Speechless Season 3 Finale Review

"U-N-R-- UNREALISTIC"

On the day JJ and Izzy (Kayla Maisonet) are both supposed to hear back from NYU, Maya pretends to share everyone else's excitement about her baby boy possibly going to college so far away. As they await the news, this episode's other plots emerge:
-- At school, Kenneth learns JJ has been chosen by his class to give a speech at graduation; since he'll have to read for him, he wants it to be their last hurrah at Lafayette together (as he later puts it at the graduation ceremony, "Your words, my voice, for the last time") and it upsets him that his little buddy would rather just "wing it."
-- Ray tells Dylan about an upcoming Junior-class trip to Catalina Island, presumably to study the native marine biology there... though he'd rather study his female classmates.
-- After school, Dylan (whom Jimmy gave a "dad lesson" about work ethic that morning when he learned she'd manipulated him into doing a homework assignment for her) finds Jimmy preparing for a job interview with an architecture firm (scheduled a month in advance, which seems odd to me, but I suppose if they wanted him to bring in a scale model of a sample project, they knew he would likely need all that time to design and build one); Jimmy tells her that to further motivate himself, he's growing out a mustache that he won't shave until he lands "some sort of architecture gig," and she tells him she's proud of him.
When NYU posts its acceptances, JJ claims neither he nor Izzy got in. This threw me a bit, because at the end of s3e15 "G-A-- Game N-I-- Night" when he said "Izzy's going to college in New York," I thought that meant she'd already been accepted by a school there -- so I guess he must have just meant she had applied at NYU as her top choice (as opposed to a "safety school," which I assume was the case for the place that does accept her, Chapman University in Orange County).

A month later:
-- Ray learns his male classmates are being sent home from the class trip for pulling a prank on Coach Barry (Jay Chandrasekhar), but the girls still ignore him when he tries to hit on them; when he snaps and demands to know what they think is wrong with him, their responses are hilariously spot-on (he takes any sort of attention as interest, he's insecure yet weirdly over-confident, "you got too tall too fast," etc.). After he's accused of being "so busy trying to get us to notice you, we don't get to know you," he lets his guard down and opens up to the girls... only for the boys to suddenly come back (one's dad happens to be a lawyer who threatened to sue the school).
-- The day before his interview, Jimmy is still laboring over his sample project and blames his lack of a real drafting pencil, so Dylan dishes back the same "no more excuses, do the work" lecture he'd given her; this only sets him off into a frenzy of throwing together multiple scale models he's not happy with, and he admits that since she told him his dream matters to her too, he's been feeling a lot more pressure not to disappoint her. She sets him right again by assuring him she doesn't really care that much; and on the day of the interview, she compliments his finished project and surprises him with the drafting pencil he wanted ("for good luck").
-- Izzy goes apartment-hunting with JJ, but soon breaks up with him; when Maya confronts her, she reveals that JJ's been accepted to NYU after all but is instead settling for University of California - Irvine just so he can be with her, and she doesn't want to hold him back. When Maya tells Jimmy and he insists their son can't just stay close to home for his high-school girlfriend, she admits she doesn't want him to go to New York and won't push him to pursue a dream he no longer seems to want.

At graduation, Dylan informs Ray that his moment of vulnerability with the Junior-class girls has actually made them want to help him become more desirable -- which I think is the best thing that could've happened for him (rather than simply finding a new girlfriend), considering how his vow to work on himself at the end of s.2 ultimately didn't come to much.

Speaking of the s.2 finale, Jimmy and Dylan's pairing in that ep (when he first opened up to her about not liking his airport job) gets a sweet sequel here as the architecture firm calls him with a job offer and she's the first person he tells -- revealing that he shaved his mustache (with art-class scissors). Of course, in any other episode, this moment would've been the clear highlight for me; but literally everything after it left me a teary-eyed mess...

Mere minutes before JJ is supposed to give his speech, Maya assures him he could still try to make it work with Izzy if he goes to NYU. His reply is heartbreaking enough ("Because I'm so good on the phone? Because I'm so worth waiting for? I found someone who loves me, Mom. If I leave, I lose her. I may never find someone again. Be realistic"), but her response may be some of the most beautiful writing I've heard on this show: "My love, you know what you have to do. I've opened so many doors for you, but you've walked through every one. And look what it got you -- [chuckling] this silly hat. Don't tell me to be realistic. Don't tell you, 'cause that's not what got you here. You be afraid, fine. But don't stay out of fear -- that's not what love is, darling. This is love. Go."

After JJ reveals to Kenneth -- who had been frustrated with him for putting off writing his speech -- that he has a speech after all, the big guy breaks down as he tries to read it ("I'm just so proud!"), and so do JJ's siblings and dad. The young man decides to scrap what he wrote and instead share "one message, a lesson I was learning every day for years without realizing it. I learned it again today from my first teacher"; he looks up at his mom, who has Kenneth read from JJ's communication board: "It's a hard lesson. It can make you do things you don't want to... like say goodbye. [JJ looks at Izzy, who smiles and nods.] Be unrealistic. Be unrealistic. Thank you."

Musical Moment: "Outro " by M83 starts during JJ's speech, and continues as he gets up in his New York dorm, dons his adaptive gear and makes his way through the city. (It turns out classes don't start for another two months -- his family and Kenneth have just been timing him as he practices getting to class on time.)

Grade: 10/10. A near-perfect ending to a strong -- very possibly (though hopefully not) final -- season, it smartly works as a series capper (unlike s.2's fate-tempting cliffhanger) yet leaves me wanting more time to follow these delightful characters into the next phases of their lives: Architect Jimmy living his dream (not to mention the show still hasn't really explored his relationships with his parents... or his sister, first mentioned in a throwaway line in s3e16 "W-H-- Wheelchair P-L-- Planet"), Maya continuing Fashion 4 All with her pal Melanie, Ray being a "project" for the girls in his class as he prepares for his own graduation from high school, Dylan adjusting to life without JJ at home as she continues to grow into a young woman, Kenneth balancing college classes with work (coaching the Lafayette girls' basketball team) and his personal life (his friendship with the DiMeo family and his relationship with Melanie), and JJ dealing more with the real world as he gets into college life. So how about it, ABC? Come on -- be unrealistic. #renewspeechless

Bonus: Full s.3 cast and crew photo :)

Speechless S3E21 Review

"THE S-T-A-- STAIRCASE"

After last week's road-trip adventure, it's back to the regular routine for the DiMeos. However, while checking e-mail on the duct-taped family laptop, Maya makes an exciting discovery -- JJ has just received his first "college decision" -- and Jimmy joins her in taking the computer to their son's Film class (to have him open the message himself, rather than invade his privacy). Kenneth notices the letter is from Long Beach Technical College, his alma mater; but despite being accepted, JJ is still holding out for an acceptance from NYU and doesn't want to hear Jimmy's arguments for going to a school that's more affordable and closer to home.

Convinced that JJ will be more inclined to listen to his friend than to his dad, Jimmy invites Kenneth to go to LBTC with him and help make a video during a campus tour that should appeal to the young man. After the tour, Jimmy (whose status as a graduate-school dropout was first revealed in s1e12 "H-E-R-- Hero") asks Kenneth if he's ever considered finishing his degree... and the eager response he receives surprises and touches him. To get reacquainted with campus life, they hit the bookstore, sit in on a lecture, etc.; but the fun stops when they look into getting Kenneth re-enrolled and see his old transcript*, which reveals just how much of a screw-up he'd been as a college basketball star. He storms off, and Jimmy later finds him in his apartment's hot tub; when Jimmy wonders what could be wrong now, since Kenneth seemed so excited at first about going back to school, Kenneth admits he's afraid of reverting to his old self after JJ (whom he credits for bringing out his best self -- as both an aide and a high-school basketball coach) goes off on his own. Jimmy apologizes for pushing the re-enrollment thing too hard on him but admits it felt nice to have someone take his fatherly advice seriously, and he assures Kenneth of his support. (In the sweet closing-tag, when Kenneth tells him he's returning to college, Jimmy couldn't be prouder if the big guy were one of his kids.)

That same evening is an annual Cerebral Palsy Foundation event to which Maya and Melanie (Sarah Chalke) have been invited, as Fashion 4 All is supplying the clothing this year. Maya dislikes the self-congratulation of such events (she has to be reminded that this isn't an "awards" thing), and only decides she wants to go with JJ after Melanie talks about how she and her son, Logan (Cole Massie), always enjoy attending them together. When JJ declines due to other plans, his siblings are happy to take his place (or "move up in the [family] power rankings," as Ray puts it); but things quickly go south for Maya at the event, as Logan is invited onstage and praises his mother in a brief speech.

When another attendee asks where JJ is, Maya claims he's around somewhere and then tells Ray and Dylan to call him away from his girlfriend's house; after their brother says he's going to Izzy's bedroom (causing Dylan to freak out -- "Sexualized JJ!"), Dylan ends up making a spectacle of herself and Ray by forcing him to pose as JJ (who has just been called to the stage, along with Logan and their mothers). Later in the parking lot, the two moms have a lovely scene: Maya apologizes and admits she only wanted some of what Logan gave Melanie earlier; Melanie admits to her own envy (she praises the strides JJ has made and wishes her son could be "too busy to come to these kinds of things"), but gently chides Maya for comparing their sons and tells her to be proud of JJ; and Maya admits Melanie's moment of glory was well-deserved. (They've sure come a long way since feuding over a hospital room in this season's Thanksgiving ep!)

