| Agree that Andie MacDowell stole the show. She should win an award. |
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I’m fairly new to the shoe. I’m almost done with episode 7.
First, I think it’s great…but… 1. While I generally like Andie (mom) in this role, that’s unusual. I typically think she’s a horrible actress. I don’t like how she is a kook all the time except during the casino confrontation when she was lucid and seemingly sober (which she wasn’t). Then she went right back to herself moments later. 2. I don’t like how Alex always nods her head. A lot of newer actors do this and it’s annoying. 3. I don’t like how Alex has no long(er) lived happy moments. The tinder date ended poorly. The bday party ended poorly. The rich lady confiding in her ended. The rental from the couple where she gardened ended. We get it. Her life is really hard. But she could have some happiness, even small. 4. The whole court thing made zero sense. “Ex parte” means without one party there. They kept calling it an ex parte hearing. |
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^^she lost her home to mold and it would take a long time to get another one.
^^car was hit ^^mom institutionalized ^^ mom has no back up plan No happiness ever lasts. |
| I’m a social worker and this show is one of the best examples I’ve seen of how people struggle with poverty. The very beginning when she points out that it’s ridiculous she needs to prove she has a job to get daycare but can’t get a job without one. The system just sets people up that it makes nearly impossible to get ahead. |
Are you this worried about corporate welfare and billionaires not paying taxes? |
NP. I thought she was horrific. She overdid the acting, bigtime, and it was so distracting. |
| I loved this show EXCEPT it totally annoyed me she didn't treat the guy (can't remember his name) better -- the guy who had a thing for her who took her in. He clearly cared for her, was a great guy AND was her ticket out of poverty! |
I agree but for a different reason. She didn't owe him anything back just because he was nice to her. She didn't have to fall for him just because he could have rescued her. I was disappointed the series didn't have her get with him because SHE WAS ATTRACTED TO HIM. I can see if she wasn't...but she was. |
The two times we interviewed nannies the last eight years they were pretty clear they wanted $42k on the books and the rest cash in order to not lose any welfare, snap, Medicaid, housing benefits. |
I grew up white trash and this made perfect sense to me. WT girls are warned by their moms and neighbors to never rely on a man. It's seen as a path that is very likely to fail, although tempting because it solves immediate issues like housing, food, and in some cases even healthcare. The way that works is investing in yourself with skills or education, or the military. It makes sense based on the main character's background and culture that she would avoid another relationship, even with a nice man. When I was in my 20s, men were the siren song, tempting me with an easy way out. On a couple occasions, well established middle class men in their 30s would offer for me to live with them. I lived in this $200/month room with a shared bathroom in an out of the way part of town. They couldn't really understand why I said no, and I was too freaked out by the fact they didn't even want to date before living together. It didn't bode well. As I got more established, I received similar offers but then it came from rich men- and one exceptionally rich men. In retrospect, these were the sort of offers it may have been okay to consider (the extremely rich man said I would have an apartment and we would date and he would wait for me to fall in love with him). But I could never shake the need to establish myself and not rely on anyone financially, so I avoided any relationship that entailed financial or material support or help. |
| But she didn’t do that. ^^ she relied on him for financial and material help. She was staying with him, used his address for the daycare, used his car, used his food, etc. she was in no way saying no to him to maintain her independence and self reliance. |
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I loved this series.
It focused on how the system really does not encourage single mothers to get ahead and find prosperity. It seems welfare is a trap that the government uses to keep people from doing better. |
Agreed. And even the happy ending is a farce. Notice how they sneak in a few mentions of Alex taking out student loans to go to college. When she graduates, she’s going to struggle with that albatross like most millennials. It never ends. The American system is set up so that breaking out of poverty is an anomaly. There are roadblocks every step of the way. Land of opportunity my a$$, this country is a playground for the rich. |
If she continued cleaning homes through college (advertise on the locally hoarding board) AND lived frugally - she has a way she can head out. It would take incredible determination but she could do it. She only took $9000 out in loans, if I recall correctly. Obviously that means she was not planning on having all living expenses paid via borrowed money. She now knows the system more, works under the table some, etc. |
| I liked it too but found it not that believable. Did anyone else notice that her 2 yr old is perfect and amidst all the chaos only cried when shmariel flew out the window? Must be nice. |