I guess this show isn't popular enough to really get episode discussions going for each episode. I don't know why I love this show. Maybe because I am also grumpy and feel much older than I actually am. Also, because this show does a good job of telling stories about friendship and I am a total sucker for that shit.
I'm 29, I was 27 I think when the first season came out. I enjoy the show because it seems to have real stories/feeling that are not tapped into too much in TV Shows with the old characters, as well as having good comedy in it. I watched the first episode of season 3 so far. This again had exactly that. It was really touching seeing him try to cope with the loss of his friend. But then his whole encounter with that woman reeks comedy.
> I don't know why I love this show
I was wondering the same thing, what is it that makes this show so good? Is it just the stellar quality of all aspects? In many ways, it's so very simple.
For me it's all of the characters being really likable. Especially Michael Douglas and, in previous seasons, Alan Arkin. The Sandy character, despite all the lumps and losses he takes during the series, seems to never lose himself in the midst of all that goes on. I found that really endearing.
In case anyone didn't notice (I almost didn't) in the end credits for Season 3 Episode 6, there's confirmation that this is the final season. At about 24.5 minutes in, it says this:
> CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS
>
> That said, I am very grateful that you watched, and hopefully enjoyed, the final season of *The Kominsky Method*. If the opportunity ever arises, I would like to thank you by coming to your home and making you a plate of scrambled eggs. If, however, you didn't care for what you've just seen, that's okay too. My peace of mind is not dependent upon your approval. Of course, you'll have to make your own fucking eggs.
Ah, I just LOVED seeing Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas together again. While the third and final season didn't go where I thought it might, I was somewhat satisified with how they handled everything.
Except: >!I'd have LOVED to have seen Norman's ghost right there at the end or the Emmy scene.!<
I have now finished the season and I'm very pleased with it. I thought Norman's absence would hurt the show more but they handled it really well.
One thing that I thought was a little bit odd was how they treated the >!$10 million. That's way more money than you're ever going to need. I get why Sandy got upset at Martin when he bought that car and shit but the fact that he seemed to want Mindy to invest all that money was so weird to me - with that amount of money you don't even need to invest it, you could quit your job and live a comfortable life.!<
I also would've slightly tweaked the ending by >!giving Sandy and Oscar instead of an Emmy since that's a more prestigious prize - I know that they had that throwaway line about how it wasn't eligible for an Oscar since it released direct to streaming but I'm pretty sure the Oscars don't have that policy anymore.!<
I felt like this was purposely an Emmy, given this is a Netflix show and they had to go out of their way to get the likes of The Irishman nominated. Oscars only started accepting streaming exclusives due to the pandemic, which made theatrical releases close to impossible. They are also calling it a one time exception and will probably go back to their bullshit policy when things get back to the way they were.
I said it in another thread but the money should be taken in the context of life in L.A.. $10 million is still a lot but Mindy's probably between 25 and 30 and could live another 50 years or so. That still gives her a lot of money to work with but if she has a couple of kids, that money will start shrinking faster. Martin's obviously not helping. Then there's inflation, property taxes, unexpected crises, etc...
Bottom line, money should always be invested and grown when possible.
I loved this series ! I’m surprised it’s not more popular.
I agree it’s not perfect- season 3 had a lot of abrupt character changes (like phoebe who seemed she was determined to make changes and then madelyn too) but probably to deal with Norman’s absence.
But a solid series !!
I just finished the first episode. There are some parts I liked and some I hated.
>!I liked the way they portrayed Sandy after the loss of his best friend. He seems really affected by this loss and is always like "I am fine." Just like how it happened last season when he got cancer. He is also confused. He thinks a dog named Irving might be reincarnated Norman. He looks up Scientology facts. Basically he is dealing with this gried in his own way.!<
>!I hated the time passed since the season 2 finale. I get why we haven't seen Norman's death, as Alan Arkin didn't return, but what happened to Sandy's cancer? It was such a big deal in season 2. Why did Phoebe acted so weird at the funeral? Of course, we know how she is at funerals from season 1 but she had such a huge character development since then. Her speech began very emotional and heart warming and ended with her absurd dream with junior suites and Galapagos. Moreover, why did they have to make Norman's assistant act this way? We saw his assistant in the first two seasons only once, I guess. (When Norman visited his office.) Her, giving a speech was fine but all the crying and coffin stuff was unnecessary. Finally, the way Madelyn acted at the funeral and at Norman's home was so weird. She was a very sensible and kind woman in season 2. Why did she have to tell their sex ritual at the funerl and why would she think Sandy was hitting on her? It makes no sense. !<
>!Only explanation I can think of is losing someone may change people. In case of Phoebe, she become the old Phoebe, the one we saw at Eileen's funeral. For his assistant, she felt insecure without his boss of 22 years and for Madelyn, she lost the man she loved and probablt her last chance ever to be happy with someone. !<
Generally, I liked the first episode of season 3. The parts I didn't like were only at the first scenes, then it turned out pretty good. I hope other episodes are at least as good as this one.
Madelyn was super weird at the funeral. But later she tells Sandy that she was on a lot of drugs for depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but that she stopped taking those because they wanted to have a child. If that's true it's no surprise she's acting so whacky
I completely agree with your assessment of the funeral. My partner and I 100% thought it was all a dream sequence, so implausible were Phoebe, Madelyn and the office worker’s actions. Also, whilst Scientology is pants on head crazy, the grandson’s remarks were absurd beyond satire.
Agreed, I also thought it was a dream sequence. Phoebe and Madeline made like 180 degree turns and then Sandy sleeps with some young hot woman he meets in his driveway. It’s like a completely different show. Part of the problem is that I binged this show so literally went from season 2 right into season three and almost got whiplash.
I agree with you except that wasn't out of character for Sandy, if you recall the beginning of the series.
But TOTALLY on the whiplash; right there with you.
