And Then There's Joan...
Forum Archives -- What About Joan

Subject: What Happened -- JMTP?

Author
Message
luvwaj
04/18/01
Hello everybody!! I'm new to these boards.

I am so glad to be here-- I've been on the frontlines over on the "official," ABC boards, basically since the show aired. You see there are some humorless, soul-less individuals over in there, who have a problem with the lovely brilliant Joan -- they're in the minority of COURSE, so it's no real hardship (and it's sometimes a real pleasure) taking them down several pegs, but still, I'm glad I found a place where the love runneth over for Joan and Jake and Co.!

Anyhoo...a favor. Would somebody PLEASE, PLEASE (!!!) tell me what happened (yes, I want details) on the "Meet The Parents," episode?! I was out of town and had set my VCR to tape, and it malfunctioned!!

When I got home, I was so PO'd it was not to be believed. I'm hoping ABC will send me a copy, I plan on asking (so far I've taped every episode--and feel really REALLY bereft that I don't have THIS one), but in the meantime, I would appreciate the 411 on this episode.

I mean that stuff about Jake and under the covers, and eyebrow wiggling (WHA???!!) that I've read on these boards is driving me insane--I want the juice, I want details people!!! Thanks so much in advance.
darbyross
04/18/01
Believe me, everyone here is much nicer than on the ABC boards. I don't even go around that neighborhood anymore. :( Welcome to the group luvwaj. We do love this show, but mostly Kyle. I have to admit I was a little worried about him doing a show with Joan. I wasn't much of a fan of hers but last night's ep really won me over. Okay I'll try to give you a brief synopsis of the ep. s p o i l e r s It starts out with the girls giving Alice a birthday party in a restaurant (Did anyone else think that was John Cusack inthe background?) All of the girls give Alice kind of nothing gifts, a note that a gift certificate is on the way and a pair of horrendous earrings. GAG!! But Joan paid attention to when Alice noticed a briefcase in a mag and got it for her. Everyone says Joan gives the greatest gifts that she listens when you mention something and will tuck it away in her memory for the right time to give it as a gift. Jake is spied in the background and Joan goes over. He begrudgingly introduces the couple as his parents/ Joan is excited to meet them. Even says "He came out of you" to Jakes mom. LOL Jake pretty much dismisses Joan and it upsets her. She goes home and goes on a cleaning binge, cleaning out the fireplace. Jake comes in and aplogizes for his behavior claiming that his parents are the most judgemental people alive and he is afraid that if they meet Joan they will run her off and he will be left to walk the foggy moors calling out her name. He asks her if they can't hide under the covers till his parents leave town and he wiggles his eyebrows. Joan doesn't think so. She is determined to win them over. She invites them for dinner and her friends bring their best dishes over for her to serve. She convinces Alice to stay as a bufffer for Joan. JAkes mom and Alice went to the same school and she takes a liking to Alice and doesn't want to talk about Joan. Joan ends up burning her hand and when she sticks it in a bucket of ice the dad thinks she's not only rude that "she's playing with him now" Jake walks into the bedroom where Joan is curled up and apologizes for the evening even though it's only been 5 minutes. Joan tries to make amends by showing pictures. Jakes parents don't take pictures > "Some people actually live life." Jake comes unglued and tells his parents that he loves Joan , that she's wonderful and etc then tells his parents it's time for them to leave town. He takes them to the airport and is very mad at them and wants to leave. His dad says he can then his mom says he can't. Joan shows up and says they insulted her religion of taking photos and gives her a gift of a poloroid camera and makes them take a picture together. She tells them to say cheese or as they say in her family "squeeze your butt cheeks" The dad laughs and the mom is kind of surprised at seeing a picture of them and wants to take one of Jake and Joan. She tells them to smile and he says you'll just have to be satisfied with my usual look of awe at this wonderful woman (or words close) Then he dips her back and kisses her as mom takes the picture. I think that is about all of the show. I hope you get to see it on reruns. :) Look forward to reading comments from new blood. :)
shana93
04/18/01
LOL Wow Dollene, that was pretty thorough!! Did you do that all from memory or did you watch the ep as you typed? I'm impressed. :D
darbyross
04/18/01
Sadly enough I did it from memory Shana. LOL After only the initial viewing of the ep. Do you think I'm paying too close attention to this show? I'm thinking maybe I need a life. :O
shana93
04/18/01
Dollene, I'm right there with you. As I was reading your post, I could picture all the scenes and what everyone was doing, and that's with only one viewing too. :D
abc981
04/18/01
Dollene, I don't think you're paying too close attention. Sounds perfectly normal to me. ;)
karens608
04/19/01
Boy, Dollene, I thought I had a good memory but I don't think I could've remembered that much detail from only one viewing! LOL! :D
luvwaj
04/19/01
Newbie reporting back!