Meanwhile, having ditched both his parents, JJ goes to meet Izzy's dad and mom (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez and Jill Lover). Her dad cuts an intimidating figure, and Izzy (Kayla Maisonet) warns JJ that he isn't happy about her wanting to bring home a boy, but the man changes his mind immediately upon seeing JJ's wheelchair (something Izzy failed to mention beforehand) -- he treats him patronizingly, rather than seeing him as a sexual being like any other boy from whom he would want to protect his daughter. This upsets Izzy so much that, after her parents (trusting JJ enough to leave him unsupervised with her) decide to go out for a few hours, she plots to teach her dad a lesson... by having him catch her in bed with JJ later. JJ complies, at the risk of really angering her father ("If that's what it takes to fight prejudice, I am willing to make the sacrifice"); he won't even be put off by stairs ("I'm a DiMeo, so two things drive me -- love and spite. This has both"), ultimately calling on his physical therapist, Joyce (Liz Cackowski), to help him.

But after he needs additional help getting carried up the ladder to Izzy's loft bed -- from a neighbor named Brad, for whom her dad recently did a favor (and whom Joyce ends up inviting to her place) -- JJ sadly admits, "I tried to show your dad that I'm a man; I wound up showing you that I'm not." When he isn't convinced by Izzy's reassurance that "everyone needs help sometimes," she assures him she doesn't think of him as just "harmless;" despite all the work it took to get him into the bed, she says there's no other boy she'd rather be with there... and gives him a kiss. Of course, this beautiful love story isn't without big laughs: Thanks to the adaptive wear his mom made him, JJ is caught pants-less in Izzy's bed after she attempts to move him, and Izzy's dad both loudly threatens him and softly tries to avoid being insensitive while carrying him downstairs.

(* While this reveal didn't seem to jibe with what Kenneth told Dylan in s1e20 "R-U-N-- Runaway -- he had been kicked off the team for taking bribes from "boosters" -- I suppose it's possible he felt the truth was too embarrassing, or simply could've forgotten all the other stuff.)

Musical Moments: Logan sings "Ave Maria" after his speech; "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell plays twice, as Izzy encourages JJ's stair-climb and as he reaches the top with Joyce; "My Boy Lollipop" by Millie Small scores Jimmy and Kenneth's campus fun.

Fun Facts: Micah Fowler (JJ) celebrated his 21st birthday the week this episode was filmed; Brad is played by production assistant AJ Cast (and this wouldn't be the first time a crew member has popped up on-screen this season, as director of photography Rhet Bear had a cameo as a portrait painter in s3e18 "S-E-- Seoul B-R-- Brothers").

Next Week: Kenneth pushes for one last hurrah with JJ while Maya braces herself for his high-school graduation and departure for college, Dylan helps Jimmy as he prepares for a job interview, and Ray turns introspective during a class trip in the s.3 finale, "U-N-R-- UNREALISTIC."

Grade: 10/10. All three plots this week find Speechless at its sweetest: JJ reaches another milestone with his beloved Izzy, and his parents each find ways to cope with his growing up thanks to the help of good friends -- Maya learns to appreciate how far JJ has come after Melanie gives her a bit of perspective on their sons' different paces of development, and Jimmy gets renewed confidence in his parenting abilities from Kenneth, who accepts his encouragement to start a new chapter in life.

Bonus: In 2015, CPF launched their Design For Disability competition; every year since then they've held a runway show / gala.
2016 (links to press coverage)
2017 (press links and pics)
2018 (article and pics)

Speechless S3E20 Review

"ON THE R-O-- ROAD A-G-- AGAIN"

At the end of "S-P-- Special B-- Boy T-I-- Time" (s3e17) a few weeks ago, Kenneth promised to help JJ find a new aide with whom he can start to navigate life after high school. As this week's ep begins, Kenneth (with Dylan's help) announces to the DiMeo men that he's found an ideal candidate in Seattle named Tim -- who's willing to relocate, but also very much in-demand -- and Jimmy suggests a road-trip to meet the guy ("one last JJ adventure before college"). When Maya suddenly appears and interrupts, she's quickly appeased by Jimmy's suggestion that she can use this opportunity to make a few more new mother-son memories with their eldest child; as this is the first she's heard of Kenneth and JJ's next-aide plan, I would think she'd be a bit upset that they didn't seek her input on the matter, though I suppose since JJ lets her know this is something he both wants and needs, it makes sense that she would go along with it.

As the DiMeo family and Kenneth hit the road*, Ray announces he's joined the Eagle Scouts to beef up his high school resume; he's even wearing the uniform and bringing along his Scout Journal. In a welcome callback, Maya hauls out a book of her own: her "JJ's Care Book" (the previous appearances of which bookended her s.1 arc of learning to trust Kenneth with her "baby boy" -- she first showed it to him in s1e2 "N-E-- New A-I-- Aide," and he ended up quoting her own advice back to her in s1e23 "C-A-- Camp"); however, after an ill-advised shortcut leaves the DiMeos' wheelchair van with two flat tires, Maya trips and loses her book, which goes flying into a nearby river. The group then splits up: Maya (with an injured ankle) starts re-creating the book from memory with Kenneth's help, and Ray also stays behind to test his Scout skills in "the jungle," while Jimmy must take the punctured tires to the nearest town (since nobody can get any cell-phone reception), and Dylan (who wants to spend a quarter she's just found) and JJ decide to join their dad.

While sitting in the van with Maya, Kenneth reveals that he not only has his own "JJ's Care Book," he's been making corrections, updates, and so on. Later, as Ray mediates their argument, she admits she feels like Kenneth is second-guessing her abilities, and he admits he feels like she doesn't appreciate the strides her son has taken since he met him; this causes her to flip out, hurl Kenneth's "book of secrets and lies" into the river, and lock him out of the van. She initially doesn't believe his claim that he's being pursued by a bear, but soon she finds him hiding in a nearby cabin, and the bear finds them as they continue their fight; Kenneth is upset that she keeps undermining him as he thought they were friends, she says it was always just a "friendship of convenience based around JJ," and he confesses he only made himself a copy of her manual because he wanted to be more like her, "ready for anything." Ray comes to the rescue by diverting the bear's attention away from them -- and ultimately sacrificing his Scout book (which still smells of the jerky he placed in it earlier), its "record of my achievements" on paper no match for a real act of heroism he can now write about for his college-application essays. Funny stuff, but I was especially impressed by how Maya and Kenneth's conflict over who's more in-tune with JJ's needs at this point ended up being about their own relationship, rather than actually making any decisions for the young man.

Meanwhile, Jimmy takes the tires to a gas station and, having promised Maya that he wouldn't let their eldest and youngest have any fun she would miss out on, reluctantly takes JJ and Dylan to the diner across the street to wait for the mechanic. As Dylan lingers at the prize machines trying to pick a toy (she eventually buys a rubber ball... which she loses the first time she bounces it), her dad and brother have a lovely heart-to-heart, with JJ admitting he's "nervous about a lot" and asking how he'll be able to meet people on his own, and Jimmy reassuring him that he initially had a hard time at college but "ended up OK." The mechanic soon arrives, and when he offers to either patch up the old tires or get new ones from the next town over, Jimmy chooses the latter to buy himself more bonding time with JJ; but even after the new tires are ready to be picked up, the guys still aren't done yet (a farmer is letting them take his tractor for a ride). When Dylan demands to know why her father is so reluctant to go back to the van, Jimmy admits he "saw an opportunity" to spend some time with her brother, and he breaks down as he tells JJ how he's been "so focused on making sure that Mom got time with you, because she needs it, but... she's not the only one who's gonna miss you." JJ is moved to offer some reassurance of his own ("There's time for Mom bonding and Dad bonding -- I'll make time"); and the trio have a group hug, nicely offset by the weirdness of Dylan capturing one of her dad's tears in the capsule that had held her bouncy ball.

(* DiMeo road-trip rule: "Getting carsick isn't a choice, but letting the vomit leave your mouth is!")

Musical Moments: In the cold-open, I loved how Jimya just throw together one of their "Born to be Wild" parodies after Dylan points out that, unlike previous occasions when they announced family trips (see #1 on this list), this time the idea didn't come from them so they had no time to prepare ("NOT OUR BEST WO-O-ORK!"); I also loved how the Cat Stevens "Father and Son" cue during Jimmy and JJ's diner bonding session turns out to be from the jukebox (it briefly stops when they play something else, but they decide to go back to it because it "fit the tone better").

Fun Fact: In the closing-tag, Micah Fowler's (JJ) real-life sister, Kelsey Fowler, plays the barista at the coffee shop in Seattle where the DiMeos and Kenneth -- armed with a binder of water-damaged pages saved from both JJ-care manuals -- claim they have an appointment to meet Tim (who sees them and runs away immediately after getting his coffee).

