Just saw this week’s episode The Help and was struck by how insular the plot lines were. There was almost no crossover between the three households. There was only a phone call (Claire phoned Jay) and if I recall correctly, none of them met in person.
Anyways, I was considering which of the households I liked best and thought a poll was in order.
FYI, my criteria was which household I enjoy watching the most, who is the most interesting or funny. So I ended up choosing Dunphee-Pritchett.
I answered Dunphee-Pritchett, but it was close with Tucker-Pritchett. The wedding planning stories in particular are just killing right now.
This may be one of the best written sit-coms ever. Even the weak episodes are about twice as funny as anything else on.
This is interesting. Because I thought the reason that no one had started threads on the last two episodes was because they were both so goofy, lame, and unfunny and a sign that the show is headed downhill. The business about all trying to get to the restaurant on time was just stupid. I hate the wedding planning, although Nathan Lane this week was great, and I loved seeing Frasier’s Roz as a hooker (she didn’t have to fake a tough-girl accent). The moment when she told Phil’s dad he had nothing to worry about was sweet.
That said, my fav household is Cam-Mitch. In fact, Cam is my favorite character. I like the Gloria-Joe household okay, especially Manny. Gloria is turning into a caricature of herself and needs to watch out. Big Joe I like.
But I cannot STAND the Phil-Claire household. Phil is one of the singularly most unattractive, unsexy men on TV. But besides that, the character is a throwback to the inept sitcom dad of a generation ago. Claire has gotten more screwball than ever, and that’s already been done better by better actresses…Betty White and Lucille Ball, for starters. The sisterly rivalry is worn out. Luke is growing up cute, but doesn’t seem to have a personality. When the story shifts to their household, I mentally tune out.
Can’t agree about Phil (although I’m not commenting on the unattractive/unsexy part). His physical comedy with the too-tight suit had my wife and I in stitches. The kids are meh generally, but occasionally have some GREAT one-liners. I do like how, every so often, they redeem Phil (like the Realtor’s dinner) or the Halloween episode. Obviously, they are all caricatures to some extent (it is a sit-com after all), but they do provide some depth to them.
If Cam and Mitchell got killed in a car wreck and the Dunphys had to take in Lily, that would be fine with me. Her snark is the only thing funny about their parts of the stories anymore.
Joe? I think you mean Jay. Joe is the baby (Fulgencio, or something).
My favorite is probably Jay and Gloria. Jay and Manny, in particular, crack me up.
While I think Cam is hilariouis, I find Cam and Mitchell’s relationship kind of annoying.
Very annoying. With a few exceptions. Gloria bothers me too, but not so much.
I really enjoy Claire and Phil’s relationship, and their kids are a great part of the show.
This thread proves the SDMB axiom that YMMV.
Cam and Mitchell are so stereotypically gay that I’m amazed they don’t get sued and/or protested.
That said, I personally find them hilarious.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not familiar with all of Betty White’s roles, but what screwball comedy is she known for?
I wouldn’t classify any of Lucille Ball’s roles as screwball, at all.
I love Cam and Mitchell. I just started watching this show two weeks in reruns and am already hooked. The gay guys have the best lines, plus Cam is a Fighting Illini! (ILL-INI!). I cannot stand Phil. He is the poor man’s Michael Scott although I enjoy his relationship with Luke, possibly because Phil is about the same age developmentally as his son. I love Jay’s snark. Cannot stand Nana Deedee. She should never appear again.
Cam was supposed to have played for Illinois?
Hmm, Mitchell’s gay boy toy deployed annoyed from Illinois?
(apologies to Berkeley Breathed)
Yes, in the episode “Coal Digger” the family gathers for the U of I vs. OSU game and Cam says he played starting center for the U of I. He donned his Fighting Illini jersey and painted half his face orange and the other half blue.
As an Illinois grad myself, I’m surprised he admitted to it.
The Mary Tyler Moore show would fit that description for her role as Sue Ann Nivens, offering advice on TV to housewives. I think she was called the Happy Homemaker or something like that. It’s the first time I recall her playing against type.
Don’t forget the most important thing: Sue Ann was sex-crazed. Always trying to get into Lou Grant’s pants.
Yeah, I meant Jay.
I sometimes get the feeling that the showrunners are afraid to show Cam and Mitch as a loving couple. While I get that it’s a sitcom and there has to be comedy and all the characters have their quirks and shortcomings, it’s very rare that we see the bond or obvious depth of feeling between Mitch and Cam that exists twixt Claire and Phil or Jay and Gloria, and I think that’s the writing rather than the acting. More often I wonder why anybody would stay with a thin-skinned drama queen with no impulse control like Cam or a hypercritical constantly-kvetching bitch like Mitchell.