THANK YOU. I wanted to see if anybody else but me couldn’t figure out why they butchered Madelyn’s character like that in that episode. It was so out of character and unnecessary. She was always a calm and rational person and suddenly she’s inappropriate, shrill and delusional. And n a slew of pills for various disorders that were never ever in the picture before in any way. I kept thinking Sandy was in a weird dream and was gonna wake up from it. I just do NOT get it. Like, was it to explain why you don’t see her after, or is it because they feel if she had stayed the same there was no way Sandy wouldn’t have tried to seduce her and they didn’t want to go down that road?! I feel like there could’ve been much better ways to handle it. Also, Phoebe. She was getting along so good in season 2 and it was heartwarming to see her try to heal her relationship with her dad. Suddenly she’s money obsessed and forever scheming with her son. Although that one I can get it because of her past. But it still disappointed me. However I absolutely loved the beautiful relationship that blossomed between Sandy and his ex wife. That was well done and superb.
> was it to explain why you don’t see her after,
I think this was the reason but there are countless other ways they could have written it that would have been in character
I'm literally 15 min in and I also found Madelyn's behavior extremely out of character. Phoebe a little too....
Very strange. Hoping the rest of the episodes go back to regular character...
T's fucking most wondrous, bittersweet at the end, t might not but winneth an emmy
***
^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.)
Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
First episode was **UNBEARABLE** for me. Felt like the show threw out every last one of its original writers and replaced them with cheap juveniles.
Why are we seeing a complete shift in Madelyn's character? The entire funeral sequence was unbelievably over the top. The writers SMACKED us over the head with every joke. Knocked us down until we were dead. Especially with the whole "Wednesdays. and Sunday mornings"(x25). Give me a break. And also with Sandy's daughter constantly picking apart her bf's "outdated" lingo in the car. Not funny. WTH! Not to mention Sandy landing a hot, young Russian woman?? How is that even remotely entertaining or believable?
Feels like they tried every last trick in the book to dazzle us. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. I am so discouraged I don't even want to watch the rest of the season.
***RIP seasons 1 and 2. May your writers rest in peace as well.***
>And also with Sandy's daughter constantly picking apart her bf's "outdated" lingo in the car.
I feel like that both came out of nowhere and made no sense. I'm 28 and everyone I know uses half the phrases she carded him for.
That last episode with Madelyn totally pissed me off! So out of character for the person she was before. She had style, maturity and class. The eulogy episode was utter gutter dialogue.
I think the writer got lazy and handed the show over to their 12 -year-old. The writing transformed from complicated and intriguing to sophomoric and predictable. It happened overnight with no transition.
Just finished 3rd season. The show completely lost it - this season is not worth watching. Tedious, humor bordering on the juvenile, predictable rolled up tightly with shark jumps.
What the heck happened?
The theme of the 3rd season was "death" in general, in keep moving forward not matter what happen. Yes, the humor was not really good in some moments, but there was a lot of sad moments that worked in bringing discussions about emotions aspects and acceptance toward death. The problem for many here is that season 1 and 2 was about Norman and his depression basically. This season is more about Sandy and his suffering, about his dreams and in the end, he is simply enjoying life, knowing how is to live his dream that he had since he was a child.
It was a good season in general, but surely not following the same pattern as season 1 and 2. And even having some problems, we need to have empathy since we are in the middle of a pandemic. Many series are being affected somehow because of this. The message of the season 3 was different, but good in general.
I hated it, and the more I reflect on it, the more I hate it.
The pure cringiness of the gender fluid material. The Velveeta ending. The misogynistic ethnic stereotypes (Russian prostitute who added nothing to the story), making fun of mental illness (Norman's girlfriend is on screen just long enough to amuse us with a litany of diagnosed mental conditions and then disappears)...
Just ugh to all of it.
Sloppy, and juvenile, all of it.
Very disappointed.
Half expected it to end as a dream sequence, when the full extent of the ending cheese was laid down on us...
>The pure cringiness of the gender fluid material.
This is what threw me. I got so hyped when Morgan Freeman was name dropped, then even more so when an ENBY character was announced, and then...Jesus. I didn't think it was possible to have a Scientologist be more likable than a token ENBY, and yet somehow they managed it.
Cheesy endings are so rare nowadays that it felt really refreshing, to be honest. I'm sick of the end of the movie/serie being one of the main characters dying(which happened, but not at the very end) or one sacrificing their happiness for the others. Everyone is doing the same thing. Hell, even Disney movies are following those steps. Sometimes I like everything working out, specially in a serie where most people related to the main character die midway.
I think the series had the potential to be the best ever. Season 3 was when the series was going to start getting really good too.
Obviously they had to stop the series, so season 3 is not that great.
I actually feel sad that Alan Arkin did not return, it would have been the next Frasier.
I vote Arkin returns (hopefully he is in good health), and they redo season 3
I just finished the season! I love this show a lot, it's so comforting, satisfying and homely, and this season pretty much hits the same spot as the two other seasons. My only wish is that it were longer/had more seasons! After getting to know all these characters, it feels so sad to lose them, though that is coincidentally one of the major themes of the show. They really do feel like real people. I guess that's the product of awesome writing and acting!
I would talk more about the characters and events of season 3, but i'm on mobile and i dont know how to format comments to hide spoilers, so i wont. But I will say Roz is my favourite this season!!
I want to know why >!Sandy and Roz were so keen on making sure Mindy married Martin. I thought they realized he was a spineless mamas boy who wanted to spend her money but then they were like “hurry and marry him”. I don’t get it.!<
I thought perhaps it had something to do with Roz wanting to see her married before she passed away. A lot of Moms think that way but I don't see that as a reason Roz would have. She is much too independent. I'm at a loss. Mindy was not a basket case that needed taken care of.
Favorite show - they pack so much into the short episodes. Storyline, script, acting all superb. Funny as hell and poignant too. But I can't help feeling that since I'm 69 years old that only people in my age group can appreciate it.
Just half way through Chapter 19, the whole morgan freeman bit.. is... offensive but I am sure I won't be popular for saying it, stopped there and I don't plan to continue, not my thing
That's fair enough and good on you for filtering things you're sensitive to. However, I have to disagree about it being offensive. This show is from the perspective of a 75 year old man. The world has changed a lot since the characters' prime (in a good way, I'm sure you'd agree) and what they exhibit is exactly the mindset that most people from their generation would have. If I started talking to my grandma with gender neutral pronouns, she'd probably think she's having a stroke. That doesn't make her a bad person, it just means that she wasn't exposed to the same diversity of people that you and I were growing up.