Next Week: JJ meets Izzy's parents, Maya envies Melanie, and Kenneth needs Jimmy's support in "THE S-T-A-- STAIRCASE."

Grade: 10/10. I found everything about this incredibly sweet yet never saccharine; as so much of s.3 has dealt with figuring out how Maya and Kenneth (who consider themselves friends for real by this episode's end) might cope without JJ around, I'm especially glad Jimmy finally got to open up about his own feelings regarding Jimmy Junior's impending departure from the nest.

Bonus: A message from Micah and Kelsey for National CP Awareness Day (which was earlier this week -- Monday, March 25).

Speechless S3E19 Review

"P-R-O-M-P-- PROMPOSAL"

Last week, Jimmy and Maya realized they need to be more financially responsible -- not only to JJ to help with his SSI situation (as he received and spent about a year's worth of backpay, but he had neglected to report his earnings from his part-time supermarket job), but also to each other regarding their own mounting debts and the looming specter of bankruptcy -- and they decided to give up their status quo (of trying to find little moments of fun for themselves) so they could focus more on their work. Easier said than done, as it turns out: This week, Maya's difficulty keeping her temper in check -- previously addressed in eps like s2e8 "B-I-- Bikini U-N-- University" (when she got a taste of what Jimmy goes through at the airport letting people "walk all over [him]" and realized she just doesn't have his "flair for being emasculated") and s3e13 "F-A-- Fashion 4 A-- All" (when both she and her pal / partner Melanie ended up having to apologize for many of the fights they'd picked over the years) -- poses a very real threat to her and Melanie's clothing line.

After Maya lashes out at a banker for questioning her "rosy" projections, causing the business to lose out on a loan offer, Melanie (Sarah Chalke) finds a potential investor -- Blair, an old business-school friend who inherited a fortune after losing his parents in a plane crash -- and with her and Kenneth's help, Jimmy teaches Maya a way to control herself so she doesn't screw up this deal. As he explains, "When you work a dead-end job like mine, you learn a thing or two about licking boots, or you die"; later, he gives her his lucky laser pointer from his days as an architecture intern in graduate school, and she thanks him for his "lessons on dullness" (what he calls "professionalism"). When Blair first arrives, he reveals that he and Melanie had dated before marrying other people but is now (like her) divorced; this makes Kenneth insanely jealous but ultimately it's Maya who snaps, after Blair suggests the ladies switch out their own sons with professional models on their poster.

After Blair leaves (with Melanie and Kenneth following), Jimmy calls out Maya for blowing a big chance and not taking her job seriously: Around the time they had JJ, he left his promising career to take an airline baggage-handling job that he knew would support his family; and now that she has the luxury of pursuing a personally fulfilling career (creating designer adaptive clothing) mostly on her own terms yet doesn't seem to appreciate it, while he continues to miss getting to do work he actually cares about, he's understandably infuriated. His speech makes for one of the most powerful moments he's had all season; and what follows is one of his loveliest scenes yet with Maya, as she admits he was right and apologizes, adding, "I never considered that while I was chasing my dream, you were getting left behind. But we're gonna change that, Jimmy -- you have waited long enough." While the show's first two seasons each had an episode near the end that touched on Jimmy's architecture background for maximum emotional impact (he opened up to Ray about his sacrifice in s1e19 "C-H-- Cheater," and enjoyed an opportunity to design additions to a neighbor's home in s2e17 "A-C-- Action"), this time -- especially now that Maya has her business and JJ may be leaving home for college soon -- it looks like he might finally be able to pursue his dream again in earnest. (The closing-tag reveals a video resume Maya has made for him with the kids and Kenneth.)

Meanwhile, JJ gets his first lesson in compromise with his girlfriend. As he tries to show her the adorable prom-posal video his family and Kenneth helped make for him, Izzy (Kayla Maisonet) declines his invitation -- she worked on the Prom Committee and is still upset that her idea for a Grease theme was rejected in favor of a "heaven" motif (suggested by a member whose mother's frozen-yogurt shop the rest of the committee loves). JJ insists she go with him anyway, and his pushiness angers her; but despite his threat to find another date, he tells his siblings he might as well join in her "protest" plan (she wants to have a viewing of the movie with some friends) because it's taken him so long to find a girl who likes him, he's not going to mess that up over "some dance." This bothers Dylan, who feels her brother shouldn't have to give up what he wants ("prom-comise"); Ray suggests taking someone else to the prom, and Dylan agrees, hatching a plot to make Izzy jealous. Even Maya gets involved, helping them address and send the prom-posal video to several of JJ's celebrity crushes; and he quickly receives an acceptance from Cassidy Chambers (actress-model-singer Bella Thorne), a child star-turned-"immediate serious thespian."

On the way to the school, however, Cassidy admits she could use some of JJ's insight about the disability experience for a film she's working on... that sounds hilariously awful in every conceivable way: She plays a would-be dancer who gets hurt, ends up in a wheelchair, and considers suicide before she's miraculously healed; it's no wonder, then, that she has a wheelchair dance troupe following her around in protest of the project. During the prom, Ray and Dylan see that Cassidy and JJ have no chemistry, but they have them pose for some pictures to post on social media where Izzy will find them; when the plan works and Izzy is on her way, Dylan and Ray confess of their scheme to Cassidy but JJ chooses to stick with her, wanting Izzy to actually see them together in person, and Cassidy (in a fit of newfound "woke"-ness) gladly goes with whatever JJ wants because "I, the able-bodied person, am no longer making decisions for the person with a disability!" Unfortunately, Izzy does see the pair when she arrives, but rather than confront them she retreats to a closet in the Drama room; the DiMeo siblings go after her, and JJ admits he should've gone with his original compromise... but then figures out a new, better one. Later, after Dylan convinces her to return to the prom, Izzy learns that JJ has realized just how much her Grease idea meant to her when she finds him dressed as Danny Zuko...

Musical Moments: ...And "You're the One That I Want" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starts playing (Cassidy sings along, wildly off-key, and the wheelchair dancers that had been protesting outside join JJ and Izzy on the dance floor); earlier in the episode, Kenneth sings "Fly Me to the Moon" as JJ first asks Izzy to be his prom date.

Next Week: Maya and Kenneth clash over JJ's needs, while JJ gets into some mischief with Dylan and Jimmy in "ON THE R-O-- ROAD A-G-- AGAIN."

Grade: 10/10. The A-plot that lends this ep its title is utterly delightful -- Ray and Dylan are great siblings to their big brother, JJ/Izzy continue to be sweet, and while I don't recall having seen Thorne in anything before, I thought she was a total hoot as the ditzy yet well-meaning Cassidy -- but it's the B-plot that packs real emotional punch as it points Jimmy and Maya toward a new life.

Bonus: A couple articles about Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox -- which was completed earlier this week, and might possibly affect the renewal chances of both Speechless (co-produced by ABC and Fox) and its Fox-produced TGIF mate Fresh Off the Boat as they're now fully owned by Disney/ABC.

Speechless S3E18 Review

"S-E-- SEOUL B-R-- BROTHERS"

Desire versus responsibility is the unifying theme of this week's odd but interesting outing, as the DiMeo men especially struggle with deciding what's most important to them.

When Dylan brings in the mail, she gives JJ what turns out to be his first Social Security disability check -- something for which he was supposed to qualify when he turned 18, just over a year ago in s2e14 "E-I-- Eighteen" (incidentally, also the ep in which Taylor, Ray's girlfriend for most of s.2 and the daughter of his mom's rival-turned-friend / business partner Melanie, broke up with him for having let another girl kiss him). The check comes with a letter recommending JJ use the money for "living expenses" (or "boring stuff," as Dylan puts it); still, getting so much at once makes him feel like a "big shot," and while shopping for medical supplies he also splurges on a gift for Ray, which he claims to have bought with his savings from the supermarket job Kenneth got him (introduced and last mentioned in s3e5 "S-T-- Stage Mom"). Ray is awestruck by his brother's generosity but feels their parents and sister are more deserving, so JJ buys them belated birthday gifts he claims he won in a raffle. Dylan knows where the money really came from, though, and JJ's response to her is heartbreaking: He's felt like just a "taker" for so long, it's become more important for him to be able to give back to his family than to get more (even things he could really use) for himself.

Later, as JJ announces yet another extravagant gift for his family (a custom-made oil painting of them), Maya calls him out, claiming she has just called the SS office to complain about the delay in his disability benefits only to learn that 1) he's already started receiving and spending them, and 2) he's actually not allowed to keep the money since he failed to report his supermarket earnings. I'm not quite sure I understood this part, as I find it hard to believe JJ was making too much to qualify for benefits; and while I could understand Kenneth not knowing any better about how JJ's pay might affect his eligibility for SSI (Supplemental Security Income), I would think Maya would be up on things like this and should've known that earned income is a crucial factor the SSA takes into account. Also, I found this twist a bit too similar to the premise of this season's Christmas episode ("J-I-- Jingle T-H-- Thon"), in which Maya ended up inadvertently defrauding a family-outreach charity after fibbing to the kids about presents they lost in a house fire.

