B.A.

"Better Days", Episode #101.



Cast: Matthew Long, Logan Lerman, Christine Lahti, Edwin Hodge, Jessica Par‚, John Slattery.
Director(s): Mick Jackson.
Producer(s): Greg Berlanti, Vanessa Taylor, Mickey Liddell, Thomas Schlamme.
Writer(s): Vanessa Taylor.

Original Airdate: September 19, 2004.

Patman

9/19/04 (spoilers below):

Hmm, now it gets interesting in terms of the
fictional shift in how politics change when Bobby becomes president because Bobby becomes president as an independent. That puts a different spin on Bobby's formative years, doesn't it?

Grace's speech to the incoming freshmen was pretty good. I wish I got it when I was an incoming freshman. I wouldn't have been so afraid to try new things and fail at them, instead of simply succeeding at a narrow focus.

Bobby's innate compassionate nature shows through when he tries to get Jack's suspension from the track team lifted, making things worse, but at the same time, learning another hard lesson.

In all, a good episode, and looking forward to the rest of the season.

DJLinus

I totally forgot about this tonight. Are they going to replay it?

Patman

Probably next Sunday night in the 6 p.m. EDT timeslot.

DJLinus

Thanks!

ctyankee

I just wish this show was better and took more chances.

First of all, doesn't the mother's role sound a bit familiar ...

let's see a professor who is at great odds with her older child while tight with her younger more impressionable one ... you know the one that becomes famous. Liberal, possessive, opinionated woman who handles her classroom better than she does her home. Um ... how totally was the mother ripped off from the movie Almost Famous ... ? All they had to do was move her to 2004, the older sibling be a boy and have her like pot. What a stretch. Oh, and to hire an actress that couldn't shine Frances McDormand's shoes.

Jack and Bobby, they like to say it is not about the Kennedys but in a way it is ... just a retelling of the future with the lady killing Jack not getting to be president but the more intellectual Robert Kennedy getting his chance. The one many believe could have been then one that really changed government.

Notice all the back lighting (particularly on face shots (look at the hair) and the soft lighting (particularly on long shots ... looks like the production company just decided to be West Wing. Of course the 2046 (or whatever) interviews were just like out of so many West Wing shows ...

Perhaps if they actually tried to write something different than the typical one parent figure trying to hold things together stuff along with actually reading what they write ... what college staff has called a custodian a "janitor" in the last 15 years ....

Jessica Par? 22 year old playing someone ... what 17? And Matthew Long is about that old too (but at least he can act). Let me predict the future ... let's see ... older brother who would like to go far away from the mother as possible decides to look after his brother and go to school at the local college (after much tears and anguish). As the church lady would say .... how convenient.

Like I said, I just wish it was better .. but it is what is is ... your mileage may vary ...

MrX

I was flipping back & forth between this, the emmys, & football all night but I didn't think this ep was as good as last week.

I figured they would make him a republican or an independent just to further the brothers from the Kennedy comparison.

B.A.

I like the Republican/Independent angle.

I realize the mom's supposed to be a bitch, but it's a little too over-the-top and annoying.

The cast is good, except for Jessica Pare - hope she improves, but so far I am not impressed w/ her performances.

The interviews didn't bother me this week.

MrX

I agree

I was thinking the same thing as I was watching the episode tonight

Frank TJ Mackey

best new show on tv, IMO, i don't care what else comes out all fall.

this sh** right here is quality.

how could you take more risks than a Mom and Teacher giving drugs to her students or revealing the fate of the lead characters in the first couple of eps.

just my thoughts though

Goldberg74

I liked this week's episode, except for the joint passing scene at the student meeting.

I'll keep watching.

Jergen

This show getting pretty interesting. His mom is a big left-wing academic, but Bobby later becomes a Republican. It will be interesting to see how he forms his political beliefs.

I also like the Bobby as Independent angle. Reminds me of John McCain. After McCain lost in the primaries and was attacked with dirty tricks by Bush, a lot of people wondered if McCain would run as an Independent. It's like the writers are saying, "What if a guy like McCain decided to break loose of the two parties and transform the country with his own independent movement?"

I don't know why you guys are complaining about Jessica Pare, I think she's doing an okay job.

boredsilly

All I'm saying is Bobby is the biggest cockblocker on the WB right now. Damn homie, give Jack some room to work his mojo.

Otherwise the episode was ok. I thought this show was going to leap over Everwood, but it looks like it's just going to live on the same street or maybe a block down(quality wise) and thats fine by me. The joint passing scene was a bit meh, and the mom comes off as a caricature of an uber-liberal. She really is irritating and so over the top that I just don't buy into her. However I'm really impressed by the actor who plays Bobby. I totally buy into him, and I guess it's about time the WB made up for the awful child actors on 7th Heaven. It's still too early to make a final judgement on the show as a whole, but I'll be sticking around for the rest of the season to see how things go.

charlie bucket

Does anyone else find this show a little depressing? My wife cried at last night's episode. I don't get it?

movielib

[how quickly they forget]John Anderson.[/how quickly they forget] Of course he didn't transform anything but I doubt McCain would've either.

Anyway, I usually can't stomach political shows at all (like The West Wing, no matter how good they are supposed to be). But so far I like this one. I guess it's because of its different approach.

Jadzia

I think Jessica Pare was miscast in this role. Pardon my cattiness, but I just find her a little too homely to be chased by a guy like Jack. What they needed in this role was a girl like Amy from Everwood-- someone you could at least imagine would be the most sought after girl on campus. I find Jessica Pare to be a thinner, less attractive version of Amber Benson (Tara) from Buffy. She is not ugly, but just doesn't seem attractive enough to be the lead-- more like a normal girl "friend" type character.

The actor who plays Bobby? Every time I look at him I think of "Mikey" from the 1970's Life cereal commercials.

I also thought of John McCain when they were describing McAlister's political career-- how he wasn't conservative enough for the GOP to embrace as their candidate.

B.A.

I completely agree - she doesn't stick out as anything special at all. Add that to her wooden acting and you wonder what the casting directors were thinking.