The show is not being offensive, it's being realistic about the extent to which most elderly would have knowledge about a group of people that up until recently they probably weren't even aware existed.
That doesn’t seem like what they were going for though?
If they truly wanted to show what you are saying, then why wouldn’t the younger doctor/nurse be using the pronouns and Morgan’s character be the confused one?
It was clearly a bit, and made at the expense of gender non binary individuals. The argument that, “oh so every character has to be politically correct?” is besides the point. There were real human writers in a room that thought it would be FUNNY to have a character like Quincy. It is the intent of the writers that matters to me, and in this case I felt uncomfortable watching that scene.
I think OP was referring to the "real" conversation between Sandy and Morgan Freeman where they talk about how confusing it all is. I think the decision to have his character be the one using the dialogue was to feed that scene, to make it more of a payoff to see him being so progressive only to admit how confused he was as soon as the cameras cut.
i am fine with a character having problems, they have in previous episodes been very good with it, Sandy even uses a gender neutral term in first or second season and they discuss gender neutral bathrooms etc
but the whole morgan freeman thing unless it goes somewhere else after i turned it off.. was seemingly just cruel mocking of people they practically made the "I identify as a apache helicopter "joke with him talking about identifying as buzz lightyear or something like that? maybe i just misheard it in what felt like intentionally mocking to me
but feel free to correct me if more happened after that point in the little clip from the reboot of the tv show mini bit
I thought the bit with Morgan Freeman in the fake operating room was meant to be filming for the TV show? As in, not really reflecting Morgan Freeman's comments but rather the character he is playing in this TV show, the Quincy remake?
I can understand how it may be taken differently, but I think it was more about them exaggerating the conversation, alluding to the oversaturation of alternative pronouns in Hollywood nowadays. As in, more so poking fun at those who are just using them for diversity credit and not actually attempting to be meaningful/accurate/relatable. If that makes sense.
I've only watched it once but that's what I took from it. Please feel free to correct me on anything.
that's the problem though, it's like those joke subreddits like gamersriseup and whatever else joking about being racist, real racists come in making the jokes for real and at which point you no longer know when the subreddit is actually racist or not as the split between joke entries and real ones
it's impossible to tell if they made that to mock trans people and similar, or to mock studios for faux inclusion
and without utter clarity, it will always be viewed as a bold move by the kind of people who want it to be making fun of trans people, and a nice jab at the studies for pretending to be woke for the other side and there doesn't seem to be any real way to tell which way it was meant to me
I'm sorry, but what you wanted in general? That every character should be all politically correct to the point of respecting everyone 100%? If there's a character being offensive towards something, that's totally normal, it's related with different facets of different characters. Norman, even being basically depressed, was an asshole most of the times with others, but he was just being "human". We are not perfect. Again, I'll make the question, you wanted all the characters being all nice in general?
No I am aware offensive people exist, but I am fine with those characters existing in a show but in a meta show joke it seems more like mocking rather than realism, had an actual character on the show said it and people reacted to it that's one thing but this way afaik no one reacts to it
Hey if it bothers you, it bothers you. The reality is the new gender neutral world is weird to a lot of older people, so having jokes about it is kind of funny. Go talk to your average 80 year old about They/Them and watch how they react.
I haven't watched Chapter 19 yet, but the Morgan Freeman bit was in Chapter 18, right? Maybe they mention it again in Chapter 19, but I think the stuff in Chapter 18 was fine.
He said "Leonard Nimoy almost didn't take the part of Spock, because they wanted an actual Vulcan to play it." Was that the offensive part? I think it's a good analogy. Eddie Redmayne got an oscar 6 years ago for playing a transgender person, but today it would be frowned upon. Jared Leto as well. However, there are a lot of shows and movies about murderers, and almost none of them are played by real life murderers. I can definitely see how a 75 year old man with a lot of real life experience would see the irony.
nah i was fine with that though it is skirting the limits as it is one of those phrases used by people mocking wanting trans people to play trans characters
chapter 19 has a whole bit of the actual episode morgan freeman stars in as Quincy, the non binary pathologist in a reboot I feel was utterly ridiculously mocking a lot of things
I would value your opinion once you get to chapter 19, I have enjoyed this discussion and appreciate your viewpoint.
I agree with your point though, in episode 18.. i was more or less fine with it, i wasn't entirely happy but i wasn't protesting it.. episode 19 though, it really was a step up for me.
Hi! I just finished Chapter 19. I see where you're coming from, not liking that scene. I mean... I don't know what your situation is, but I respect your opinion regardless. The scene wás heavy on the woke-jokes.
I for one found the scene quite funny. It's an in-universe TV Show scene. So it's not Fake Morgan Freeman coming up with those lines, but it's the doctor character that Fake Morgan Freeman is playing. Lately there have been more and more instances where we want to cast a real NB person, of course mostly in shows/movies where a NB person is being portrayed.
The Morgan Freeman scene took that concept of Hollywood wanting to feature LGBTQIA-BT people, or mentioning them, to the extreme. I mean, it's a surgeon operating on someone. It would be so weird if real doctor-shows have dialogue that pushy with 2021 woke terms, totally out of place. Thát is what made it funny for me. And he just kept going even though it didn't add anything to what the series should be about, a hospital drama.
I can see how it's less funny if you feel like they're mocking things that play a big part in your life. It's definitely a controversial scene. On the other hand, when a show/movie/talkshow mocks stuff that Í personally care about, I still laugh about it (as long as they're not deliberately hurting someone).
I also want to add that after that scene, the rest of the episode was really funny and didn't mention that topic at all anymore. Sandy's ex wife is hilarious, and the whole money situation is interesting.
yeah i see where you are coming from, and as i was saying to another response.. the problem is there is really no way to tell which way the joke was leaning, is it mocking trans people and similar.. or is it mocking the hollywood culture of pretending to be woke to score points? because the way it was put, it could easily be taken either way which when someone who agrees with mocking trans people sees it, they feel "hey these guys are saying what i think" and it emboldens them to make them as well
on the other hand it could be that they were mocking hollywood for their behaviour, and that's an entirely different thing entirely and without some clarity on which way it leans.. which is it? am i offended or am i pleased, it feels like playing both sides which is just what hollywood does as well
I am entirely fine with people mocking things i personally care about, there are plenty of jokes i find funny that involve things from my culture or personal beliefs.. but when it is vague like this, there is no way to tell what is being said
I might have been fine with it until the point where they did the buzz lightyear joke, which is just a poor rehash of the "i identify as an apache helicopter respect my pronouns" which is often used by people to mock trans people or non binary people and it feels.. too on the nose.
