eden Sher) is upset that Reverend Tim Tom (Paul Hipp) has a singing partner and dear friend, Reverend Tammy (Casey Wilson). She doesn't like change and is shocked when it turns out that the two are dating. But after they get into a fight, she realizes that she doesn't want Reverend Tim Tom to be unhappy and feels truly awful for pushing away Reverend Tammy's advice and praying that the two would fight. Luckily, Tammy comes back and the two start singing again. All is well.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) is excited that Cassidy (Galadriel Stineman) is back in town, but they don't talk really at all. Instead, they make out so Axl has some late nights. (Hasn't this already happened?) He wonders what is going on with them. At the end, right before she leaves to return to Vassar, she gives him a painting which she feels expresses their relationship and where it is headed. Axl graciously accepts the painting and pretends that he sees it in the same light as she does, but he doesn't. So all may or may not be well in that world.
Though this episode was better than last week's and there were some truly funny moments, I fail to understand how a person can be arrested for an overdue and lost library book, especially when it is only one of them. It would happen to Frankie, though, because she has the worst luck. And if you have Cassidy back, please actually use her. She had, like, six lines in the entire episode. And how long is spring break in Orson? Way longer than it is here, but whatever. At least I liked Sue's plot line this week, in fact, hers was probably the strongest this time, though Axl's was still probably the most realistic. Acting was great, though Mike wasn't given much to do this time, and there were some great lines this time around. Still, the show can do better. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-When Cassidy finally calls Axl, he tells her that he and Sean (Beau Wirick) were just playing on his bed. Which they were, throwing the basketball around. He tells her that she can come over after the two shower. This was probably the funniest skit of the whole episode.
-Sue blames her bad teeth on Axl drinking all the milk, meaning Frankie was all dried up by the time Sue was born, causing gross looks on the faces of Axl and Mike.
-Brick blames Mike for coddling the milk sucker for the reason why he turns to books to be his friends.
-Brick tells the judge that he's doing better in the friend department. He stands near a few people and they don't move away.
-When Frankie is being arrested, Brick has his nose buried in a book but tells Frankie that if she's leaving to bring back cereal.
-Feelings are important people and you can't just sing them away.
-Okay, the big question, with all the time Axl and Cassidy are spending together, not talking, how far do you think they went? I haven't decided yet.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) is arrested, in her Sunday Best, as she was cleaning out the stove, for having an overdue library book. Brick (Atticus Shaffer) is oblivious, not even bothering to tell Mike (Neil Flynn) that she was arrested. Instead, after a dreadful day in the slammer, Frankie arrives home to see the whole family eating pizza. Naturally, she blames Brick for the overdue book and forces the whole family to rip apart the house to try and find it, but nothing comes up, though the family manages to get into an epic fight. However, though she begs to court to let her off, once the description of the book is read, the book wasn't checked out by Brick, because it is something similar to 50 Shades of Gray, so yes, Frankie was in the wrong. Still, the Hecks prove that they are bad parents because Brick checks out another copy of the book and reads the whole thing.
Sue (Eden Sher) is upset that Reverend Tim Tom (Paul Hipp) has a singing partner and dear friend, Reverend Tammy (Casey Wilson). She doesn't like change and is shocked when it turns out that the two are dating. But after they get into a fight, she realizes that she doesn't want Reverend Tim Tom to be unhappy and feels truly awful for pushing away Reverend Tammy's advice and praying that the two would fight. Luckily, Tammy comes back and the two start singing again. All is well.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) is excited that Cassidy (Galadriel Stineman) is back in town, but they don't talk really at all. Instead, they make out so Axl has some late nights. (Hasn't this already happened?) He wonders what is going on with them. At the end, right before she leaves to return to Vassar, she gives him a painting which she feels expresses their relationship and where it is headed. Axl graciously accepts the painting and pretends that he sees it in the same light as she does, but he doesn't. So all may or may not be well in that world.
