Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Questions After Finale:

1. In both seasons 1 and 2, there are allusions made to Abe's political past, which I am guessing was involvement in the Socialist and/or Communist party pre-Stalinist purges/McCartyhism. If so, why did he hire Midge's constitutional/criminal lawyer from Season 1?

2. Does Joel have siblings? Who is going to run his father's company if he becomes a club owner?

3. Can Susie manage Sophie AND go to Europe with Midge?

4. Will Rose stay with Abe if she can't study at Columbia or live in her apartment?

5. Who will watch the children while Midge is in Europe if Zelda isn't around?

6. Will Ettenberg wait for Midge? He doesn't seem the type looking for a normal doctor's wife.

7. Will Midge want Ettenberg to wait for her after Joel?

8. Will Susie's father come out of the woodwork? If so, who is he?

9. What is Noah working on?

10. Will Midge obtain domestic success after Europe?

I think the "I just want one night with someone who loves me" is going to turn into Midge's accidental pregnancy with Joel's third baby which she discovers while on tour.

But she’s been sleeping with the doctor, also. So it would have to be a case of not knowing which man was the father. I like your train of thought. If the plot doesn’t go in this direction, that scene with Joel is an odd one to throw in there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Questions After Finale:

1. In both seasons 1 and 2, there are allusions made to Abe's political past, which I am guessing was involvement in the Socialist and/or Communist party pre-Stalinist purges/McCartyhism. If so, why did he hire Midge's constitutional/criminal lawyer from Season 1?

2. Does Joel have siblings? Who is going to run his father's company if he becomes a club owner?

3. Can Susie manage Sophie AND go to Europe with Midge?

4. Will Rose stay with Abe if she can't study at Columbia or live in her apartment?

5. Who will watch the children while Midge is in Europe if Zelda isn't around?

6. Will Ettenberg wait for Midge? He doesn't seem the type looking for a normal doctor's wife.

7. Will Midge want Ettenberg to wait for her after Joel?

8. Will Susie's father come out of the woodwork? If so, who is he?

9. What is Noah working on?

10. Will Midge obtain domestic success after Europe?

I think the "I just want one night with someone who loves me" is going to turn into Midge's accidental pregnancy with Joel's third baby which she discovers while on tour.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the Catskills was like family summer camp, but high-end, with dinner and dancing every night. Corny fun. I wish we still had something like it these days.

Cruises are like that but less corny. DH and I dance a lot and I do think it's more of a lost art now, back then everyone knew how.

I wonder a lot about the childcare. Everyone just expects Zelda to do it. How does that poor woman cook, clean and take care of these kids all day? She's there until late at night too.

I was kind of shocked at her performance at the wedding. She acts like she forgot there was a Priest present, but she grew up around Rabbis and you wouldn't say those things in front of them either.

+1
The childcare issue *really* bothers me. I get that this is just a silly, fluffy show and we're not to think too deeply about it or take it seriously. But honestly, the kids are less than props even. No one ever interacts with them (though we occasionally will see Midge patting one on the head or reading to one briefly). I agree with a PP who said this show would be more enjoyable (and believable) if she hadn't had kids yet. As a mom, all I can think about is "Where are the kids? Who's watching the kids??" Not only Midge, but her parents seem completely disinterested in them.

This should be a different thread, but that's probably the most realistic part of the show. In my family (UMC with a SAHM) in the 50s, kids were never read to. They didn't eat dinner with the parents. The moms went off and played cards/social functions with their friends and the kids just played outside all day. Very young kids like Esther tagged along with the housekeeper during the day, but didn't get too much attention either. Parents went out at night without anyone watching the sleeping kids.

I find it funny that people have a hard time remembering that children weren't coddled and worshipped in ways that they are today. The whole schlep with minding children and living your entire existence for them is very very recent in human history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the Catskills was like family summer camp, but high-end, with dinner and dancing every night. Corny fun. I wish we still had something like it these days.

Cruises are like that but less corny. DH and I dance a lot and I do think it's more of a lost art now, back then everyone knew how.

I wonder a lot about the childcare. Everyone just expects Zelda to do it. How does that poor woman cook, clean and take care of these kids all day? She's there until late at night too.

I was kind of shocked at her performance at the wedding. She acts like she forgot there was a Priest present, but she grew up around Rabbis and you wouldn't say those things in front of them either.

+1
The childcare issue *really* bothers me. I get that this is just a silly, fluffy show and we're not to think too deeply about it or take it seriously. But honestly, the kids are less than props even. No one ever interacts with them (though we occasionally will see Midge patting one on the head or reading to one briefly). I agree with a PP who said this show would be more enjoyable (and believable) if she hadn't had kids yet. As a mom, all I can think about is "Where are the kids? Who's watching the kids??" Not only Midge, but her parents seem completely disinterested in them.

This should be a different thread, but that's probably the most realistic part of the show. In my family (UMC with a SAHM) in the 50s, kids were never read to. They didn't eat dinner with the parents. The moms went off and played cards/social functions with their friends and the kids just played outside all day. Very young kids like Esther tagged along with the housekeeper during the day, but didn't get too much attention either. Parents went out at night without anyone watching the sleeping kids.