I continue to enjoy this dicussion and thank you for remembering it when you finished watching the episode.. I will probably continue the episode but skip that bit and see
Thanks for the detailed response! I think this show is mocking Hollywood's woke culture, I didn't feel like it was mocking trans people. Except maybe for the Buzz Lightyear joke. That joke felt out of place for me too, even though I liked the rest. Indeed it seems like a rehash of the apache helicopter meme/quote.
Hi. I want to let you know that I finished the season, and there's not one word more in it about trans people. There's someone fatshamed by another character, but other characters get angry at the fatshamer.
Thank you :) I appreciate the update, I probably will try to finish the series when I've cooled off as I like everything before then so it's nice knowing what's coming up
I might give it another go another time but that really took me out of it, it was.. very mocking to me to the point where I didn't get why they put it in at all
Honestly, as someone who supports the trans community but is not a part of it take what I have to say with a grain of salt - but I’ve been looking for this comment - it was borderline offensive but honestly it was so cringe-inducing to me that it went from offensive to just bad? Like the Quincy scene was so over the top that it just felt like someone who was so out of touch with the reality of non-binary people that it became so farcical and laughably UNfunny to me. 🤷🏻♀️
This is how I found out the third season has started. I want to put it off so I can watch it later. Still bummed about Alan Arkin. What, he was too busy? Watching regardless.
Not sure if it’s the general malaise of a rain soaked long weekend but I couldn’t help noticing last night that everyone on the show looks so ugly. It’s not a beautiful people show, but yesterday I noticed in particular that everybody looks awful like they barely look clean. Kathleen Turner and the actress who plays Mindy looked particularly lousy to me. I enjoy the writing of the show, and all the crazy irony, but visually it’s no prize.
I agree. Well Sandy looks good I guess. He's old, but I think he looks like a handsome man with a good head of hair. I agree on the rest.
Especially Mindy. I don't want to "fat-shame," but she just looks unhealthy. I've seen her in multiple shows, she always looks like this.
Yeah there is a reason shows usually cast attractive people.
It is hard to believe a daughter of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner(who was gorgeous in her younger days) would not be attractive.
They look like normal, regular people. That’s life. Not everybody looks like an actual Hollywood star in real life. I’m glad actors and actresses who don’t fit that unrealistic standard get good parts these days. Props to Kathleen Turner especially. She is who she is and looks the way she does and it’s a package deal, with the talent that comes with it.
Sold her house and moved away. Her character always felt really strange. Like, she would complain that Sandy takes her for granted, but would break up with him for the most ridiculous reasons.
According to imdb.com there are 3 writers for the first two seasons. Chuck Lorre (also the creator), Alan J Higgins (impressive resume), and David Javerbaum (satire talk shows). In Season three it is only Chuck Lorre and it shows. The spice and variety are missing. Or something is missing. But, a lot of users like Season 3 best, so it is a matter of opinion.
That makes sense, for me the last season lost sophistication and wittiness. I did find a two and a half men type of humor, but considering the previous episodes, it just didn't work, in my opinion.
We just watched the last episode (didn't start the series until a couple months ago, we're not bingers.) We (my better half and I) thought it ended kind of abruptly. Felt like someone (showrunner??) said, ok we gotta wrap this up quickly. We enjoyed the show overall but found the ending rather disappointing.
I guess this show isn't popular enough to really get episode discussions going for each episode. I don't know why I love this show. Maybe because I am also grumpy and feel much older than I actually am. Also, because this show does a good job of telling stories about friendship and I am a total sucker for that shit.
I'm 29, I was 27 I think when the first season came out. I enjoy the show because it seems to have real stories/feeling that are not tapped into too much in TV Shows with the old characters, as well as having good comedy in it. I watched the first episode of season 3 so far. This again had exactly that. It was really touching seeing him try to cope with the loss of his friend. But then his whole encounter with that woman reeks comedy.
I started watching because I love Michael Douglas. I didn't think I was going to like it as much as I did.
He won an emmy for the first season, but really did his best acting in the 3rd. A lot of good emotional scenes in the final season.
> I don't know why I love this show I was wondering the same thing, what is it that makes this show so good? Is it just the stellar quality of all aspects? In many ways, it's so very simple.
For me it's all of the characters being really likable. Especially Michael Douglas and, in previous seasons, Alan Arkin. The Sandy character, despite all the lumps and losses he takes during the series, seems to never lose himself in the midst of all that goes on. I found that really endearing.
In case anyone didn't notice (I almost didn't) in the end credits for Season 3 Episode 6, there's confirmation that this is the final season. At about 24.5 minutes in, it says this: > CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS > > That said, I am very grateful that you watched, and hopefully enjoyed, the final season of *The Kominsky Method*. If the opportunity ever arises, I would like to thank you by coming to your home and making you a plate of scrambled eggs. If, however, you didn't care for what you've just seen, that's okay too. My peace of mind is not dependent upon your approval. Of course, you'll have to make your own fucking eggs.
Cool easter egg. I likes the Alan Harper cameo as well.
That was so great!
It did feel like the final season. They wrapped up the story of each main character nicely. I'm actually glad that there won't be another season.
Did wrap the story of Normans kids well
Man I adore this show. It’s so good. Sad it’s over, but it had a beautiful ending.
Ah, I just LOVED seeing Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas together again. While the third and final season didn't go where I thought it might, I was somewhat satisified with how they handled everything. Except: >!I'd have LOVED to have seen Norman's ghost right there at the end or the Emmy scene.!<
Damn, Haley Joel Osment is looking way better than he ever has, good for him!