Though this episode was better than last week's and there were some truly funny moments, I fail to understand how a person can be arrested for an overdue and lost library book, especially when it is only one of them. It would happen to Frankie, though, because she has the worst luck. And if you have Cassidy back, please actually use her. She had, like, six lines in the entire episode. And how long is spring break in Orson? Way longer than it is here, but whatever. At least I liked Sue's plot line this week, in fact, hers was probably the strongest this time, though Axl's was still probably the most realistic. Acting was great, though Mike wasn't given much to do this time, and there were some great lines this time around. Still, the show can do better. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-When Cassidy finally calls Axl, he tells her that he and Sean (Beau Wirick) were just playing on his bed. Which they were, throwing the basketball around. He tells her that she can come over after the two shower. This was probably the funniest skit of the whole episode.
-Sue blames her bad teeth on Axl drinking all the milk, meaning Frankie was all dried up by the time Sue was born, causing gross looks on the faces of Axl and Mike.
-Brick blames Mike for coddling the milk sucker for the reason why he turns to books to be his friends.
-Brick tells the judge that he's doing better in the friend department. He stands near a few people and they don't move away.
-When Frankie is being arrested, Brick has his nose buried in a book but tells Frankie that if she's leaving to bring back cereal.
-Feelings are important people and you can't just sing them away.
-Okay, the big question, with all the time Axl and Cassidy are spending together, not talking, how far do you think they went? I haven't decided yet.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Middle: Vacation Days
This episode missed the mark, big time.
Mike (Neil Flynn) is being forced to take some paid vacation time from the quarry because it's an insurance issue. Sound familiar? Yes, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory was also forced to take some vacation time.
But Mike does nothing, literally nothing with all his free time. Okay, sure he fixes a broken cabinet door but then chills in front of the TV for the remainder basically.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) has given Mike millions of homemade coupons throughout the years for various holidays and he is determined to redeem them. It drives Mike completely insane and finally, he tells Brick the truth, he hates all the attention and only wants to be left alone. Brick explains that he felt as though he had to make good on the coupons, not wanting to have them held over his head for the rest of his life. Fortunately, Mike won't hold him to honoring the coupons. Brick wants to give love to his father spontaneously. Mike would like that too.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) still goes to work but is shocked to discover that Axl (Charlie McDermott) has been spending some time at the Donahues before heading off to Florida. Frankie is devastated. Furious actually. But when Axl's car breaks down in Tennessee, he calls collect and Frankie reluctantly goes down to collect him. She and Axl have a heart-to-heart and in the end, decides to follow most of his demands. She won't ask him as many questions but she will never stop looking at him because she's his mom and will always worry about him.
Sue's (Eden Sher's) plot line is awkward. She is concerned with some bad reviews on Yelp and tries desperately to change people's opinion of her. But she doesn't handle it well, starring at the customer constantly throughout providing her with the food. It is probably the worst move Sue could make. Imagine her shock when it turns out that Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) is the provider of the bad reviews. Sue tries to take a stand and pulls a Norma Rae, demanding people tell her their actual opinion. People have some horrible opinions of the potatoes but yet they are still buying them. Her plot line doesn't really resolve.
The episode ends with Mike having to go down to Tennessee to collect his wayward wife and son because Frankie left in such a hurry, she forgot her purse and thus had no money to buy gas. Yikes.
Sure, this episode could have been good, but it just wasn't. Some characters did gain some ground and grow, like Frankie and Axl and to a lesser degree, Mike and Axl. But Sue's plot line was just horrible. She tries so hard to get random strangers who should mean nothing to her to like her and everything she does but it falls flat. Way flat. Sue was doing a good job before she read the reviews, she can't take them personally. No one will always like you, it just won't happen. And Axl was just stupid, picking the Donahues over his own family and then he feels that Frankie shouldn't be mad at him? He's wrong. Though I wanted Mike and Brick to have a plot line together, this wasn't it. Mike still thinks Brick is weird but at least Brick doesn't take it personally, something that Sue would definitely do. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-Frankie may be surprised when Axl doesn't check his oil and thus his whole old car breaks down, but Mike certainly isn't.