Meanwhile, nice to see that Jimmy's old pals Carl, Weird Pete and Glen (Kyle Gass, Derek Basco and Rob Bruner) want to reunite after the disastrous Lafayette High gig Dylan had arranged for them a while back (in s3e11 "H-- Hey, You")! When Maya gives him the OK to "have fun" with his band, Jimmy reluctantly agrees to join them for a weekly "gastropub" gig, only to back out due to having a hard time dealing with a new supervisor at the airport; however, when Kenneth attends a Korean wedding (as a friend of the groom), he spots Jimmy performing with a K-pop combo called the Seoul Brothers and demands to know why he'd rather play with them than his friends. Jimmy tells him he doesn't want Maya to know, and when Kenneth later confronts him again he gets some perspective on Jimya's working dynamic: Having "too much real stuff going on" (as special-needs families like theirs do) means they're not free to indulge in "a lot of silly fun" just for themselves on their own, but since they don't like openly telling each other what they can't or shouldn't do, they choose to "each do our own little things quietly -- it's a beautiful dance that we both hate." (His playing in a Korean wedding band is a curious sort of compromise -- getting to play music and make a bit of extra cash without having to put in additional hours at his airline job, but not with his buddies.)

After he takes Maya to see Jimmy perform at another Korean wedding and the couple refuse to acknowledge each other, Kenneth becomes frustrated with both and spills Jimmy's secret (as well as Maya's own secret -- she and Melanie, who's been dating Kenneth for about six weeks now, have been going out for wine once a week after claiming to be working late on their clothing line). Feeling bad for having blown up a system that has worked for so long between Maya and Jimmy (no matter how messed-up it seems to him), Kenneth starts going through the pair's financial records to see where they can each afford to treat themselves to a little fun, only to discover they're about two years away from having to declare bankruptcy. Jimya are amusingly unfazed at first, but on their way to the Quiz Bowl at Lafayette High, they find JJ panhandling in front the bank -- the same spot where, in the cold-open, a passerby mistook him for a charity case when he and his siblings were waiting for their parents (who were inside, refinancing their debt). In a touching scene, JJ finally opens up to his parents about what he told Dylan earlier, as well as how he's trying to make back the money he spent so they don't have to bail him out, and they reassure him: All the stuff they've given him and done for him over the years isn't "charity," it's what family does; and because they really do believe in him, they're willing to help him out (literally "betting" on him) so he can go on to become successful and pay them back eventually. Suddenly for Jimmy and Maya, finding fun (secret or no) seems less likely as they now have little choice but to devote themselves more to their work.

As for Ray, this year he's joined Lafayette's Quiz Bowl team; with his help, unlike last year, the team is able to win the regional competition and make it to the finals, where they'll be going against the Holy Oaks Catholic High team... of which Taylor (Sedona James, making her first appearance on the show since the s.2 finale) is a member. After she sweetly compliments Ray's regionals performance, his friend / teammate Justin Chang (Lance Lim) observes that because she still seems into him, he should use her to get to her team's notes and help their own team win; but later as Ray meets with her at her school's library, she wonders whether he's trying to win her or the tournament, so he admits what he'd planned to do and offers to throw the final competition for her instead. (I thought her excited response would turn out to be part of a dream / fantasy; kudos to the writers for remembering that she could be as much of a weirdo as him.) Unfortunately, at the Quiz Bowl finals, Ray has an attack of conscience after Justin informs him he's counting on getting a partial college scholarship (the tournament's top prize for each of the winning team members); and in a twist lifted from the Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" (s14e12), Ray announces his refusal to deliberately lose... right before he accidentally loses. I found this a slight but funny little side-plot that wisely doesn't take too much away from the weightier main plots; plus, it was cute seeing Raylor together again (however temporarily, though Taylor's smile at Ray when her team wins seems to suggest no hard feelings...).

Musical Moments: Jimmy's bandmates try to torture him with "barbershop quartet-like harmonies"; in a sort of running-gag, "Take It" by The Siege plays as Dylan "make[s] it rain" for JJ (using his SS check and their parents' mail), as they hit the medical-supplies store together, and one more time as JJ has Ray dance like he's in a rap video after gifting him with a microscope; in the closing-tag, Jimmy and Maya sing "I Got You Babe" in Korean at yet another Seoul Brothers gig.

Next Week: Maya must learn to take criticism for the sake of her business, while Ray and Dylan plot to make Izzy jealous after she declines JJ's invitation to prom in "P-R-O-M-P-- PROMPOSAL."

Grade: 8.5/10. A few head-scratching moments aside, I thought this ep did a decent job of getting serious (particularly about priorities and economic struggles) while retaining the series' usual quirky humor and heart.

Bonus: Filming on s.3 wrapped this week, but the show's renewal or cancellation likely won't be announced until about mid-May; in the meantime, check out this RenewSpeechless campaign. :)

Speechless S3E17 Review

"S-P-- SPECIAL B-- BOY T-I-- TIME"

That title refers to the quality mother-son time Maya had promised Ray ten years ago -- specifically, a trip to a water park -- only to cancel because "something came up." Though Ray soon lost interest in the water park itself, every year since then he has milked his disappointment to guilt-trip Maya into giving him other things; what makes this time different is that: 1) Dylan learns of her brother's annual tradition (she chides him for "kicking up drama" to mess with such a "great lady" as their mom, yet can't help but admire the cleverness of his scheme); and 2) as Maya confesses to Jimmy, while she's seen through Ray's manipulation for years, what she used to find "cute" coming from a sweet little boy now seems pathetically needy from a 16-year-old, and despite her own disdain for water parks (her hair frizzes up when wet), she has reached her breaking point and vows to teach him a lesson by finally fulfilling her original promise. A hilarious game of "chicken" ensues, with Maya calling Ray's bluff, Ray refusing to back down, and both knowing neither actually wants to do this -- right up until they start going down their first slide at Great Wolf Lodge, when she cracks and demands he tell her what he really wanted (this year, a private SAT tutor).

They end up having more fun than they anticipated, but after many more activities, this mostly silly plot takes a serious turn when Maya's work life comes into play -- she steps away from Ray to take a phone call from the bank (about a loan for her adaptive-clothing line), breaking her promise to stand by and watch him during a particularly scary ride. Ray survives the ordeal, but becomes furious with Maya and goes off on his own for a while; later, when she finds him sitting with some children, she apologizes for abandoning him but admits she didn't realize he cared so much. In turn, he admits he didn't think she would be so much fun but also opens up about a new concern: As in "N-E-- New JJ" (s3e4), he initially enjoyed all the attention she was giving him instead of his brother; but while in that episode her excessive doting became too much even for him, this time he feels he has to compete with her home business ("Now that he's gone to do his own thing, I just hope that [your] work doesn't become the new JJ"). Maya praises Ray's honesty and promises to make time for him; likewise, he promises to start being more direct in asking her for things he wants.

While Ray is affected by Maya having become a working mom, Jimmy must deal with Dylan turning into a young woman and starting to bring boys around. After some amusing attempts to intimidate Kai (Noah Urrea of the pop group Now United) -- a new "bad boy" at school whom Dylan has invited over to study -- Jimmy finds himself bonding with the surprisingly sensitive lad over music. However, Dylan accuses her dad of "ruining everything" no matter what he does in this situation -- from trying to protect her, to getting along with Kai, to calling her out on her "sick social game" (of wanting information about Kai she can use to give herself an advantage over the "queen bees" in her class who also want him) after she admits she only finds the boy "dumb [but] pretty." After Kai overhears them arguing and leaves, Jimmy and Dylan have a lovely car-talk as they go looking for him: The frustrated Jimmy just wants Dylan to tell him what to do so he can stop screwing up and actually help her, which prompts her to admit that she doesn't know what she wants (other than to "be able to yell at you about it!") yet is all too aware of how unreasonable she's being; to her surprise, her teen angst strikes him as merely a weird new phase he can easily handle because "weird is us."

Meanwhile, after JJ gets peeved with Kenneth for making too many mistakes lately -- most recently, making him wait after school and botching his attempt to tell Izzy's friend "I love your car" (Izzy is almost scared off by the too-soon "I love you" that Kenneth reads) -- they meet with JJ's disabled adult mentor, Lee (series writer/story editor and podcast host Zach Anner), who is shocked to learn the young man has had the same aide for nearly "THREE YEARS?!" He explains to them how the aide relationship isn't supposed to be long-term, and lends his own aide, Randy (Dan Mintz of Bob's Burgers), to JJ for the day; however, JJ soon grows bored and frustrated with the humorless, low-energy Randy, and as they attend a movie, he finds Kenneth in the audience and leaves with him. On the way home, Kenneth chuckles at the thought that his little buddy "couldn't make it one day" with a different aide, but then seriously wonders what they'll do next year when JJ goes to college; later, JJ admits he wants Kenneth to go with him. As much as Kenneth would love to stick with him forever, the fact is he'd only signed up to help JJ through high school (the district won't pay for his aide services beyond that); even so, he offers to help JJ find another aide (presumably, a licensed professional who can work with him at whatever college he ends up) to ease him into the major life changes he'll surely be facing. In what has already been a very bittersweet season for the duo, I found this their most touching moment yet, especially with their hug and JJ's "I love you" to Kenneth.