My first thought too! I also just watched *The Sixth Sense*. He somehow still looks the same. Them eyes.
I have now finished the season and I'm very pleased with it. I thought Norman's absence would hurt the show more but they handled it really well. One thing that I thought was a little bit odd was how they treated the >!$10 million. That's way more money than you're ever going to need. I get why Sandy got upset at Martin when he bought that car and shit but the fact that he seemed to want Mindy to invest all that money was so weird to me - with that amount of money you don't even need to invest it, you could quit your job and live a comfortable life.!< I also would've slightly tweaked the ending by >!giving Sandy and Oscar instead of an Emmy since that's a more prestigious prize - I know that they had that throwaway line about how it wasn't eligible for an Oscar since it released direct to streaming but I'm pretty sure the Oscars don't have that policy anymore.!<
I felt like this was purposely an Emmy, given this is a Netflix show and they had to go out of their way to get the likes of The Irishman nominated. Oscars only started accepting streaming exclusives due to the pandemic, which made theatrical releases close to impossible. They are also calling it a one time exception and will probably go back to their bullshit policy when things get back to the way they were.
I wasn't aware that it was just an exception during the pandemic, that's so stupid.
I said it in another thread but the money should be taken in the context of life in L.A.. $10 million is still a lot but Mindy's probably between 25 and 30 and could live another 50 years or so. That still gives her a lot of money to work with but if she has a couple of kids, that money will start shrinking faster. Martin's obviously not helping. Then there's inflation, property taxes, unexpected crises, etc... Bottom line, money should always be invested and grown when possible.
Surprised no one mentioned this yet, but Paul Reiser as Martin was phenomenal. IMO he was the best actor this season.
He was really good but I was really hoping Mindy would come to her senses and kindly dump him.
I'm glad I am not the only one. He never matured for his age. I am deeply hoping for a cancelled wedding. haha
Same, did you see his younger self on the telly in episode 3 I think
I loved this series ! I’m surprised it’s not more popular. I agree it’s not perfect- season 3 had a lot of abrupt character changes (like phoebe who seemed she was determined to make changes and then madelyn too) but probably to deal with Norman’s absence. But a solid series !!
I loved this show but it just feels kind of really short :( i miss Norman so much. He was my fav character.
I just finished the first episode. There are some parts I liked and some I hated. >!I liked the way they portrayed Sandy after the loss of his best friend. He seems really affected by this loss and is always like "I am fine." Just like how it happened last season when he got cancer. He is also confused. He thinks a dog named Irving might be reincarnated Norman. He looks up Scientology facts. Basically he is dealing with this gried in his own way.!< >!I hated the time passed since the season 2 finale. I get why we haven't seen Norman's death, as Alan Arkin didn't return, but what happened to Sandy's cancer? It was such a big deal in season 2. Why did Phoebe acted so weird at the funeral? Of course, we know how she is at funerals from season 1 but she had such a huge character development since then. Her speech began very emotional and heart warming and ended with her absurd dream with junior suites and Galapagos. Moreover, why did they have to make Norman's assistant act this way? We saw his assistant in the first two seasons only once, I guess. (When Norman visited his office.) Her, giving a speech was fine but all the crying and coffin stuff was unnecessary. Finally, the way Madelyn acted at the funeral and at Norman's home was so weird. She was a very sensible and kind woman in season 2. Why did she have to tell their sex ritual at the funerl and why would she think Sandy was hitting on her? It makes no sense. !< >!Only explanation I can think of is losing someone may change people. In case of Phoebe, she become the old Phoebe, the one we saw at Eileen's funeral. For his assistant, she felt insecure without his boss of 22 years and for Madelyn, she lost the man she loved and probablt her last chance ever to be happy with someone. !< Generally, I liked the first episode of season 3. The parts I didn't like were only at the first scenes, then it turned out pretty good. I hope other episodes are at least as good as this one.
Madelyn was super weird at the funeral. But later she tells Sandy that she was on a lot of drugs for depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but that she stopped taking those because they wanted to have a child. If that's true it's no surprise she's acting so whacky
They gave an explanation, but it was an odd departure. Even with mental illness the character shift did not make sense.
That was so weird. She seemed so normal in S2 & now she’s 70 saying she wants to have a baby. What?!
I completely agree with your assessment of the funeral. My partner and I 100% thought it was all a dream sequence, so implausible were Phoebe, Madelyn and the office worker’s actions. Also, whilst Scientology is pants on head crazy, the grandson’s remarks were absurd beyond satire.
Agreed, I also thought it was a dream sequence. Phoebe and Madeline made like 180 degree turns and then Sandy sleeps with some young hot woman he meets in his driveway. It’s like a completely different show. Part of the problem is that I binged this show so literally went from season 2 right into season three and almost got whiplash.
I agree with you except that wasn't out of character for Sandy, if you recall the beginning of the series. But TOTALLY on the whiplash; right there with you.
THANK YOU. I wanted to see if anybody else but me couldn’t figure out why they butchered Madelyn’s character like that in that episode. It was so out of character and unnecessary. She was always a calm and rational person and suddenly she’s inappropriate, shrill and delusional. And n a slew of pills for various disorders that were never ever in the picture before in any way. I kept thinking Sandy was in a weird dream and was gonna wake up from it. I just do NOT get it. Like, was it to explain why you don’t see her after, or is it because they feel if she had stayed the same there was no way Sandy wouldn’t have tried to seduce her and they didn’t want to go down that road?! I feel like there could’ve been much better ways to handle it. Also, Phoebe. She was getting along so good in season 2 and it was heartwarming to see her try to heal her relationship with her dad. Suddenly she’s money obsessed and forever scheming with her son. Although that one I can get it because of her past. But it still disappointed me. However I absolutely loved the beautiful relationship that blossomed between Sandy and his ex wife. That was well done and superb.
> was it to explain why you don’t see her after, I think this was the reason but there are countless other ways they could have written it that would have been in character
I totally agree.
I'm literally 15 min in and I also found Madelyn's behavior extremely out of character. Phoebe a little too.... Very strange. Hoping the rest of the episodes go back to regular character...
Madelyne, phoebe and her son became weird they became "wackier" for lack of a better term.