-I can see why Mike doesn't want a head massage for a full thirty minutes. That's a super long time.
-Mike is super lazy over his staycation. He still makes Frankie bring home some bacon and deliver the mail to the Donahues and even go collect Axl all while she is still working at a job she hates.
-Axl is completely stupid going down to Florida without a single scrap of money on him, no wonder things went wrong.
-Brad has a new Pilates instructor, a female this time and she just doesn't get his motor running like the old male instructor did. Sue doesn't even blink.
Mike (Neil Flynn) is being forced to take some paid vacation time from the quarry because it's an insurance issue. Sound familiar? Yes, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory was also forced to take some vacation time.
But Mike does nothing, literally nothing with all his free time. Okay, sure he fixes a broken cabinet door but then chills in front of the TV for the remainder basically.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) has given Mike millions of homemade coupons throughout the years for various holidays and he is determined to redeem them. It drives Mike completely insane and finally, he tells Brick the truth, he hates all the attention and only wants to be left alone. Brick explains that he felt as though he had to make good on the coupons, not wanting to have them held over his head for the rest of his life. Fortunately, Mike won't hold him to honoring the coupons. Brick wants to give love to his father spontaneously. Mike would like that too.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) still goes to work but is shocked to discover that Axl (Charlie McDermott) has been spending some time at the Donahues before heading off to Florida. Frankie is devastated. Furious actually. But when Axl's car breaks down in Tennessee, he calls collect and Frankie reluctantly goes down to collect him. She and Axl have a heart-to-heart and in the end, decides to follow most of his demands. She won't ask him as many questions but she will never stop looking at him because she's his mom and will always worry about him.
Sue's (Eden Sher's) plot line is awkward. She is concerned with some bad reviews on Yelp and tries desperately to change people's opinion of her. But she doesn't handle it well, starring at the customer constantly throughout providing her with the food. It is probably the worst move Sue could make. Imagine her shock when it turns out that Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) is the provider of the bad reviews. Sue tries to take a stand and pulls a Norma Rae, demanding people tell her their actual opinion. People have some horrible opinions of the potatoes but yet they are still buying them. Her plot line doesn't really resolve.
The episode ends with Mike having to go down to Tennessee to collect his wayward wife and son because Frankie left in such a hurry, she forgot her purse and thus had no money to buy gas. Yikes.
Sure, this episode could have been good, but it just wasn't. Some characters did gain some ground and grow, like Frankie and Axl and to a lesser degree, Mike and Axl. But Sue's plot line was just horrible. She tries so hard to get random strangers who should mean nothing to her to like her and everything she does but it falls flat. Way flat. Sue was doing a good job before she read the reviews, she can't take them personally. No one will always like you, it just won't happen. And Axl was just stupid, picking the Donahues over his own family and then he feels that Frankie shouldn't be mad at him? He's wrong. Though I wanted Mike and Brick to have a plot line together, this wasn't it. Mike still thinks Brick is weird but at least Brick doesn't take it personally, something that Sue would definitely do. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-Frankie may be surprised when Axl doesn't check his oil and thus his whole old car breaks down, but Mike certainly isn't.
-I can see why Mike doesn't want a head massage for a full thirty minutes. That's a super long time.
-Mike is super lazy over his staycation. He still makes Frankie bring home some bacon and deliver the mail to the Donahues and even go collect Axl all while she is still working at a job she hates.
-Axl is completely stupid going down to Florida without a single scrap of money on him, no wonder things went wrong.
-Brad has a new Pilates instructor, a female this time and she just doesn't get his motor running like the old male instructor did. Sue doesn't even blink.
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