That was incredible darby!! Wonderful detail! Whoa, I actually feel like I've seen the episode!! As usual, Kyle as Jake, has me melting all over the place with the things he does and says to Joan. That sounded like a truly great episode, kind of poignant even...and the "dipped back kiss"...waaaaahh...I have GOT to see that so bad!! LOLOL I can't wait for the repeats, and I pray they come. In the meantime, I'm doing my best to arrange to get a copy in my hot little hands.

I see why a lot of you guys are fans of Kyle, and have to admit-- he is one of the main reasons I love the show so much-- I really wasn't too familiar with his work before I stumbled upon him on WAJ, but I've recently caught EE (we're lucky it comes on two stations here)and he is fantastic. He reminds me of an old time movie star, handsome good looks, (he can go from cute as a bug's ear to classically handsome) and he's got incredible integrity and presence--like a young gregory Peck or something. I love seeing decent men of incredible character on TV and in film, it makes them even more desirable in my opinion.

When Jake had that scene in his office, with Mark in the last episode, where Mark not willing to commit to Betsey asks advice of Jake--wondering if he has second thoughts about not being committed to Joan, and Jake fervently and unilaterally tells him NO, NO, NO, NO and NO. I...LOVED THAT. What a man.

I am so hooked you guys.

Thanks again, for giving me the 411 on this episode darby, you're a lifesaver-- it was driving me crazy that I missed it! I am so glad I found this place!
darbyross
04/19/01
You're more than welcome. It must be wonderful for you to discover Kyle for the first time. :sigh: I remember that discovery. :) Yes he does have that old movie star quality about him. One of the reasons I like him so much. But just one. I have a list a mile long. :) Welcome aboard. :)
abc981
04/19/01
//I love seeing decent men of incredible character on TV and in film, it makes them even more desirable in my opinion.//

Most definitely!! Another reason we love him so much is he seems to be such a nice guy in real life too. And you gotta love a guy who speaks so highly of his wife and daughter. :)

That's one of the things that really impresses me about Joan too. The whole reason the show is being shot in Chicago is so she can be home with her family. She's also quick to point out that even though she and Kyle have become great friends, they're both very happily married. Talk about the best of both worlds! I hope this show is around for a very long time.
luvwaj
04/19/01
So let's hear it!! How and when, did most of you guys discover the lucious Mr. Chandler? Tell me how it was when you first met....LOL

Also, I luu-uuv that man's eyes-- what's his ethnic background? Does anyone know?

