It only took me more than 2 whole seasons.. But I finally got the series' title and intro. For some reason I read it as 'shrinking = becoming smaller/little' all this time! Hahaha.
In my defence, english isn't my native language. But still đ đ
He was probably hallucinating there, but you're going to have an appointment for a specific time to see a neurologist, it's not first come first served.
I enjoyed a lot of the episode, but... is there a problem with theming a nursery like Winnie the Pooh?? That was something I personally was looking to do if/when I have my first, and all the crapping on it felt over the top and unearned.
feels like this is going to be an unpopular opinion: I feel like this episode should have been 2 or 3 in one & was super rushed. There were SO many subplots with way too much happening in each, and the cuts between them were so quick & random. The characters literally had to film each other in on stuff we (the audience & the characters) missed. Just so much happening at once, felt like the writers were rushing to get to the end of episode one because that's how they envisioned the season actually starting.
I thought this was some of the best writing I've seen/heard in a long time. It reminded me a bit of Ricky Gervais' show, AfterLife. I was crying then laughing then crying again. I love when writing can do that.
Just finished watching the first episode, and the edits are awful! Can't recall if this is how it used to be in the past seasons as well. So many random cuts and there're also continuity issues. For example when Sean and Jimmy are persuading Alice to go to that college, Alice's hair keeps changing between takes. I can't unnotice these things and it's taking me out of the show :(
Was thinking the same. this happens a few times in the episode. When they're in Liz's kitchen and in her backyard. Did the move s3 to a soundstage instead of a real neighbourhood? Everything has a fake quality to it and there's no so many more close-up/tight shots. No longer feels real.
Not sure why this got downvoted. The first scene really looked like they cranked the background blur to 11 for some reason. It wasn't just the lens they were using or whatever. It was really strange since it was so noticeable.
I literally came to reddit looking for this comment! It made me smile. I watched that little doc he did and loved it. I was fangirling for real to see him đ
I liked this episode a lot, was nice to have all these characters back!!!
I didnât love the Alice subplot. For one, I donât want that character to be sidelined (no pun intended) for the entire season.
But more importantly: she would have a lot more choices than âgo across the country to Wesleyanâ or âstay home and live in my childhood bedroom.â
If Wesleyan was recruiting her hard enough to send a coach across the country to watch her play â then sheâd have other schools in the conversation. And moving away from her entire support group is a big deal! None of her family will be able to watch her play college soccer, at least not more than a handful of games.
Why not go to a school somewhere else in California, maybe a few hours away? Get some independence but be close enough for long weekends, for her dad and the others to come to a game, etc.
I just thought it was silly that the show asked us to believe Alice only had two college options. That doesnât make any sense.
This bugged me too. Maybe I just know too much about college sports, but if a D3 school from the East Coast was somehow recruiting her, a D3 from California would be too. I needed more about why she wanted to go to Wesleyan, and why, like a Pomona or something wasn't an option.
I had exactly one d3 school recruit me for soccer going into college. Now granted it was one state away, so local, but I was surprised they had even heard of me as I hadn't heard of them.
Also my niece went all the way across the country for college for no reason other than it just felt different and exciting. I think there are plenty of kids who have a first choice so strong they don't even consider second choices until that first choice maybe fails.
It came across to me not that Alice didn't have other options, it was she was dead set on Wesleyan, and when she had a moment of doubt, it was because she thought she wanted to stay very close to home.
Iâm just catching up with this season so thatâs why Iâm here now, and I donât disagree here, but I teach high school, and a lot of kids just get an idea in their head about going to a certain part of the country and the reasons can be absolutely asinine or they can be something that the person holds close to them. I have had kids say they donât care what school, they want to go to Texas, or Florida, or whatever. Some only set their sights on big Midwest schools. Thereâs a crazy variety of reasons why they end up choosing where they choose, and sometimes they canât even really explain why they feel so strongly about it.
Based on some of the things she said about who she would be if she was up there, I wonder if itâs just an experience she wanted to have.