Musical Moments: Jimmy (on bass) and Kai (on acoustic guitar) play "Dueling Banjos" together; Tiny Tim's "Living in the Sunlight" plays over a montage of Maya "having a wonderful time" with Ray at the water park; and in the closing-tag, Ray and Maya dance to Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance" (after the boy is honored "King of the Wolves," something the park made up -- at his mother's insistence -- just 15 minutes prior).

Next Week: Kenneth finds out something that upsets Jimmy and Maya's dynamic, JJ struggles with spending his Social Security benefits responsibly, and Ray has a run-in with a former flame in "S-E-- SEOUL B-R-- BROTHERS."

Grade: 9.5/10. All three plots this week do an equally fine job of balancing fun and humor with sweetness and truth as the DiMeos and Kenneth are all faced with new phases of life.

Speechless S3E16 Review

"W-H-- WHEELCHAIR P-L-- PLANET"

I'd be lying if I said last week's last-minute bombshell / cliffhanger made me optimistic for this week's episode; so what a pleasant surprise, then, to find that there's so much more to it than just, Oh no! Will JJ finish his short film for his college application on time?

The story picks up right where "G-A-- Game N-I-- Night" left off, with JJ explaining that he doesn't just want to go to New York to be with Izzy (who has already been accepted to a college there), but also he knows NYU has a great film school. The application specifies he submit a 5-minute short "only you can make"; JJ agrees with his girlfriend's suggestion to do a film about disability and brings out his script for Wheelchair Planet, "a Twilight Zone kind of thing" he'd been working on that depicts a world where the physically disabled rule and the one man who can walk is seen and pursued as a "freak." Dylan accepts the job of "Supreme Ruler" on the shoot and casts Jimmy in the starring role of the (literally) last man standing; Maya, however, was uneasy enough about JJ possibly going to college an hour away, so the thought of him moving all the way across the country is enough to make her not only refuse to take part in the project, but to interfere with the filming and try to scare JJ with stories about accessibility problems in New York. Even so, when JJ's script calls for a different location and he must turn to his mom (who knows a place he can use to match his descriptions), he makes a deal with her to endure one of her horror stories in exchange for each bit of help she can give him, and she breaks into the high school so the shoot can continue there.

After filming wears on for several more hours into the early morning, things take an emotional turn when Maya runs into the principal, Dr. Miller (Marin Hinkle -- mostly underused this season due to her filming commitments on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel -- gets some great moments here), and tries to convince her to ruin the shoot: "Otherwise... what? JJ just... makes a film and goes off to New York? And I've fought and I've struggled all these years -- then I have to let him go, and that's my reward? ... It doesn't feel like a reward. Anyway, I'm not crazy [for] not wanting him to go. It's cold there, lonely. It'll be hard for him to get around." Dr. Miller sweetly reassures Maya, "He'll figure it out. He can -- you gave him that. ... We give them the tools, we let them go." Realizing it's not her place to hold her son back, Maya steps up and comes through for JJ in a big way, recruiting some wheelchair-users to play the crowd that "swallows" Jimmy's character in the terrifying final scene; and the shoot is finished just in time for the school day to begin. But the ep is only about half over...

Later, the DiMeos, Kenneth and Izzy gather in the living room to watch JJ's film, only to find the final scene wasn't recorded. Dylan (who had been tasked with filming that part) turning out to be the one who sabotaged the project almost seems to come out of nowhere -- it's certainly a shock to JJ and Ray, who would expect that sort of thing from their mother, but not their sister -- yet it actually makes more sense, as she's always been the most resigned to taking a back seat to JJ's needs, and that's literally the only life she's ever known: "I don't want him to go to New York! Everything in this family, it revolves around you, JJ -- fine. But that means you can't just change everything and leave!" Indeed, at the beginning of the episode she briefly expressed misgivings about New York; but while she seemed to back off after her dad reminded her that they've gone to visit his parents there "dozens of times," it wasn't until she realized her mom wasn't going to stop the shoot that she decided to take matters into her own hands. Maya wisely assures Dylan that one day she'll leave home too but "we'll always come back to us" -- something that ties nicely into what JJ ends up doing with his film: He set out to "make a statement on disability," but he instead turns footage from his film, behind-the-scenes, and home into a documentary "about being DiMeo" -- which still holds true to Maya's claim in the cold-open about how he doesn't let his cerebral palsy define him.

Of course, there's room for some funny business. Early on, while starting the shoot at home, JJ needs a second camera and Jimmy volunteers the cute SneakyBearCam he had placed in the living room; both Kenneth and Ray (sharing their first one-on-one pairing since the s.2 finale!) realize they have footage of themselves on there they don't want others to see. Ray boasts of having made out with "hottest girl in school" Tia Casella (his lab partner) over the past month, but doesn't want his family to discover his secret relationship because he thinks they'll ruin it; however, he ends up doing that himself when Tia happens to come by the house just as he's showing off the footage (in his frustration and desperation over nobody believing his story). Kenneth's reveal doesn't happen until the closing-tag, but it's surprisingly adorable and nowhere near as embarrassing as I would've thought: a Fred Astaire-style dance routine (complete with a top hat and tails) he'd had to stop practicing in his apartment due to his downstairs neighbor's complaints about the "stomping." Plus, this side-plot has a couple nice moments of meta-commentary about this show leaning on Ray and Kenneth's weirdness for easy jokes.

Also, in more of a running-gag than a side-plot, Jimmy (presumably already on thin ice with Izzy -- his having spilled the beans about the text he read on her phone, which hinted at her and JJ's secret, was what set Maya off on her makeshift-board-game interrogation frenzy in the first place) further embarrasses himself by mistaking JJ's girl for his own wife when he sees her from behind (a bit silly, yes, but this wouldn't be the first time he has mistaken someone else with similar hair for Maya); she initially gives him a pass, but gets peeved with him after he quickly screws up again, and later she even sees right through his attempt to make it up to her by tricking her into mistaking him for JJ. Kayla Maisonet has been a delightful addition to the show as Izzy; besides her sweet chemistry with Micah Fowler (JJ), here and in the two previous eps she has also proven herself to match the rest of the cast for delivering terrific deadpan snark.

Musical Moment: "Montage" from the Swiss Army Man soundtrack provides the awesome score for the sequence in which the final scenes of Wheelchair Planet are filmed.

Next Week: Ray's attempt to guilt-trip Maya for an unfulfilled promise backfires, while Jimmy struggles to help Dylan deal with boy-related angst in "S-P-- SPECIAL B-- BOY T-I-- TIME."

Grade: 10/10. After a somewhat less-than-promising setup, this follow-up more than satisfies with its balance of humor and earned emotion, and gives everyone in the cast a chance to shine.

Bonus: Info about National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month (March)

Speechless S3E15 Review

"G-A-- GAME N-I-- NIGHT"

Last week's Valentine's Day ep was bookended by reminders that JJ's parents hadn't yet met his girlfriend -- Maya cyber-stalking Izzy in the cold open, and Maya (during her helicopter ride with Jimmy) interrupting JJ and Izzy's attempt to kiss outside the school in the closing tag. This week, a month into his relationship with Izzy (Kayla Maisonet), JJ finally agrees to let his mom meet her after she guilt-trips him with a PowerPoint presentation, including footage of his birth (a bit much, yet I couldn't help laughing -- especially at the proud look on Jimmy's face); to make the best of the situation, since he knows Izzy enjoys games, JJ has his family set up a "game night" for when she comes over.

Meanwhile, Ray announces to his siblings that he now has a driver's license and offers to drive JJ wherever he wants; this comes in handy when, after their mother fails to provide a gluten-free cake for the game night, the boys have just a half-hour before Izzy's arrival to go buy one themselves. (Speaking of game-night snacks, Dylan and Kenneth have an amusing if somewhat predictable little side-plot in which they get into the cheeseball Jimmy made for this special occasion, and end up hatching a plan to construct a fake cheeseball from clay and dog food and then "accidentally" drop it -- only for Jimmy to catch the ball and let Izzy have the first bite...) Unfortunately, Ray's nervousness about driving worsens after a heavy fog rolls in, and he insists on waiting in the bakery parking lot until it lifts. Worried about Izzy being left alone with Maya, JJ demands to be taken home (fog, and now darkness, be damned) and later accuses Ray of having taken pity on him with his "this is our license" talk; as the brothers argue, Ray hits a tree and upends the cake in the back seat. While they survey the damage to both car and cake, JJ claims the accident wouldn't have happened if Ray had listened when he'd first told him to hurry home instead of waiting until dark -- which causes Ray to snap, admitting he had never intended to be JJ's chauffeur, and he had only offered to "share" his license because he "felt bad" for him. Whoa.