I only ask because he reminds me of a few family members, they have those eyes (long, and droop down at the corner, heavily hooded)...we're part Native American.
shana93
04/19/01
Luvwaj, I discovered KC from Early Edition. I saw previews for the show and knew right away it would be something I'd like, then an article appeared in the TVGuide about the show and it had a picture of Kyle. Ooooh baby! That was it, I lost my heart right then and there. (why I didn't save that picture, I'll never know) :( I didn't know him from anything else at the time. I was in college during his Tour of Duty and Homefront years, and never watched tv (wasn't I a good girl?). ;) But now I have quite a Kyle Chandler video collection (and one DVD). And more on the way!! I would watch ANYTHING that he's in and I mean ANYTHING. :D I agree that he has the presence and charm of some of the leading men of yesteryear, such as Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, and Gregory Peck, and that's just something you don't see much these days, and I absolutely love it. LOL Have I gushed enough?
karens608
04/19/01
I also discovered KC from Early Edition. I know now that he was on Homefront, and I remember being aware of it when it was on, but I'm pretty sure I never watched it. I don't remember for sure how I discovered EE, but I'm assuming that I read about it in the fall preview issue of TV Guide, thought it sounded interesting, watched the pilot and got hooked, because I know I've watched EE from day one. Believe it or not, though, I don't think I really noticed how good-looking Kyle is until last year. (Yeah, I know - I needed my eyes checked, huh?) :D
stephaniearwen
04/19/01
luvwaj- I'd been watching Early Edition since about midway through the second season, but my true "discovery" happened this past summer while I was working at Colonial Willamsburg. I guess it could best be characterized as an epiphany- I started watching the reruns of EE on Fox Family around late June or July, and before I knew what happened, I fell HARD for Kyle Chandler. Everything that everyone has previously said about Kyle I whole-heartedly agree with- there IS something very classic about him. He's not overly chiseled, and he oozes trustworthy-ness from every pour. And I think I might've mentioned on the ABC board under my other screen name (gavriela2) that I adore his "faces-" he's got a wonderful expression for just about every occasion. With this past ep of WAJ, for example, EVERY time the camera switched to him he did such a great job silently emoting- the anger, disgust, annoyance, etc. came through beautifully without him even saying a word. (It came through beautifully when he did speak, too- I heard his voice break just a little during his speech, and it made it all the more touching) And all the folks here who watch EE on a regular basis will probably agree when I say that Kyle should definitely trademark that slightly bewildered "Huh?" look he so often wore as Gary Hobson- that always makes me laugh whenever I see it. :) I also appreciate how natural Kyle's performance is- he doesn't seem self-conscious about his body movement at all, and that's a GOOD thing. All of his neck-scratching, hand-waving, face-rubbing, etc. adds humanity to his characters. All in all, I think Kyle is one of the most talented actors out there, and also one of the most under-rated. Perhaps this is because he intentionally flies below the radar (something else to like about him- he seems to have both feet on the ground), but I still feel it's an injustice that Kyle hasn't even been noticed by the Academy, especially with the fantastic work he did on EE (I'm thinking about the episode "Fate" in particular, which is one of EE's most powerful emotional dramas- keep an eye out, because we should be approaching that episode pretty soon on Fox Family).
darbyross
04/19/01
I discovered Kyle back when he was on Homefront. I remember watching the eps and talking with my mother about them. She thought he was just darling. It was the first time we agreed on an actors looks. When I first saw the ads for EE I thought It's the guy from Homefront!. I ended up loving the show because of it's premise but was doubly glad Kyle was in it. I've seen everything he's been in. And loved him in everyone. :)
luvwaj
04/19/01
Oh wow...I am just loving all the responses about Kyle!! ..and (!!), I'm getting more and more detail about that episode I missed (waaah!!)in the process too (his voice cracked??..awwww!!sniffle).
Stephanie, I too noticed Kyle's brilliant acting immediately-- what he does is incredibly skillful-- my fav scene where he has no dialogue yet is acting up a storm, is when he was reacting to Joan's histrionics when she was discussing "religion." The audience is laughing at Joan, but they were laughing MORE at how Kyle is reacting to her, the apprehensive looks he gets, as if to say-- oh noo..she's gonna blow...then easing by her as she continues on her rant, to go get yet another glass of wine to chill her out some -LOLOL!! That was a terrific performance--and he had no dialogue!! Amazing.

I also agree that he seems incredibly grounded--that there is a man who knows who he is.

My fav yummy Kyle/Jake face so far, has to be the pilot episode when they're at the restaurant, and Joan has just kissed him, and asks him if that was alright-- he leans in, with those puppy dog eyes, all intent like, and says "well i don't know try me again,"--kinda teasing her. Aiyeeeee!!! I was a goner!! THUD!