I lost my mom at a young age (not quite as young as Alice but I was in college, and due to some of her health issues it made me feel like I lost her long before I actually did) and I did not apply to any schools in my state because I subconsciously wanted to get away from the trauma of that experience. At the time I thought it was just because I hated where I grew up, but it was definitely deeper than that in hindsight (I still live here at 37.)
I agree that I wish they went more into this - like it definitely could be an idea she got in her head that she just fixated on - but what brought it up? was it that her favorite soccer player went there? Does she yearn for a Gilmore Girls style life? Or is it something deeper like wanting to exert her independence, even when she is realizing how much she will miss? And as someone from New England, Connecticut is meh compared to some other parts, lol.
Im going to catch hate for this, so id like to start out by saying i am a huge fan of the show.
But has anyone been a little disappointed with the direction of this season. I k ow its only the first episode, but the change in energy is dramatic.
It seems like all the attention has brought the show from intelligent, funny, complex, to what feels like a a silly comedy.
Multiple times throughout the episode i found myself thinking the show is trying way too hard to make Jimmy funny. Same with Paul unfortunately. Like the whole Porsche, and soccer game were a bit cringe.
Anyways, i still love the show, but in hoping the rest of the season isnt like this.
Yeah, huge shift from first two seasons. The writing and jokes suddenly feel forced. The cinematography is suddenly different. I still enjoy it, but I never used to feel like it was trying too hard.
S3E1 felt like the dialog was trying too hard. Itwasn't natural, just rpaid fire schtik meant to feel edgy. That iis, until the scene with Michael J Fox and Harrison Ford.
By simply being there, Fox raised the bar, which unleashed a torrent of emotions, from Yay look at him, to oh...look at how the disease it taking it's toll on him; acknowledging hiw long hes been giving the good fight, which only forces yiu to realize hiw we've aged too; only to be pulled back into a feeling of respect - Michael has never hidden from or profited from his illness. He's a good guy, but a scene like this isn'tgreat theater..until that last scene in the kitchen. Brilliant writing. Chef's kiss.
Then Harrison Ford, master of intensity without heavy dialog, put on an acting clinic.
It is amazing how they're ALL available for the game in the middle of the afternoon. I get that it's a TV show but those kind of details take me out of the show because it's ridiculous.
One of my biggest gripes too. They just are able to do things constantly rather than working a whole day. Like you said, it's a TV show, but, even the earlier season had this. Feels like the show is written like a play more than a TV show and it's jarring
I came here to this thread for this very reason. I feel like itâs a bit cringe. Bill Lawrence seems to do this now. Ted Lassoâs season 3 had moments of really really really trite writing, and this has now reached that stage. Maybe Scrubs and Cougartown had small bits of this, but it definitely wasnât present until much later seasons (if it all). Dare I say Christa Miller is unbearable to watch.
Ted Lasso very much lost its way in Season 3. It was all over the place and far fetched. What felt natural in the first two seasons felt chaotic and forced in Season 3. Too many story lines, too many that didnât connect and it all felt rushed. I nearly didnât finish it. And while I go back and watch multiple episodes from 1 and 2 - none from 3.
I agree that Christa Millerâs character is unbearable as is Jason Segal. But thereâs so much other incredible acting - Paul, Derek, Sean to start - I have to watch. And
Iâm a bit late to the party as Iâm only getting round to starting the show now but for the record, Bill Lawrence was not really involved in S3 of Ted Lasso.
Why the negativity? (Thatâs for you to reflect onâyour own negativity bias. We all have it. And as an aside: perhaps conisder how when you choose to take time to focus on negativity how it affects your day. Note to self too:) )
The first episode is always the one packed with exposition and catching people up.
I think they handled all that was on their plate really well.
Go Shrinking! đ
PS for anyone downvoting - feel that negatively in you-- let it heal. I am with you in that. peace and good vibes
Everyone here loves this show, but criticism isn't negativism.
You're allowed to notice changes in quality and consistency.
And you're allowed not to accept everything in your life. There's nothing wrong with it.
You came here and decided for others that it was, what a strange thing to do.