As silly and irreverent as this show tends to be, I love how it's not afraid to get real -- especially regarding the dynamics of special-needs families -- and the heartfelt conversation that follows is a prime example of what the series can do at its best. Ray knows JJ hates being treated with pity, but he admits he feels "guilty" sometimes about going through typical growing-up milestones that his older brother's disabilities have not allowed him to also experience ("It makes no sense! There's no reason why I should get to be able to do these things, and you don't get to. It's not fair!"). JJ's lovely response ("You're right, but we don't have control of it. I don't waste my time feeling bad about it -- you shouldn't") inspires Ray to reassure him that they can't control how their mom handles Izzy, and as they dig into the toppled cake together, the fog lifts -- both figuratively (as the boys have come to a new understanding of each other) and literally (they can see they're only a couple blocks from home when they're able to recognize mailboxes, other cars, etc. Maya has hit).

The DiMeo boys' conversation nicely ties into Maya's concern about not being able to control how Izzy feels for and treats JJ -- she wants to protect her son from getting his heart broken, but she knows all she can really do is try to rein in her own overbearing tendencies (with help from gentle Jimmy) so her meeting with Izzy goes as smoothly as possible. Alas, she does fly off the handle a little -- throwing together "Revelations: The Game of Truths" in a matter of minutes, using parts of other games, as a means to interrogate Izzy -- but Izzy quickly sees through Maya's scheme and turns the tables on her. They lob questions at each other a while longer until Izzy gives up, believing Maya will never be satisfied with her; however, she understands where she's coming from ("You've helped JJ through so much, but this is the one thing you have no control over") and reassures her, "I care about JJ. A lot. And I trust that you taught him well enough to choose someone that cares about him the way he deserves." Maya apologizes and concedes that no matter how desperate she may be to know everything about JJ's girlfriend, she knows she neither can nor should; ironically, though, as much as Maya had feared going too far and ruining the evening, it's Jimmy who inadvertently ends up doing so: He lets it slip that he had snooped on Izzy's phone earlier (to read a text from JJ while he'd been anxiously waiting for him and Ray to return from the bakery).

Izzy just wants to go home, but Maya and Jimmy manage to keep her from leaving before the boys arrive; after Jimmy explains what happened and concedes that his son and Izzy should be able to have their own secrets, JJ (inspired by Ray's openness with him) counters that "it's better to come clean with the stuff you're holding on to," and he drops a major bombshell of his own: Izzy has been accepted to a college in New York, and he has less than a day to complete a short film for his application to a school he wants to attend there. This sets up the premise for...

Next Week: JJ (with his family's help) scrambles to finish his film-school application, while Jimmy must deal with the fallout from his screwup with Izzy in "W-H-- WHEELCHAIR P-L-- PLANET."

Grade: 8/10. As with s1e19 "C-H-- Cheater" and s2e12 "The H-U-S-- Hustle," I hadn't expected this to be the first half of a two-parter; s1e19 took a hard-left turn into gut-punch realism (Ray opened up about his concern for JJ's future) that dovetailed brilliantly with the themes laid out in the two main plots (Ray's fixation on money, and Maya pressing JJ on the importance of a good education), while s2e12 would've been a perfectly fine episode (with Maya coming to a reckoning for her bad attitude towards non-special-needs parents, and Ray and Dylan temporarily upending their good-boy/bad-girl dynamic) even without its out-of-nowhere reveal that JJ would have to repeat his Senior year of high school. Though both remain two of my favorite eps of the series so far, I felt like this one tried for something similar yet didn't quite measure up -- as much as I admired the Ray/JJ and Maya/Izzy dialogues, the closing-tag reveal seems merely a setup for a standard sitcom farce (unlike the more interesting issues and questions raised by those earlier episodes' conclusions).

Speechless S3E14 Review

"J-I-- JIMMY V-A-L-- VALENTINE"

While I've noticed the show has long since backed off on poking fun at his cheapness, I did find it odd that the usually thrifty Jimmy would turn out to be such a free spender when it comes to showing Maya how much she means to him (plus, as I recall in s1e14 "V-A-L-- Valentine's D-A-- Day," he referred to V-Day as a "bogus Hallmark holiday"), though I suppose:
1) early on in their marriage (especially after they had JJ), she may have dragged him into her more cynical attitude towards the holiday;
2) it's possible his promotion from baggage-handling supervisor to baggage-service department head at the beginning of s.2 may have come with a pay raise (which might explain his throwaway line about having hired Boyz II Men to sing for Maya a year ago -- something that last year's shortened season didn't get to show);
3) in s1e14, even apparently without much money, he showed he was willing to go above and beyond for Maya (hundreds of little paper hearts with reasons he loves her written on them, a bottle of wine with a note quoting Yeats, the family video he put together, etc.);
4) in s1e20 "R-U-N-- Runaway," Jimmy spared no expense on food and distractions for Dylan and Ray to avoid discussing difficult topics with them, and I wonder whether there might be a similar underlying anxiety and/or insecurity in his grand romantic gestures for their mother.

With her new clothing line, a mortgage and JJ soon heading for college, Maya is all the more adamant that Jimmy not go into debt this year just for her sake. Later at work, however, Jimmy ends up buying a whole shipment of roses off an angry traveler (who had planned to sell them earlier in the day but received them too late), and Maya sees them when she comes to surprise him with dinner; he admits he's a "Valentine's sucker," which inspires her to take advantage of other "suckers" at the airport by selling the roses at a profit. She lets Jimmy set aside a bouquet for her, but later sells it anyway for just a bit more cash; while he's disappointed but understanding, his employees (who have nicknamed him "Jimmy Valentine") and the now less-angry traveler stand up for him; when she accuses them of "conflating spending money with love," they in turn accuse her of taking away the best gift she could've given her husband: a chance for him to give her something extra nice. Upon learning that everyone has their own "love language" and that Jimmy's in particular is "extravagant giving," she calls him to the baggage-claim for a new gift, and he chooses to take her on a helicopter ride, reasoning, "Money comes and money goes, but what we have is forever." Aww...

Meanwhile, JJ wants to take Izzy (Kayla Maisonet) on a date for V-Day (something more special than the school dance) but insists Kenneth (who kept that night open just in case -- and upset his own girlfriend, Melanie) accompany him as his "hands and voice." JJ's garage man-cave is set up for a romantic dinner, but when Izzy arrives, she finds it "kind of weird" that Kenneth will be staying with her and JJ. Sure enough, dinner conversation proves awkward, and it doesn't help that JJ and Kenneth keep pulling each other aside for "sidebars" (private arguments), so Izzy offers to leave and help out at the dance (though she appreciates all the trouble they went to). Funny stuff, though the plot takes a very sweet turn when Kenneth admits he's become so used to his arrangement with JJ, it didn't occur to him how weird it might appear in a dating situation; JJ, on the other hand, was aware but also simply too afraid of being left alone with a girl, especially one who seems to like him as much as he likes her (new territory for him). Realizing that he'll have to figure out some of this "new love stuff" on his own, JJ has Kenneth take him to Izzy; as the couple have a private chat outside the school, Izzy reveals that this had been her first real date, and they both admit their nervousness.

As for Ray and Dylan, a few months earlier Ray had purchased two non-refundable tickets for a Valentine's harbor cruise, as he had counted on finding a girlfriend by now; as he's still trying to find a date, Dylan offers to let him take her instead for some sibling bonding. But after they get on the boat and it sets sail, she reveals she tricked him: She's really only there for Connor, a social-media star who had met her online and invited her to see him in-person. After Connor is "weirded out" by Ray's cringe-y effort to steal Dylan away from him, she traps Ray in a coat-check closet; but before long, she discovers she's not Connor's only date (he had invited four other female fans) and demands he delete the video he filmed with her. When Connor shoves her out of his way, knocking her down (accidentally), the now-free Ray punches him; Dylan sees Connor's phone is still recording and hurls it overboard; and both DiMeos spend the rest of the evening in "boat jail."

According to the numbers on the official press-releases, this episode (#312) supposedly came between "O-- Our M-A-G-- Mageddon" (s3e12, #311) and "F-A-- Fashion 4 A-- All" (s3e13, #313); and all three were probably intended to take place before "R-O-- Roll M-O-- Model" (s3e10, #314). Had they aired in what I'm assuming would've been the proper order, I think Ray and Dylan's relationship in recent weeks would've followed a more clear progression:
#311-- Dylan cited Ray's antics as a large part of why she was so frustrated about having to share a room with her brothers, and she also felt obligated to have a more easygoing bond with their mom (even if it meant being far less open about her wants, needs, and disagreements);
#312 -- In this week's ep, Dylan sees how far Ray's willing to go to defend her, and she appreciates it all the more knowing how hard she makes it for him ("Sometimes I think you got the wrong sister, but I got the right brother");
#313 -- In the previous ep, Dylan realized her academic struggles were rooted in how Ray had long ago found his niche as "the smart one" in the family and she'd had to resign herself to an entirely different role, which I think also may have explained a lot of her resentment towards him over the years;
#314 -- Dylan became the voice of reason when Ray was at his worst, and they both reached some major breakthroughs about their family dynamic (she had always thought her feelings and problems didn't matter because she's the youngest, he found the root of his attention-seeking romantic schemes in his feeling overlooked and under-loved as the middle child, etc.).
As it worked out, though, I think the sweetest stuff was saved for last (since JJ found his own way to be Dylan's protective big brother in s1e13, I'd been hoping Ray would get a chance to do the same); and it'll be interesting to see where their post-breakthrough relationship goes next.