...and Stephanie or who else might come across it first-- would you please, please notify me of the EE episode "Fate," that Stephanie brought up when it airs again-- I desperately NEED to see this. By the way --what was it about??...and please tell me that Kristy Swanson chick was not in it. LOL

Even though I haven't see many of the EE epsiodes yet, and have NEVER seen an EE show with her in it-- I already get a strong vibe, that I wouldn't like her opposite Kyle. I might sound mean here, but I'm honest. I know who she is, have seen her elsewhere, thankfully not that much-- but I know those two just do NOT go.
abc981
04/19/01
This sounds like true confession time or something. LOL I found out about KC when my hubby and I started watching EE from the very beginning. The show sounded interesting so we watched and continued to watch through all 4 seasons--yes, even the dreaded season 3 with KS! It's far and away my favorite show of all time and I very quickly became hooked on EE and KC. ;) I had the good fortune to finally see him in Homefront last year when it aired on TVLand and found out it was a wonderful show too!

In response to your comments about Ms. Swanson, I can honestly say she is the worst actress I've ever seen Kyle paired with onscreen. Usually, he can make anyone look pretty good but even that didn't work with her. There are a lot of different theories in the EE world as to what went wrong--I sort of see it as poor writing, poor acting (& attitude) on Ms. Swanson's part, total lack of chemistry between she & KC...just an all around screw-up by the powers that be. They took what they considered to be a "major star" and tried to force her character into a show where it just didn't fit. But hey, that's JMHO. :)

Yes, she is in "Fate" but don't let that stop you. It's an excellent episode in spite of her presence.
TobMar
04/19/01
Welcome to the board, luvwaj! :) Yes, this is a very friendly board. We all give our opinions and so far no one has ever insulted another poster personally, quite unlike the ABC site. I still post at the ABC site anyway (using my other screen name, msmarylou2000. The main reason I do this is to keep the positive messages flowing. I think most of the negative posts have to come from people who want this show to go away, hoping this will make their favorite show look better. Also, these nasty people seem to know all of the details of the plots, so they must be watching WAJ/WAK. The suits at ABC seem to like the good demo's for WAJ/WAK, so I have a feeling ??????? hopefully you will get to see a rerun of the show you missed this summer.
chuck-n-gary
04/19/01
Since everyone is posting their first Kyle experience I guess I'll share mine, too (if anyone is interested). It was a weekend in November and I had nothing to do so I was going to watch a little tv, but it seemed nothing was on. The only things that looked interesting in the listings were this show called Early Edition that my mother and brother kept telling me was really good (it was an episode about a girl named Emma) :) and some made for tv movie starring Tracey Gold. I stayed on the tv movie for like a minute and then there was this shot of a guy in a security uniform coming up an escalator. As he reached the top he looked over at Tracey and gave a little smile /sigh/. So I said to myself, "Self, let's watch this!" But at commercials I changed over to the EE ep. and noticed that it starred that same guy from the tv movie. That last channel recall button on the remote control was my best friend for the next hour. :)

Yep, I was hooked. I taped that tv movie, Sleep, Baby, Sleep, the next time it was on and am obsessed (or is it whole-heartedly dedicated) to everything Kyle Chandler. I'm in the process of getting all his movies and tv shows on tape and I just ordered a set of Homefront tapes (can't wait to finally see that show!)