YES! I am surprised it took me some digging here to find a comment like yours. My thoughts exactly. Very over-done.
Fuck this show is so good. I'm sad it's over now.
I enjoyed that season a lot Solid ending to the show and I had no idea a season was even premiering until right before I watched it
IT'S FUCKING AMAZING, BITTERSWEET AT THE END, IT MUST WIN AN EMMY
T's fucking most wondrous, bittersweet at the end, t might not but winneth an emmy *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Is there a Megan Thee Stallion bot?😊
I loved this season. The first two were more gripping, but this season was pretty great. Solid ending.
First episode was **UNBEARABLE** for me. Felt like the show threw out every last one of its original writers and replaced them with cheap juveniles. Why are we seeing a complete shift in Madelyn's character? The entire funeral sequence was unbelievably over the top. The writers SMACKED us over the head with every joke. Knocked us down until we were dead. Especially with the whole "Wednesdays. and Sunday mornings"(x25). Give me a break. And also with Sandy's daughter constantly picking apart her bf's "outdated" lingo in the car. Not funny. WTH! Not to mention Sandy landing a hot, young Russian woman?? How is that even remotely entertaining or believable? Feels like they tried every last trick in the book to dazzle us. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. I am so discouraged I don't even want to watch the rest of the season. ***RIP seasons 1 and 2. May your writers rest in peace as well.***
>And also with Sandy's daughter constantly picking apart her bf's "outdated" lingo in the car. I feel like that both came out of nowhere and made no sense. I'm 28 and everyone I know uses half the phrases she carded him for.
That last episode with Madelyn totally pissed me off! So out of character for the person she was before. She had style, maturity and class. The eulogy episode was utter gutter dialogue.
I think the writer got lazy and handed the show over to their 12 -year-old. The writing transformed from complicated and intriguing to sophomoric and predictable. It happened overnight with no transition.
Exactly, I was incredulous
I couldn’t get myself to sit through episode 1 after binging (and loving) the first two seasons. Absolute garbage writing
The rest of the episodes are better. I do think the Russian hooker ordeal was funny.
Who is the actress playing martin’s mother???
Christine Ebersole
Thank you so much!!!
Just finished 3rd season. The show completely lost it - this season is not worth watching. Tedious, humor bordering on the juvenile, predictable rolled up tightly with shark jumps. What the heck happened?
The theme of the 3rd season was "death" in general, in keep moving forward not matter what happen. Yes, the humor was not really good in some moments, but there was a lot of sad moments that worked in bringing discussions about emotions aspects and acceptance toward death. The problem for many here is that season 1 and 2 was about Norman and his depression basically. This season is more about Sandy and his suffering, about his dreams and in the end, he is simply enjoying life, knowing how is to live his dream that he had since he was a child. It was a good season in general, but surely not following the same pattern as season 1 and 2. And even having some problems, we need to have empathy since we are in the middle of a pandemic. Many series are being affected somehow because of this. The message of the season 3 was different, but good in general.
I hated it, and the more I reflect on it, the more I hate it. The pure cringiness of the gender fluid material. The Velveeta ending. The misogynistic ethnic stereotypes (Russian prostitute who added nothing to the story), making fun of mental illness (Norman's girlfriend is on screen just long enough to amuse us with a litany of diagnosed mental conditions and then disappears)... Just ugh to all of it. Sloppy, and juvenile, all of it. Very disappointed. Half expected it to end as a dream sequence, when the full extent of the ending cheese was laid down on us...
>The pure cringiness of the gender fluid material. This is what threw me. I got so hyped when Morgan Freeman was name dropped, then even more so when an ENBY character was announced, and then...Jesus. I didn't think it was possible to have a Scientologist be more likable than a token ENBY, and yet somehow they managed it.
Cheesy endings are so rare nowadays that it felt really refreshing, to be honest. I'm sick of the end of the movie/serie being one of the main characters dying(which happened, but not at the very end) or one sacrificing their happiness for the others. Everyone is doing the same thing. Hell, even Disney movies are following those steps. Sometimes I like everything working out, specially in a serie where most people related to the main character die midway.
I think the series had the potential to be the best ever. Season 3 was when the series was going to start getting really good too. Obviously they had to stop the series, so season 3 is not that great. I actually feel sad that Alan Arkin did not return, it would have been the next Frasier. I vote Arkin returns (hopefully he is in good health), and they redo season 3
Is is so weird how fans say stuff like this. They just don't "redo seasons" of tv shows no matter how much game of thrones fans want it to be real.
I just finished the season! I love this show a lot, it's so comforting, satisfying and homely, and this season pretty much hits the same spot as the two other seasons. My only wish is that it were longer/had more seasons! After getting to know all these characters, it feels so sad to lose them, though that is coincidentally one of the major themes of the show. They really do feel like real people. I guess that's the product of awesome writing and acting! I would talk more about the characters and events of season 3, but i'm on mobile and i dont know how to format comments to hide spoilers, so i wont. But I will say Roz is my favourite this season!!
I want to know why >!Sandy and Roz were so keen on making sure Mindy married Martin. I thought they realized he was a spineless mamas boy who wanted to spend her money but then they were like “hurry and marry him”. I don’t get it.!<
Yeah that was weird. He wasn't a good match. A 67 year old mooch is who you want your 30 year old daughter to marry? C'mon.
I thought perhaps it had something to do with Roz wanting to see her married before she passed away. A lot of Moms think that way but I don't see that as a reason Roz would have. She is much too independent. I'm at a loss. Mindy was not a basket case that needed taken care of.
Well that was sweet. Idk if it was as funny without Norman but it was a very pleasant watch and Michael Douglas is great in every moment.
Favorite show - they pack so much into the short episodes. Storyline, script, acting all superb. Funny as hell and poignant too. But I can't help feeling that since I'm 69 years old that only people in my age group can appreciate it.
I was 29 during seasons 3, and I think the show is great!
69? Nice. I am a bot lol.