Musical Moments: Kenneth helps JJ get ready for his date to the strains of BJ Thomas' "Hooked on a Feeling"; the Emotions' "Best of My Love" plays as Jimmy joins Maya's rose-reselling scheme.

Fun Fact: Speechless has finally found a UK home -- last week, E4 announced it had acquired the rights to start airing all three seasons.
https://www.tvwise.co.uk/2019/02/e4-acquires-speechless-deal-fox/

Next Week: Maya insists on meeting Izzy, but JJ is reluctant in "G-A-- GAME N-I-- NIGHT."

Grade: 8.5/10. Lots of laughs and sweetness as Jimya continue to be their adorable selves, the JJ/Kenneth and Ray/Dylan bonds are further explored, and Izzy comes to accept more of JJ's world.

Speechless S3E13 Review

"F-A-- FASHION 4 A-- ALL"

This week's episode recalls two of my past faves, s1e13 "S-I-- Sick D-A-- Day" and (to a lesser extent) s2e12 "The H-U-S-- Hustle," as earnest discussion of familial roles comes into play.

As Maya and Melanie (Sarah Chalke) prepare to promote their adaptive designer-clothing line, Fashion 4 All, at an upcoming Abilities Expo, Jimmy warns Kenneth (Melanie's new boyfriend) to be fully supportive and not question them, offer too much input or interfere when they're in charge -- partly because he himself feels he doesn't "matter" much, but also he has learned to pick his battles with Maya over the years and knows what works in their relationship. When the two couples arrive at the Expo, special-needs mama-bears Maya and Melanie recognize some unfriendly faces from their pasts and fear that their scorched-earth tactics may have burned too many bridges; determined not to let some "15-year-old grudge" sink their fledgling company, Melanie has Maya apologize to influential SoCal Abilities Journal writer Nina (Rondi Reed), a former parenting blogger with whom Maya claims to have had "the very first Internet flame war" in 2004 (hilariously, Jimmy repeatedly must refrain from correcting his wife when she tells the story to Melanie and Kenneth).

The ladies do their thing -- Nina offers to do a write-up of their business but still won't forgive Maya, so Melanie chickens out on telling her what they're selling -- while the fellas man the Fashion 4 All booth, which becomes such a huge hit that they're later invited to discuss "their" product at a panel with Nina. Of course, Jimmy and Kenneth are unable to answer questions about how the clothes are made or priced, and Nina quickly realizes their significant others (who have been in the audience, helping the guys and defending the company) are the real founders. However, when things look especially hopeless for Maya and Melanie, Jimmy steps up and refuses to let them leave the Expo: They're the fighters for their families, while his role is knowing how to pick people up when they're down. Sure enough, his pep-talk inspires his wife and her friend to return to the panel, better-equipped to win over the many people they had picked fights with and "wronged" by emphasizing how their fighting has always been in the name of advocating for their disabled sons to make sure they have the best quality of life possible -- something pretty much everyone at Abilities Expo, from home-medical-equipment vendors to therapists and caregivers, could surely understand. (They even finally get their needlessly complicated slogan right!)

The same weekend as the Expo, JJ relishes a rare opportunity to go on an overnight college visit without Maya, and he invites Ray, hoping for some bro-time. Alas, Ray soon takes the "mother" role upon himself; even after letting JJ go off on his own with Alan (Shalaby Omar), the disabled student who's showing him around, he can't help but follow them as they make their way though an outdoor Hawaiian-themed campus party. Eventually, the DiMeo boys express their mutual frustration to each other -- JJ simply wants a brother he can have fun with, not another Mom, while Ray insists he just wants to "have [his] back" and is getting tired of JJ's constant resistance. To prove he can loosen up, Ray (who found he couldn't stand beer when Jimmy let him try one at the end of s3e9 "J-A-- Javier's P-A-- Pants") pigs out on "dessert"... which turns out to be Jell-O shots. As JJ carries Ray in his lap back to Alan's accessible dorm, Alan says, "There's nothing worse than a guy who needs your help but won't take it" -- in reference to Ray grumbling about JJ's "driving," but JJ takes it to heart: When putting the drunken Ray to bed, JJ admits it's not easy for him to accept help from his little brother, but he acknowledges that they should look out for each other and appreciates Ray's efforts.

Meanwhile at their high school, their younger sister has a long meeting with teacher Mr. Powers (Jonathan Slavin), who wants to know why there's such a gap between Dylan's recent outstanding standardized-test score and her usual less-than-stellar classwork and grades. She explains that when she is being taught or has to read, she feels like she's getting lectured by a "know-it-all that won't shut up," which reminds her of Ray (her actually visualizing Mr. Powers as Ray and confronting him as such is a hoot); Mr. Powers wants to help her see academics as more than simply "Ray's domain" so she can do better in school, and Dylan opens up about her feeling that "there's just room for one smart kid in my family," which has been holding her back. After a call to a thoroughly wasted Ray, who attributes her clever schemes and pranks to her sharp intelligence, Dylan realizes she doesn't have to be so constrained by her own role if "the smart one" can do dumb things once in a while -- though it seems she'll continue to see grades as the sort of "external validation" (hey, Ray words!) she doesn't feel she needs, presumably as someone who's still not inclined to care what others think.

Thus, in the space of one afternoon / evening, Jimmy and Maya reaffirm their roles (and hold them up as examples for Kenneth and Melanie), JJ learns to accept Ray's responsibility to him, and -- in a plot that ties in perfectly with JJ/Ray, and accomplishes a great deal despite comparatively minimal screen time -- Dylan has a breakthrough of sorts regarding how she defines herself.

In Two Weeks: JJ courts Izzy, and his parents hatch a V-Day money-making scheme in "J-I-- JIMMY V-A-L-- VALENTINE" (airing Feb. 15).

Grade: 9/10. More than just another sweet family comedy, this is a series that smartly addresses limitations -- those imposed on us (by disabilities, economic class, etc.), those we put on ourselves (such as through rigidly defined roles, or the consequences of our actions), those we simply live with and try to make the best of it, and those we can try to overcome, as well as how our limitations and our familial roles / dynamics inform each other -- and this ep is a solid example of that.

Bonus: Some behind-the-scenes info about the filming of this episode --
HME News (Q&A with Lisa Wells of Cure Medical)
Abilities.com (article with comments from Wells and other Hollywood-area vendors)

Speechless S3E12 Review

"O-- OUR M-A-G-- MAGEDDON"

Last week's plot with JJ and Ray gets an immediate follow-up when JJ screens his romantic short, Late August Rain, for his Film class; leading lady Izzy (Kayla Maisonet) is impressed with the finished product, but when she says she's free after class, Ray swoops in and suggests a coffee date. Later at home, JJ turns to Kenneth for advice about his "forbidden crush" but gets weirded out when the rest of his family overhears and gets involved; though Ray initially advises him to be a "mean Don Juan" and crush the "other, loser guy," he feels guilty upon learning that JJ shares his crush on Izzy. In a situation similar to one of my s.1 favorites, "S-L-- Sled H-O-- Hockey" (s1e9), JJ wants real competition rather than people letting him win or going easy on him out of pity, but like his dad worried for his physical safety, his brother fears his disabilities would put him at a disadvantage if they had to compete for a girl; fittingly (and amusingly), Ray takes Jimmy's advice to be himself and simply draw on his past unsuccessful attempts to talk to girls.

While Izzy and the boys stay after school to help decorate for the upcoming Valentine's Day dance, Izzy eventually gets fed up with Ray's weird and alienating antics but admits she tried to give him a chance because JJ had talked him up to her. The plot takes a rather poignant turn when a puzzled Ray confronts JJ, who admits that losing Izzy to another guy would be easier to take than having her reject him: While Ray may turn girls off with his "bad, weird choices" and behavior, JJ tends to get rejected for things he cannot help -- and worse, he just gets "dumb" excuses rather than the truth. The same thing happens with Izzy at first when, as she shows him how she redecorated the maze from the Halloween dance, he confesses his fear of rejection and then asks for a date (she tries to lie about an out-of-town boyfriend); fortunately, during their next class together, she gets a chance to admit she really does like JJ but is freaked out by his disabilities. She's refreshingly frank in a flurry of concerns and questions, and she agrees to his suggestion of taking it "one date at a time."

Meanwhile, this episode finally delivers two things I've been wanting from this show for a long time:

1) A Maya/Dylan plot that actually explores their unique dynamic.
I've long suspected they've had so few pairings because they're so similar personality-wise, it must be hard for the writers to come up with conflicts for them; the matter is addressed head-on in the cold open of this ep, as the duo attend Lafayette High's annual Mother-Daughter Tea: Maya marvels how they get along much better than the other moms and daughters (the punny title comes from Dylan's later mangling of her mother's claim that it would be "total Armageddon" if they ever really fought); and as Dylan prides herself on having her own "cool" identity, she begins to feel threatened when Maya notes how their easygoing relationship comes from Dylan taking after her so much. (Even Ray sees them as "two peas in an angry pod" and advises his sister against messing with that dynamic.) Desperate to reclaim her sense of self, she rebels by signing a petition to ban straws at school (which would have a direct negative affect on JJ), but this only drives Maya to further assert their bond by grounding her and then anticipating her every move and response; Dylan ends up flipping out, stealing Maya's car keys, trying to drive away and crashing into the garage door.

