Because The A.V. Club knows that TV shows keep going even if we’re not writing at length about them, we’re experimenting with discussion posts. For certain shows, one of our TV writers will publish some brief thoughts about the latest episode, and open the comments for readers to share theirs.
- Do players really watch televised analysis about each other and themselves in the locker room? That seems awkward.
- Legit thought it was Scroogies, which made no sense, but Screwgies is a flat-out terrible name for a bar and reason enough not to support Will’s endeavor.
- Also, Will has clearly not been on the up and up for years. Has he really managed to hide it from his sister all that time? She only ever seems mildly suspicious of him.
- There was a nice switch up of Ginny being the expert about baseball for once. She’s watched some Ken Burns, she taunts Mike to get him to show off in batting practice, and she tells him to put his helmet on in order to get in the game.
- If you didn’t get a little choked up at Mike taking a curtain call after striking out, you may not actually love baseball. It was the type of moment the show has been missing out on. There’s a romanticism and lyricism to this sport for anyone who loves it. The connection fans make with their heroes is deep.
- Related: Once, years ago, I was at a White Sox game when Paul Konerko came to bat in a similar situation. Runners on, game on the line, team star comes up with two outs. The crowd gets to its feet, the “Paulie” chants are ripping through the stadium…and he lines out. Two feet to the side and it would have been a game-winning hit. It was crushing, and I remember him absolutely cringing, which you could see from wherever you sat in the park. Years later that cringe is just as vital a part of that memory for me as him getting out, because it was a sign that he cared just as much as I did. Baseball is a game for kids that adult men play and it is also a very real and emotional thing. Pitch should go this route more often.
- Don’t worry, Paulie usually came through for us.
- The handling of the potential Mike/Ginny romance went slightly better than I was fearing—the concept that they wouldn’t go down this route without the awareness that he’s probably leaving makes a lot of sense. But I still really wish they hadn’t hit this beat in season 1. It’s too soon in the show’s run, it negates some of the depth of the Amelia/Mike connection, but most of all, their existing platonic relationship was the best part of the show.
- Why introduce Al’s daughter and then immediately write her off? Seems like a waste of dramatic potential for him and Oscar.
- I would like to actually see Ginny’s “feminista” rants, please.
- The Mike romance also means we might not get the tech guy romance. The tech guy was interesting! And the show has done really well when throwing Ginny into situations with non-baseball people.
- Did we ever really think Mike would get traded?
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