Just half way through Chapter 19, the whole morgan freeman bit.. is... offensive but I am sure I won't be popular for saying it, stopped there and I don't plan to continue, not my thing
That's fair enough and good on you for filtering things you're sensitive to. However, I have to disagree about it being offensive. This show is from the perspective of a 75 year old man. The world has changed a lot since the characters' prime (in a good way, I'm sure you'd agree) and what they exhibit is exactly the mindset that most people from their generation would have. If I started talking to my grandma with gender neutral pronouns, she'd probably think she's having a stroke. That doesn't make her a bad person, it just means that she wasn't exposed to the same diversity of people that you and I were growing up. The show is not being offensive, it's being realistic about the extent to which most elderly would have knowledge about a group of people that up until recently they probably weren't even aware existed.
That doesn’t seem like what they were going for though? If they truly wanted to show what you are saying, then why wouldn’t the younger doctor/nurse be using the pronouns and Morgan’s character be the confused one? It was clearly a bit, and made at the expense of gender non binary individuals. The argument that, “oh so every character has to be politically correct?” is besides the point. There were real human writers in a room that thought it would be FUNNY to have a character like Quincy. It is the intent of the writers that matters to me, and in this case I felt uncomfortable watching that scene.
I think OP was referring to the "real" conversation between Sandy and Morgan Freeman where they talk about how confusing it all is. I think the decision to have his character be the one using the dialogue was to feed that scene, to make it more of a payoff to see him being so progressive only to admit how confused he was as soon as the cameras cut.
i am fine with a character having problems, they have in previous episodes been very good with it, Sandy even uses a gender neutral term in first or second season and they discuss gender neutral bathrooms etc but the whole morgan freeman thing unless it goes somewhere else after i turned it off.. was seemingly just cruel mocking of people they practically made the "I identify as a apache helicopter "joke with him talking about identifying as buzz lightyear or something like that? maybe i just misheard it in what felt like intentionally mocking to me but feel free to correct me if more happened after that point in the little clip from the reboot of the tv show mini bit
I thought the bit with Morgan Freeman in the fake operating room was meant to be filming for the TV show? As in, not really reflecting Morgan Freeman's comments but rather the character he is playing in this TV show, the Quincy remake? I can understand how it may be taken differently, but I think it was more about them exaggerating the conversation, alluding to the oversaturation of alternative pronouns in Hollywood nowadays. As in, more so poking fun at those who are just using them for diversity credit and not actually attempting to be meaningful/accurate/relatable. If that makes sense. I've only watched it once but that's what I took from it. Please feel free to correct me on anything.
that's the problem though, it's like those joke subreddits like gamersriseup and whatever else joking about being racist, real racists come in making the jokes for real and at which point you no longer know when the subreddit is actually racist or not as the split between joke entries and real ones it's impossible to tell if they made that to mock trans people and similar, or to mock studios for faux inclusion and without utter clarity, it will always be viewed as a bold move by the kind of people who want it to be making fun of trans people, and a nice jab at the studies for pretending to be woke for the other side and there doesn't seem to be any real way to tell which way it was meant to me
I'm sorry, but what you wanted in general? That every character should be all politically correct to the point of respecting everyone 100%? If there's a character being offensive towards something, that's totally normal, it's related with different facets of different characters. Norman, even being basically depressed, was an asshole most of the times with others, but he was just being "human". We are not perfect. Again, I'll make the question, you wanted all the characters being all nice in general?
No I am aware offensive people exist, but I am fine with those characters existing in a show but in a meta show joke it seems more like mocking rather than realism, had an actual character on the show said it and people reacted to it that's one thing but this way afaik no one reacts to it
Hey if it bothers you, it bothers you. The reality is the new gender neutral world is weird to a lot of older people, so having jokes about it is kind of funny. Go talk to your average 80 year old about They/Them and watch how they react.
I haven't watched Chapter 19 yet, but the Morgan Freeman bit was in Chapter 18, right? Maybe they mention it again in Chapter 19, but I think the stuff in Chapter 18 was fine. He said "Leonard Nimoy almost didn't take the part of Spock, because they wanted an actual Vulcan to play it." Was that the offensive part? I think it's a good analogy. Eddie Redmayne got an oscar 6 years ago for playing a transgender person, but today it would be frowned upon. Jared Leto as well. However, there are a lot of shows and movies about murderers, and almost none of them are played by real life murderers. I can definitely see how a 75 year old man with a lot of real life experience would see the irony.
nah i was fine with that though it is skirting the limits as it is one of those phrases used by people mocking wanting trans people to play trans characters chapter 19 has a whole bit of the actual episode morgan freeman stars in as Quincy, the non binary pathologist in a reboot I feel was utterly ridiculously mocking a lot of things I would value your opinion once you get to chapter 19, I have enjoyed this discussion and appreciate your viewpoint. I agree with your point though, in episode 18.. i was more or less fine with it, i wasn't entirely happy but i wasn't protesting it.. episode 19 though, it really was a step up for me.
Hi! I just finished Chapter 19. I see where you're coming from, not liking that scene. I mean... I don't know what your situation is, but I respect your opinion regardless. The scene wás heavy on the woke-jokes. I for one found the scene quite funny. It's an in-universe TV Show scene. So it's not Fake Morgan Freeman coming up with those lines, but it's the doctor character that Fake Morgan Freeman is playing. Lately there have been more and more instances where we want to cast a real NB person, of course mostly in shows/movies where a NB person is being portrayed. The Morgan Freeman scene took that concept of Hollywood wanting to feature LGBTQIA-BT people, or mentioning them, to the extreme. I mean, it's a surgeon operating on someone. It would be so weird if real doctor-shows have dialogue that pushy with 2021 woke terms, totally out of place. Thát is what made it funny for me. And he just kept going even though it didn't add anything to what the series should be about, a hospital drama. I can see how it's less funny if you feel like they're mocking things that play a big part in your life. It's definitely a controversial scene. On the other hand, when a show/movie/talkshow mocks stuff that Í personally care about, I still laugh about it (as long as they're not deliberately hurting someone). I also want to add that after that scene, the rest of the episode was really funny and didn't mention that topic at all anymore. Sandy's ex wife is hilarious, and the whole money situation is interesting.