Interestingly, this plot calls back to and builds on both s1e9 and "S-U-R-- Surprise" (s1e17): Dylan despises her lack of privacy while having to share a room with two boys, yet she would feel wrong to complain in light of JJ's needs; and in her efforts to make Maya's job easier (by not questioning or opposing her as Ray and JJ have done, and not being overly needy like Ray), their harmony was achieved at the expense of her individuality, including being able to openly express her wants and her disagreements with her mom. (I thought the reveal of the replacement garage door -- which Maya somehow has installed in the kids' bedroom to give Dylan her own space -- was a cute surprise, though I couldn't help thinking, "So much for JJ's man-cave...")

2) A guys' night for Jimmy and Kenneth, or an explanation of why they haven't had one yet.
Kenneth suggests one to Jimmy since his new girlfriend, Maya's friend Melanie, will be busy; but later, during JJ's physical-therapy session, Kenneth calls to say that Melanie's schedule has freed up, and since they plan on going to Joyce's favorite bar, Jimmy will have to keep Joyce (Liz Cackowski) at the DiMeo home for a few extra hours so she doesn't go to the bar herself and find the lovebirds. Jimmy feigns a back injury, but to avoid Maya and Dylan's drama, he has Joyce take him on a "car massage" -- during which Kenneth calls Jimmy about Melanie running late and tells him to "keep stalling Joyce." After Joyce hears this, she opens up to Jimmy about feeling used by Kenneth -- being his "booty call" (previously mentioned in s3e5) long after he's stopped publicly dating her -- and observes he may be going through the same thing (as a dad who just wants to go out with an adult male friend but can't because Kenneth keeps canceling their plans). Even so, when they confront Kenneth at the bar, Joyce is surprisingly easy to please with a simple apology and a proper goodbye -- which bothers Jimmy, no longer able to hide his own hurt over having his heart played with / feelings toyed with. I find it a bit hard to believe that Kenneth still had only been seeing himself as the "guy who took care of your kid" and hadn't realized until now just how close he and Jimmy have become over the past couple years, though I suppose it's possible he could've been vaguely aware of their friendship and simply taking it for granted.

Next Week: Maya and Melanie attend an Abilities Expo, Ray joins JJ on a campus visit, and Dylan journeys within in "F-A-- FASHION 4 A-- ALL."

Grade: 9.5/10. The continuation of the JJ/Ray/Izzy story-line was lovely and sweet, but I especially enjoyed the rare yet emotionally satisfying Maya/Dylan plot, and the clever pairing of Jimmy and Joyce addressing their relationships with Kenneth.

Bonus: "The SPEECHLESS Podcast with Zach Anner" -- the consultant / writer (and occasional guest star) hosts this official weekly behind-the-scenes look at the series, including chats with cast and crew; the first episode, with guest John Ross Bowie (Jimmy), premiered Tuesday, January 22. (Available on iTunes and Stitcher)

Speechless S3E11 Review

"H-- HEY, YOU"

That title comes from Kenneth's "hyper-sexualized greetings" to Joyce the Physical Therapist and other ladies he's dated -- though the DiMeo family are all weirded out, he feels his affairs (however brief) still mean something special to him and wants to express that. He also insists he has a life and his own needs, which will come into play later...

After a detour into mentoring last week (thanks to a bit of network episode-shuffling), this week finds Maya beginning to carry out the adaptive-clothing line idea she hatched with Melanie (Sarah Chalke) at the end of "J-A-- Javier's P-A-- Pants" (s3e9). The two have worked out a business plan and a delightful pitch to investors, but later Maya is furious to discover that the recently divorced Melanie has been slacking on some of her duties to hook up with the perpetually single Kenneth. Though Kenneth assures Maya he won't let his interest in Melanie get in the way of the ladies' work, and she's willing to let Melanie off early on a day that she and Kenneth have a picnic date, Maya draws the line at his plan to surprise Melanie with a weekend getaway.

She finds a women-in-business conference out of town that's scheduled the same weekend, and Kenneth does not take his disappointment well -- he manages to find the ladies' hotel room and confronts them there. Maya and Kenneth accuse each other of ruining the weekend (she believes he's interfering with her business, while he thinks she simply doesn't want him to be happy) and then tell Melanie to pick a side; Melanie, who has only just begun getting to know both (especially Maya, considering their partnership was preceded by over a decade of grudges and rivalry), chooses neither.

Meanwhile, JJ's latest Film class assignment is a romance (instructor Mr. Powers, recently dumped, wants to be made to believe in love again); after he and his film-geek pal / partner Aaron (Christian Lees), stuck for an idea, laugh at the notion of drawing from personal experience, Ray overhears and suggests casting him and Izzy (Kayla Maisonet), a girl he'd just met in the Planetarium. As Izzy and the boys work on the film, she clearly doesn't reciprocate Ray's feelings, though she blames the script for their lack of chemistry; Ray, through pretending to read JJ's communication board (a big no-no), suggests she come over to his and JJ's house to help with the rewrite. While Ray only cares about the script making him seem more appealing to Izzy, Izzy -- who has seen JJ's past work and been impressed by its understanding of human behavior -- recommends making the male lead less a perfect hero and more "real," the kind of guy who's scared of putting himself out there but does so anyway. Her empathy towards JJ is beautiful to see, as is his growing attraction to her (especially as he later watches his improved script come to life); not everything has to be about life-and-death stakes, and even the smallest moments of connection between people can be deeply meaningful.

In a neat little scene briefly tying together these two main plots, Maya seeks her sons' advice (like they're the "diverse sidekicks" in a romantic comedy) to win Melanie back: Ray, of course, suggests the typical rom-com "don't take no for an answer" / grand-gesture approach, while JJ points out that trope's "toxic message" (as he says Izzy had pointed out to him). Maya sides with Ray, only to have to compete with Kenneth; on their way to Melanie's house, Kenneth unloads on Maya for making everything all about her and not allowing him to have much of a life outside of her and her family. No doubt a painful thing for her to hear, but she realizes he has a point: After beating Kenneth to Melanie's door, Maya ultimately decides to give the pair's budding relationship her blessing, citing his kindness, his big heart and how well he's taken care of JJ, as well as how he likes Melanie very much. I would think Maya would've been more sympathetic to Kenneth in the first place because they'll both have to deal with JJ going off to college soon, but then again, his rant about how she thinks the world revolves around her was something she's had coming for a long time.

As with last week, Jimmy gets saddled with the silliest plot, though this time I loved seeing his band again (including loan-officer / lead guitarist Carl, played by Kyle Gass of Tenacious D) after their cameo at the end of "L-O-N-- London (Part 2)" (s3e2). I must admit I cringed at the whole setup: The band takes credit for writing a song (the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction") Dylan especially likes during their living-room jam session, she has them play for some of her schoolmates, the kids love the band's songs (such as "Born to Run," "Layla," "Baba O'Riley" and "side 2 of Abbey Road") and one girl even has her father, a record-company exec named Todd (Peter Giles), check them out. After Todd joins them to play (despite knowing their "instant classics" are covers), the gig soon falls apart * -- Carl and mortgage-broker / keyboardist Weird Pete (Derek Basco) bicker, weed-dealer / drummer Glen (Rob Bruner) leaves with a girl, and an argument between Todd and Jimmy reveals the band's deception. But while Todd's heartfelt confession to his angry daughter is all sitcom and rock 'n' roll cliches, the DiMeos are gonna DiMeo and I can't help but find it rather sweet: In such a ridiculously low-stakes situation (besides no real harm having been done, the band had always been little more than "a cheap escape" for Jimmy and his friends to have fun and blow off steam, anyway), Dylan isn't really upset with her dad, and she even encourages him to try the same thing on her track teammates when he admits that he hasn't really learned anything from the experience and "would do it again" (just because he had momentarily "felt great" being considered a brilliant songwriter).

(* I hope this wasn't it for them; I've been hoping the show would use one of John Ross Bowie's own songs from his days with the NY pop-punk band Egghead, such as "Jane Airhead" or "Books" from their '90s compilation Dumb Songs for Smart People, or "I'm Still Here" or "My Daughter (Can F**k Up Your Daughter)" from their 2010 reunion Would Like a Few Words With You -- that last one, I could easily imagine Jimmy singing a cleaned-up version for Dylan.)

Musical Moment: Jimmy offers to play for Dylan one of his originals -- a hardcore-punk protest tune called "Draft Dodger" ("UNCLE SAM, DON'T SHIP ME OFF TO FIGHT IN -- and here we would name some countries where there might be a war going on, but really, it was an era of unprecedented peace..."), but she's immediately repulsed ("That song makes me want to become emancipated!").

Next Week: Dylan fears she may be too much like her mother, while her brothers continue to nurse their crushes on Izzy in "O-- OUR M-A-G-- MAGEDDON."

Grade: 8.5/10. A typically sweet and fun outing, with a bit of redemption for Maya, as well as some welcome insight into Kenneth's personal life and a promising development for JJ's.