I find it funny that people have a hard time remembering that children weren't coddled and worshipped in ways that they are today. The whole schlep with minding children and living your entire existence for them is very very recent in human history.

no, it's not. The hovering and the making parenting a competitive sport and worrying about doing everything THE BEST evidence supported way. that's newer but it's newer only in this more rarified segment of society as a whole. It was not and has never been the norm to have full time home help staff in the US. It was a small segment in the 50s. Everyone likes to think they were UMC with this kind of life but it's rewriting history. It was an upper class lifestyle. Nothing middle or average about it. Kids were a lot more independent and out of the house to play in neighborhoods at young ages, giving parents more adult time, that's certain. There were certainty much more involved parents than this show portrays in the 50s and 60s, just not helicopters. This show reflects a very narrow set of values/views/lifestyle when it comes to what having a family means, a d that's ok, but it wasn't the norm then either

Anonymous wrote:I have many of the same questions as PP. But mostly - what is Abe suing about? And are they going to be poor next year with him having no job? Glad they clairified about who owns the apartment. I was wondering if they had family money or something.

Anonymous wrote:I have many of the same questions as PP. But mostly - what is Abe suing about? And are they going to be poor next year with him having no job? Glad they clairified about who owns the apartment. I was wondering if they had family money or something.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the Catskills was like family summer camp, but high-end, with dinner and dancing every night. Corny fun. I wish we still had something like it these days.

Cruises are like that but less corny. DH and I dance a lot and I do think it's more of a lost art now, back then everyone knew how.

I wonder a lot about the childcare. Everyone just expects Zelda to do it. How does that poor woman cook, clean and take care of these kids all day? She's there until late at night too.

I was kind of shocked at her performance at the wedding. She acts like she forgot there was a Priest present, but she grew up around Rabbis and you wouldn't say those things in front of them either.

+1
The childcare issue *really* bothers me. I get that this is just a silly, fluffy show and we're not to think too deeply about it or take it seriously. But honestly, the kids are less than props even. No one ever interacts with them (though we occasionally will see Midge patting one on the head or reading to one briefly). I agree with a PP who said this show would be more enjoyable (and believable) if she hadn't had kids yet. As a mom, all I can think about is "Where are the kids? Who's watching the kids??" Not only Midge, but her parents seem completely disinterested in them.

This should be a different thread, but that's probably the most realistic part of the show. In my family (UMC with a SAHM) in the 50s, kids were never read to. They didn't eat dinner with the parents. The moms went off and played cards/social functions with their friends and the kids just played outside all day. Very young kids like Esther tagged along with the housekeeper during the day, but didn't get too much attention either. Parents went out at night without anyone watching the sleeping kids.

I find it funny that people have a hard time remembering that children weren't coddled and worshipped in ways that they are today. The whole schlep with minding children and living your entire existence for them is very very recent in human history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Questions After Finale:

1. In both seasons 1 and 2, there are allusions made to Abe's political past, which I am guessing was involvement in the Socialist and/or Communist party pre-Stalinist purges/McCartyhism. If so, why did he hire Midge's constitutional/criminal lawyer from Season 1?

2. Does Joel have siblings? Who is going to run his father's company if he becomes a club owner?

3. Can Susie manage Sophie AND go to Europe with Midge?

4. Will Rose stay with Abe if she can't study at Columbia or live in her apartment?

5. Who will watch the children while Midge is in Europe if Zelda isn't around?

6. Will Ettenberg wait for Midge? He doesn't seem the type looking for a normal doctor's wife.

7. Will Midge want Ettenberg to wait for her after Joel?

8. Will Susie's father come out of the woodwork? If so, who is he?

9. What is Noah working on?

10. Will Midge obtain domestic success after Europe?

I think the "I just want one night with someone who loves me" is going to turn into Midge's accidental pregnancy with Joel's third baby which she discovers while on tour.

Anonymous wrote:Questions After Finale:

1. In both seasons 1 and 2, there are allusions made to Abe's political past, which I am guessing was involvement in the Socialist and/or Communist party pre-Stalinist purges/McCartyhism. If so, why did he hire Midge's constitutional/criminal lawyer from Season 1?

2. Does Joel have siblings? Who is going to run his father's company if he becomes a club owner?

3. Can Susie manage Sophie AND go to Europe with Midge?

4. Will Rose stay with Abe if she can't study at Columbia or live in her apartment?

5. Who will watch the children while Midge is in Europe if Zelda isn't around?

6. Will Ettenberg wait for Midge? He doesn't seem the type looking for a normal doctor's wife.

7. Will Midge want Ettenberg to wait for her after Joel?

8. Will Susie's father come out of the woodwork? If so, who is he?

9. What is Noah working on?

10. Will Midge obtain domestic success after Europe?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the Catskills was like family summer camp, but high-end, with dinner and dancing every night. Corny fun. I wish we still had something like it these days.

There are still places like that in the Catskills!!! The Irish-American community in East Durham has them. We used to stay at Gavins’ Golden Hill House every summer for a week and it was loads of fun. Live band and dancing every night.

Oh wow - really? It's funny - I HATE cruises but these Catskills scenes are making me long for that sort of experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the Catskills was like family summer camp, but high-end, with dinner and dancing every night. Corny fun. I wish we still had something like it these days.

There are still places like that in the Catskills!!! The Irish-American community in East Durham has them. We used to stay at Gavins’ Golden Hill House every summer for a week and it was loads of fun. Live band and dancing every night.