And it all started for me when sweet, little Kyle flashed his beautiful smile on the steps of an escalator.
stephaniearwen
04/19/01
I will let you know when "Fate" is airing next. :) I strongly suggest you prepare yourself before viewing though- have A LOT of tissues on hand... no, wait, forget the tissues, bring a bath towel, especially for that final scene! :(
Newf65
04/19/01
Since everyone else is spilling their guts, so shall I. Oh, I remember very clearly that evening in 1991 when I first laid eyes on Mr. Chandler; it was in the first fifteen minutes of Homefront, and I was a goner. To this day, it is my favorite show. I'm STILL mad at ABC for the terrible way they shafted Homefront. They will only redeem themselves in my eyes if they give WAJ a chance. A few years after Homefront's obliteration, I was so happy to see that Kyle would be starring in Early Edition, and I absolutely loved the premise. Once again, it will be a cold day in hades when CBS will redeem themselves. You guys like when I wax dramatic? Anyhow, luvwaj, I am certain you would love both of these shows. Talent abounds! (Ah, well, except for the aforementioned unmentionable "spawn")
luvwaj
04/20/01
That is so funny that you would say that about KS Linda, and even funnier is the fact that most EE fans feel the same way from what I've read on these boards and elsewhere. I have only seen two episodes of EE so far, and not one with KSwanson-- yet I KNOW instinctively that that was not a good match--AT ALL. Wonder why the casting people couldn't see what we do. LOL

Whoa. Thanks Stephanie. LOL, I'll be ready, bath towel in hand.
Macredd
04/20/01
Here's my story-read many times before, but since you asked. I've been watching Kyle's career since "Homefront". I remember reading that he was born here in Buffalo, and that peaked my interest. From the very first episode, I was hooked. What a tremendous show. Then, I happened to go see "Pure Country" being (along with Dollene) a huge George Strait fan and there Kyle was again. The more I learn about him, the more I like him. He's a sound person and a terrific actor. Somebody that you don't lose respect for once you get to know about him (ie, Russell Crowe).
Welcome to the board Luvwaj, we're happy to have you. :)
luvwaj
04/20/01
Thanks Suzanne!! Are episodes of homefront out on video? What was "Pure Country," was that a film with George Strait, that Kyle's in? Oooh...and does he have a twang in it? He sure does a perfect Chicago accent-- but I know he was also raised partly in Georgia-so I suspect he'd have that down as well eh?
Macredd
04/20/01
I don't have the "Homefront" episodes on video, unfortunately. I lent them to my sister-in-law and never got them back. I do know of someone who would send copies if you wanted them. "Pure Country" is on video and yes, Kyle has a twang in it. Be prepared, though, he looks like such a baby in it. IMHO he gets better with age. But the jeans and boots do me in everytime. Little does my husband know that I rent it to see Kyle more than George (for George I have the soundtrack I can pop in). Then again, right after we saw it the first time, I bought Andy a pair of cowboy boots. Most of the time, I think he's humoring me and others I think, nah, he's pretty clueless... :)
abc981
04/20/01
Have you seen him in Convict Cowboy with Jon Voight? It's an obscure little movie most people probably haven't heard of but I thought he was great in that one too. It's another chance to see him in jeans and a cowboy hat.
abc981
04/20/01
For luvwaj and anyone else who wants to take a look there are some great screen captures from "Joan Meets the Parents" at this Stefanie Powers site:

http://www.stefanie-powers.com/main/welcome.htm

There's a WAJ option on the menu bar at the bottom of the main page. This link was provided by someone on the ABC message board. :)
darbyross
04/20/01
I'm behind on getting my screen captures updated from the last two eps for my site. When I get them done I'll send the link if anyone is interested. I've got to get the eyebrow wiggle for my desktop. :)
darbyross
04/20/01
I finally got some screen captures from the last two eps on my web page. Check em out when you have time. Although the eyebrow wiggle loses something in still pictures. :( My page
abc981
04/20/01
Thanks, Dollene!! I'll be sure and check it out. :) You just need to figure out a way to put those eyebrows in motion. LOL!!

I just checked out the screen captures on your site. Even without the motion, they look *really* good to me!!!
luvwaj
04/21/01
Wow darby, those screen grabs sure looked good to me...aiyeeeeee!! That kiss, that dip, those brows....YUM....--LOL--since I haven't seen it, this is my next best thing. Thanks again!
darbyross
04/21/01
LOL I tried to get it frame by frame. Do you know how many times I had to watch that little scene to get those two shots? Oh such sweet torture

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