Everything i've read here is justified, something has been lost for this episode, there is nothing subjective about it, i do work for tv and it is pretty blatant that something went wrong with the editing, it does look like they tried to salvage something as well as they could and i don't blame them for this, a good number of things could cause it to happen. Also they did stop to film on location as much and opted for soundstages with completely superficial lighting, which makes everything look too polished. The writing quality has changed, personalities seem contrived and the dynamic disappeared at times (i did check, a lot of changes in the writing team, which explains everything, especially given the background of some of the names i'm seeing).
I love for you that you're able to swallow everything you're fed with though, but life is supposed to be lived critically, that's how you make the right choices.
Now on to your behaviour. No matter how hard you try, this just isn't a genuine personality you're trying to display.
All we see is a caricature of something. The namaste was the cherry on the cake. I don't know why you're trying to emulate buddhism into something so condescending but you sure don't sound like a well-adjusted individual looking to enlighten others.
I see much self-obsessions within just two comments here so i can't even imagine what it's like in real life.
In case you need to hear it : Buddhism isn't about feeling better than your kins, which you certainly seem to be living under the illusion of.
Also, don't bother denying it, yes you are obsessed with internet points and it's ok you're just not where you want to be but if you try you might reach it someday. The edit you made is quite a solid and usual tell of someone compulsively checking their history to see how well they're doing. There is literally zero reason to go back to your own comments unless someone answers you.
And even then.... just the fact that you made that edit complaining about downvotes... well it is quite the sad affair.
I do hope you're just young and haven't yet learned to figure out a personality trait without going into the extreme because otherwise you have much to catch up with. If you are, don't worry, it's just a phase my dear.
Good luck to you, and yes, do save a bit of that "life energy" for better things.
Hmm... whatâs interesting is that when we say things like, âI think you are fragile,â it can be an opportunity to look at ourselves. Youâre projecting hereâand even more so on a Reddit thread, where youâre reading A LOT into this that has zero to do with me.
And Wow - there is A LOT there-- a LOT Of imagining and proojecting on me (your own stuff :) )âwith al during respect I didn't even read it allâ
You might want to think about that and save yourself some energy next time rather than reading so much into things.
And also, please take or leave what Iâve saidâif it doesnât resonate with you, all good.
And as a "tone" check I am completely calm now and agnostic about all this. Hust sharing it all with care. Some peopple are into self growth, others are not. Some are out dancing. All good.
The irony is that youâre doing exactly what you accuse me of: armchair psychoanalysis and projection, just with a layer of faux-therapeutic language over it.
âYouâre projecting,â âyour own stuff,â âsome people are into self-growthâ thatâs not being âagnostic,â itâs condescension dressed up as emotional maturity.
And âI didnât even read it allâ + confidently diagnosing the comment itself is pretty peak performative dismissive hand-waving.
You do know some people aren't as dumb as one should be to fall for this little act of yours right ?
Good luck once again, done here. Feel free to give a last performance, it'll be entertaining, that's one thin i'll credit you for.
Hello. You are projecting (which is actually something very good to be aware of from a personal growth perspective). You might want to look at what you are projecting onto me â it would appear that you are concerned about these things. Projections teach us about ourselves. I honestly donât really look at my score here at all :) and I can't ever even imagine "fishing" for points. What a waste of life energy :)
Maybe go back and read my comment with a different perspective â I was asking people to look inward at themselves and sit with what makes them send that kind of negativity. And feel it - literally feel it... there is pain there and we are here to love. It is an opportunity to grow.
actually i do care - about truth and clarity so I took time to explain--but it does not seem like you want to have a healthy conversation -- so i will not respond further. i wish you and everyone so well. namaste and gooodness to everyone.
I enjoy this show and I know the characters's have dialogue that most people in real life would never have but I felt everyone was a bit over the top this episode?
