Blackout Reaction and Analysis

reese35

New member
4 Words - B. E. A .Utiful. Who would have thought this episode would have another innovation? In other words, first Bowling, now this. In a sense, a 3-D episode - 3 parts, 3 dimensions of storytelling (starting with the beginning of the blackout, ending with Malcolm's "Oh crap!"). I thought it was funny when Lois diverts Hal from Francis. All in all, a very good episode and another step in TV stories as we know it.
 

alleyboy

New member
Wow I just don't understand why the writers of MITM don't get recognized more for their innovative writing. They've been coming up with this stuff for years.:cool:
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
I loved this episode! It knocks Reese vs. Stevie out of the top spot for my favorite so far this season. It was great how everyone had their own subplot going on, but they were all intertwined and we got to see everything from various points of view. Usually the subplots aren’t really interconnected with each other. I found it very clever how it would “rewind” and go back to the beginning so we could see what someone else was doing at the time.

It was great to see Francis again! :D Unfortunately he’s still out of a job and has nothing better to do than impress a 12 year old. Hopefully they will find something useful for him to do soon. Whatever Piama does must be pretty good money if they can afford to live in a place that has a pool. It was nice to see Lois trying to cover for him for a change. Usually it’s someone else covering for him to keep him out of trouble with Lois. It was cool that she was concerned about saving his marriage, but I would have reacted the same way he did if my mom was telling me all that stuff about her sex life. Ugh! :Sick:

Reese/Hal—I liked how Hal told Reese that he was the only one in the family qualified to cook the steaks. It’s nice to know the family thinks he’s good for something. Kind of wrong how Hal was planning on tricking him out of his cut in the end though.

Reese/Malcolm—It was funny to see their different approaches to getting their parents out of the house. Malcolm, of course, has this well thought out plan and Reese just wants to drug them.

Dewey—I kind of had an idea he was up to something the way he seemed to be lurking around and listening in on everyone’s conversations. Pretty smart that he just stayed quiet throughout everything when he was scheming the whole time. I loved the twist at the end! After everyone treated him poorly the whole episode, he’s the one who ended up getting exactly what he wanted—and then some! :D
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
I agree-this episode was BRILLIANT! Not only the best of this season, but the best since Stilts, and that was the best since If Boys Were Girls back in mid-season 4. Episodes this great are rare and precious. I didn't really think about it during the ep, but you're right, in it way it's another extremely innovate episode, like the Pilot was, and Bowling, and a few others mixed in there as well. This one will certainly go down as a classic. It was edited so well, and it was odd how Dewey sort of seemed to be everywhere. I liked how every subplot was linked together, and yet still separate. It's great the way they come together at the end, and how little everyone else knew about what the others will doing.

I have to point out the minor continuity problem that this is in fact Hal and Lois' 21st anniversary, not their 22nd (source: Hal Sleepwalks), but Hal thought Francis turned 21 when he turned 20, so I'll downplay it as a mistake on Hal's part. :D I've sort of gotten use to expecting phenominal episodes but with minor continuity problems this season. The new writers really have breathed new life into the series, though. I am extremely impressed.

We also were able to discover that Francis is still out of a job. It's possible that he had a summer job at that camp for, uhh, "special" kids (source: Buseys Take a Hostage) but this episode takes us forward to April (Hal and Lois' anniversary) which means he hasn't had a job for a good six-eight months. I wonder what Piama is doing. At the beginning of the episode, it was shocking to hear his marriage was breaking up.

This was definitely the most dramatic episode since Reese Joins the Army. But dramatic in a different way. In Reese Joins the Army, I was too anxious to laugh, but in this episode, I found myself gripping the seat and laughing at the same time. The episode was brilliantly written and edited, and it probably wasn't too easy to shoot either. :)
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
yardgames said:
At the beginning of the episode, it was shocking to hear his marriage was breaking up.