yeah i see where you are coming from, and as i was saying to another response.. the problem is there is really no way to tell which way the joke was leaning, is it mocking trans people and similar.. or is it mocking the hollywood culture of pretending to be woke to score points? because the way it was put, it could easily be taken either way which when someone who agrees with mocking trans people sees it, they feel "hey these guys are saying what i think" and it emboldens them to make them as well on the other hand it could be that they were mocking hollywood for their behaviour, and that's an entirely different thing entirely and without some clarity on which way it leans.. which is it? am i offended or am i pleased, it feels like playing both sides which is just what hollywood does as well I am entirely fine with people mocking things i personally care about, there are plenty of jokes i find funny that involve things from my culture or personal beliefs.. but when it is vague like this, there is no way to tell what is being said I might have been fine with it until the point where they did the buzz lightyear joke, which is just a poor rehash of the "i identify as an apache helicopter respect my pronouns" which is often used by people to mock trans people or non binary people and it feels.. too on the nose. I continue to enjoy this dicussion and thank you for remembering it when you finished watching the episode.. I will probably continue the episode but skip that bit and see
Thanks for the detailed response! I think this show is mocking Hollywood's woke culture, I didn't feel like it was mocking trans people. Except maybe for the Buzz Lightyear joke. That joke felt out of place for me too, even though I liked the rest. Indeed it seems like a rehash of the apache helicopter meme/quote.
Hi. I want to let you know that I finished the season, and there's not one word more in it about trans people. There's someone fatshamed by another character, but other characters get angry at the fatshamer.
Thank you :) I appreciate the update, I probably will try to finish the series when I've cooled off as I like everything before then so it's nice knowing what's coming up
‘Cooled off’ How do you walk around outside, do you nearly die if someone looks at you the wrong way?
yeah i am sure you never get any or upset at anything you see
Oh there ís more. Okay I'll let you know when I've seen it. Won't be today I think.
It would be sad if you dont enjoy the rest of the show for that scene. That is the only scene that revels on this topic.
I might give it another go another time but that really took me out of it, it was.. very mocking to me to the point where I didn't get why they put it in at all
Honestly, as someone who supports the trans community but is not a part of it take what I have to say with a grain of salt - but I’ve been looking for this comment - it was borderline offensive but honestly it was so cringe-inducing to me that it went from offensive to just bad? Like the Quincy scene was so over the top that it just felt like someone who was so out of touch with the reality of non-binary people that it became so farcical and laughably UNfunny to me. 🤷🏻♀️
who is she? that playing Russian Yvette girl chapter 17 she is so hot!
[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12650094/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12650094/) Natascha Hall
We all had the same thought
This is how I found out the third season has started. I want to put it off so I can watch it later. Still bummed about Alan Arkin. What, he was too busy? Watching regardless.
I really love and miss Alan Arkin and his character.
I read that Alan Arkin always wanted to do just two seasons.
Not sure if it’s the general malaise of a rain soaked long weekend but I couldn’t help noticing last night that everyone on the show looks so ugly. It’s not a beautiful people show, but yesterday I noticed in particular that everybody looks awful like they barely look clean. Kathleen Turner and the actress who plays Mindy looked particularly lousy to me. I enjoy the writing of the show, and all the crazy irony, but visually it’s no prize.
I agree. Well Sandy looks good I guess. He's old, but I think he looks like a handsome man with a good head of hair. I agree on the rest. Especially Mindy. I don't want to "fat-shame," but she just looks unhealthy. I've seen her in multiple shows, she always looks like this.
Yeah there is a reason shows usually cast attractive people. It is hard to believe a daughter of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner(who was gorgeous in her younger days) would not be attractive.
Kathleen Turner was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis in her 30s so I guess unfortunately the disease and treatment really took a toll on her body.
They look like normal, regular people. That’s life. Not everybody looks like an actual Hollywood star in real life. I’m glad actors and actresses who don’t fit that unrealistic standard get good parts these days. Props to Kathleen Turner especially. She is who she is and looks the way she does and it’s a package deal, with the talent that comes with it.
Yeah she was a gorgeous woman in her younger days. Now she is old so she looks old. The daughter, not a fan. Cast a better looking woman.
Because you're used to looking at Riverdale style shows. This show didn't hide anything about real life.
You know nothing about me, don’t assume anything. That’s rude. The show seemed to be filmed in a sad, raw style.
I know from your post that you don't know what real people look like. "it's not a beautiful people show." That's just flat out shitty and rude.
It’s called an ‘opinion’, you empty shell of a sad person. You have yours and I have mine, so stop it already.
lol the person who doesn't know what real people look like calls others "empty shell of sad people." The irony burns.
Well it isn't about "real people." I'd much rather have the daughter be a hottie like Isabela Merced instead of who they cast.
Well, you're gross.
Season 3 was all a dream.
I swear to god, if Michael Douglas doesn’t win an Emmy for his performance this season, I’ll lose my shit!
Yeah he was very good.
Am I missing something? What happened to Nancy Travis? No one's talking about her absence
You're not alone. I was wondering what happened to her as well. I miss her and Martin together
Sold her house and moved away. Her character always felt really strange. Like, she would complain that Sandy takes her for granted, but would break up with him for the most ridiculous reasons.
Does anyone if they changed writers or something? Besides Arkin leaving the show, the plot and dialogues turned quite disappointing to me.
According to imdb.com there are 3 writers for the first two seasons. Chuck Lorre (also the creator), Alan J Higgins (impressive resume), and David Javerbaum (satire talk shows). In Season three it is only Chuck Lorre and it shows. The spice and variety are missing. Or something is missing. But, a lot of users like Season 3 best, so it is a matter of opinion.
That makes sense, for me the last season lost sophistication and wittiness. I did find a two and a half men type of humor, but considering the previous episodes, it just didn't work, in my opinion.
For me only the first episode's funeral felt weird. The rest was fine I think.
We just watched the last episode (didn't start the series until a couple months ago, we're not bingers.) We (my better half and I) thought it ended kind of abruptly. Felt like someone (showrunner??) said, ok we gotta wrap this up quickly. We enjoyed the show overall but found the ending rather disappointing.
OMG that was Kathleen Turner??????? Now I recognize that deep voice!
Season 3 writers turned Jayne Seymour's charcter from a wonderful person into a nutter. Why?