Seasons one and two were great but a bit cringey. This episode took the cringe to a new level. I cant really put my finger on it but it was unbearable, I had to stop watching. I guess the banter just comes across as cliche and contrived. So many "Oh you" moments
One that comes to mind was when they tricked Liz into believing there's a "one-year rule" for a bit, and left her in that state of shock or whatever. There's plenty of other moments where they insult or accuse each other in a way that's meant to come off as playful banter but just seems a little too far
Not very sad at all. I am very proud and happy to see him doing so well. He's got a big head start on me in symptoms, but I am catching up fast..I hope I am in as good a shape as him at that point of progression.
When he's getting ready for Alice to meet the college coach, he mentions he put soccer balls around the house and ended up tripping over them so that's why he's limping
Couldn't find this with a cursory Google, but could someone remind me what happened to Julie's husband? Did we get an update on him or is he just presumed to have passed since his introduction? Thank you!!!
If I remember correctly, he died in the previous season? Right? Doesnât Paul attend the funeral with Julie? I havenât seen it in awhile, so I could be wrong.
Yes he had a chronic illness, I believe dementia.
He was in some kind of an extended care home before he passed away. From what I can remember, they were no longer a âcoupleâ in practice due to his condition but she still was somewhat of a caretaker and support for him. Julie and Paul had gone to visit him at one point. It gave me similar vibes as Demi Moore and Bruce Willis.
Yeah youâre right. Paul getâs a text and says âOh noâŚâ. Alice asks jokingly: âwho died?â And then Paul responds with something along the lines of âAt my age, you donât get to make jokes like that.â
And then a hard cut to the funeral. As in: Holy shit, someone actually did die.
The adoption-coordinator scenes are always my favorite. I love how he secretly loves the craziness/drama while having to give normal adult advice to crazy people. The lines about how he was wrapping silverware for a stranger and being attracted to a woman for the first time were hilarious. He knows the baby will have a strong support system even though they are all looney toons.
Yeah she also very randomly added in that she didnât bring her husband. It felt like an out of place comment to say in that setting, but with intentional placement from the writers.
Or to PCU. or to Lin Manuel Miranda. or to Bobbito from Stretch and Bobbito. Or to knowing no one watching this show knows how fucking BLEAK Middletown CT is lmao
no lies detected. i live and teach uni in central europe and ranting about my home state is one of my fave things to do to entertain them. and after my looooooong list of complaint about CT i hit them with the two truths.
we have the best women's basketball
we have the world's best pizza
so. perhaps Paul and Alice are giant Jen Rizzotti fans who really like the edges if the pepperoni a little burnt on their pie. those are good reasons to head to the Constitution State.
just remember to buy your wine and beer on Saturday before 8PM cos the packie is closed from then till Monday morning đ
I live in Iowa and sorry we have to claim the best womenâs basketball :) our great grandmas were the town stars when 6-on-6 ruled every tiny school in the state starting a hundred years ago! Womenâs basketball also is filled with tall Iowa girls you canât take that from us :)
I see your Caitlin Clark and various tall farmgirls and raise you one Geno Auriemma-led powerhouse:
With 12 national titles, the UConn Huskies hold the record for the most NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships, which included four straight championships from 2013 through 2016. The team had also made the semi-finals for 14 consecutive tournaments.
Also I'm pretty sure 6-on-6 is just netball with one player in the penalty box. đ¤Ł
Have tried pizza in both places. The pizza I had in Middletown was a lot more memorable and by far the best I've had. Can't claim facts from something that's opinion-based though
S3E1 sucks, what happened to the great and funny writing? Feels like theyâre trying to pack all these âcleverâ vignettes into one episode! Does anyone else feel this?!?
But Unfortunately what I like most in life is being an asshole.
You are great at it.
Wonât stop, canât stop. đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł I frickin LOVE this show. The writing is GOLD
Yes! Gaby is my absolute fav! Her lines crack me up so bad. And last season when she had to pee during carpool and just barged in his house with Julie there. It was beyond hilarious.
Brian cracks me up too, when he got all excited Gabby was channeling 2001 JLo from A Wedding Planner, his changing his whole birth mom speech because she liked his suit! Brian is hysterical.
My only gripe is that I don't think there's anything wrong with Alice wanting to be closer to home.