I was shocked to hear that too, but I think it was just a cover to divert Lois's attention away from the real reason he was there (to steal the fish.) Because from the way he was talking to Piama on the phone, things seemed to be okay between them. I'm still a little confused about whether it's true or he was just using it as a cover. :confused:
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
Oh, of course it was just cover :D that was pretty well revealed. He wanted the fish. Extremely cleverly written.
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
I agree, the writing in the episode was outstanding. At first I thought that maybe Emy Coligado didn't want to come back as Piama so they were breaking up. Of course, they could still technically be married and we just never see her again (like in this ep.) It would be cool if Francis moved back home and we had the whole family together for the remainder of the final season if they did happen to break up though. Not that I wish for anybody's marriage to fall apart (even if it is fictional). :D
 

samboo1

New member
Loved it, loved it and loved it:D Best so far without a doubt. In fact that's gotta be one of my all time favourites:) Nice to see the different scenarios again. For once(in season 7) i didnt find any bit of this episode boring and also the ending, after on most of the others, was clearer and more paced instead of just ending the episode suddenly.
I loved it:D
Liked all the plots really so i cant decide! They were all cool;)
 

Dabney

Deutscher Moderator
I loved this episode, too. Pretty well written, and the different storys are well connected. I also liked the fact that we see Jamie speaking again with him saying "Francis". Actually it's kind of sad that Reese and Malcolm again fail in improving their love life, but it was nice to see that Dewey had "a nice time" with the girls instead :D. And of course it was good that Francis was back, although he behaved like a real jerk with giving a saw to a kid like Jamie. But the main thing is that he was back on the show.
Fantastic episode, i'm not sure if it's the best so far, but at least it's one of the top episodes (of season 7, but of all seasons as well)!
 

wando

New member
evening all, just a quickie; do we assume dewey bones the girls? yeh i know hes 14, but it just looked like they were all cosy, and you learn about sex at that age.
 

NeCoHo

Retired Mod
Since the writers are so sex-oriented (That sounds so wrong, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say) this season, I'd have to say probably. And since Dewey is doing such adverse this this seson, I'd say probably. But you never know, It's one of those things the writers leave you, the viewer, decide. :D
 

Malcoholic

New member
In addition to the obvious brilliance of the "3-dimensional" plot, the writing here was extremely clever in that the whole episode was a single joke, whose punch line was that three very loose Dutch girls who were looking for a wild night of partying and boozing ended up having milk and cereal with a 13-year old kid. Everything in the story is contrived to set up that punch line.

The story itself is an intricate web of lies: Francis lies to Lois about lying to Hal; Hal lies to Reese about lying to Lois; etc., etc. The fun of the story is gradually discovering who has been lying about what.

The innovative writing and directing invites comparison to "Bowling," which won Emmy awards for writing and directing. The main contrast I see is that in "Bowling" the story is based on portraying the different personalities of the characters: Lois' bossyness vs Hal's permissiveness, and the different ways the boys interact with them--in "Bowling," the characters drive the story. In "Blackout," the story drives the characters, and some of the actions of the characters don't really fit their personalities. I have a hard time accepting the image of Francis as a slacker idling his days away by the pool without looking for work, just sponging off his wife--Francis is too restless and has too much self-regard for that. The stuff about Dewey wanting to serve cereal for dinner is too childish for a 13-year old; it's obviously contrived to set up the closing scene. Lois' advice to Francis on how to spice up his marriage is too crass and cynical for Lois. Because of these flaws in characterization, I consider "Blackout" to be a great episode but not a perfect episode. My favorite this season is still "Burning Man," which I see as great and very nearly perfect.
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
wando said:
evening all, just a quickie; do we assume dewey bones the girls? yeh i know hes 14, but it just looked like they were all cosy, and you learn about sex at that age.

Wow. Honestly, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. But now that you mention it, I suppose it's possible. I hope not though. I can't seem to accept that Dewey is a full-fledged teenager now. I still see him as a cute little kid. :)
 

vinnymonster

New member
After reading the spoilers, I'm really looking forward to seeing this episode.

And I still think Dewy looks like a 14 year old Donald Pleasance.
 
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