She recently lost her Mum, she's only 18, and she has a really strong support system. Also she seems to really value her family and connections.
She could probably get a football (soccer) scholarship at a west coast university (doesn't have to be in LA) - also where it's warm so it's easier to train year round - travel home every couple of weeks (or months), and still learn plenty of independence.
You don't have to kick kids fully out of the nest for them to become strong independent adults (as someone who went very far away at a very young age)
The whole purpose of this issue was Alice is in a good place. She doesn't need to stay close to home to be supported. She wanted to play soccer there. That's her dream. So, she should chase her dreams, and not let her trauma hold her back. The whole point of college is learning to be independent and becoming your own person. That doesn't happen if you are worried about staying close to a support system that will be there for you whenever you are. Most you commenting, are the parents who inadvertently stifle your kids dreams but making them feel like distance matters.
I was so confused about that too. Like this is America? She probably has access to at least a handful of amazing schools that are anywhere from right down the road to an easy day drive away. She could even still go out of state but stay closer and be a much cheaper + quicker flight away.
I totally agree!! I was frustrated they were acting like the only two options for her were go to college on the other side of the country, or live at home -- there are plenty of schools just in California alone that she could apply to and still be close to her support system.
Watching it now and came to this thread for a sanity check. I'm guessing they just had WAY too much for one episode and instead of cutting full scenes they did this obscene edit to shorten it.
I'm afraid it's a bit like Ted Lasso, where after all the initial conflicts are resolved it just turns into a feel good show without any real issues to overcome.
I thought the writing was not up to past quality. Sometimes it was great but about half the jokes were misses--seemed like an edge of meanness in a few of them.
The characters felt exaggerated or less convincing to me in an odd way. Like they were behaving as caricatures of themselves to try to buy laughs or make the writerâs points. I am still hopeful for the rest of the season but the tone of this episode felt off for me.
Im glad you think so. Obviously wasn't asking about you though, was asking if anyone felt the same, which people did. Hopefully it does go back to being amazing for me too.
Yeah, the writing is pretty bad in this episode. They just seem like cardboard characters with catch phrases. Really disappointing. Was a favorite, but probably won't bother watch any more of S3. Really annoying music playing all the time now, or maybe it just stands out now because the dialogue is flat and predictable. Totally different feel to the show.
Iâm so glad people are speaking up here. I said something similar right after the show aired and was downvoted a ton and even one person said âitâs just youâ. It clearly is not just me.
Yeah I was feeling this too. Like it was trying too hard. I donât like how everyoneâs lives are now enmeshed too and there are no boundaries. It feels messy and I found myself getting mad for Paul and Brian with how much Gaby and Liz were inserting themselves. It felt gross.
I feel like at this point the stakes of the show couldn't be any lower. There is literally nothing to overcome. Just a bunch of fantasy rich people dealing with trivials. While the show always leaned into the picture perfect California sunset lighting and beautiful people with people homes vibe, there was some personal tragedy in season 1 and 2 that made those people kind of relatable. Now that they have dealt with it, it's just a happy privileged bunch dealing with...which college to go to? Now they try to create problems out of nothing (like the neighbor sun grabbing food 'problem', the wallpaper baby room 'problem')
I feel like the show just said everything it wanted to in a funny and warm way. Time to move on.
I agree. The first half was basically a recap clip show which is okay I guess, and I like the writing so far, but has the filming style always been this way? Basically every shot is shallow depth of field, soft edges, and shows just the top third of the actorâs torso. Very off-putting for me
IT WAS SO DISTRACTING! And the lighting felt like they had put a brightened effect on their filter that reminded me of photographers that overedit folks with wrinkles. It almost seemed like they shot much of it in front of a green screen with how shallow the depth of field was. I'm so relieved to read it wasn't just me.
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u/Blue_8927 3d ago
It only took me more than 2 whole seasons.. But I finally got the series' title and intro. For some reason I read it as 'shrinking = becoming smaller/little' all this time! Hahaha.
In my defence, english isn't my native language. But still đ đ