"Weekend" episode

[Lacy]

I know many MSCL fans don't really like the weekend episode, but I really did for
some reason. Don't get me wrong, I love the show for its honesty about life
and dramatic scenes, but I found "Weekend" to be a nice change of pace.
Usually i find the parents and their situations to be very boring, but in this
episode I thought they were very entertaining. I especially found it amusing
when Patty got drunk at the hotel or whatever that was. What does
everyone else think. I would like to read your opinions. ~Lacy

[Guest]

It's not one of my favourite MSCL episodes but I do think focusing on Patty was good - I felt so sorry for her when her so-called husband left her on her own for so long! I also like, in this episode, the way all the younger characters come together as a group in the same room - it's interesting to see the way they all get on......like, all joined together in life because of Angela!.... unwritten friendships is something the series was incredibly good at!

Joanna
barnstable79@hotmail.com

[Dengar]

this episode is funny, entertaining, and all that stuff, but it just seems to have stooped down to the average sitcom. there are a multitude of sex based jokes, not so tastles as others, and some run of the mill comedy. i agree with the patty comment, this was, in my opinion, the only saving grace to this episode.

[dTheater]

did sharon and jordan have any scenes together ever?

"Close your eyes, you can find all you need in your mind if you Take the Time" - Dream Theater

[Alee]

I know they did in what I think was In Dreams Begin Responsibilities, when Jordan tries to talk to Angela after class, and she blows him off, she's there...that's what came to mind. I can't think of anything big.

[mglenn]

For the most indepth analysis check out Bill's synopsis in Angela's World:

<A href="http://www.mscl.com/angelasworld/weeken ... out=low</a>

Mike Glenn
Project Manager for MSCL.COM

[Guest]

Personally, "Weekend" was my favorite episode of the 19. Hilarious! The first time I watched MSCL was winter 1998 on MTV. Every evening I was parked in front of the tube from 6-7. "Why Jordan Can't Read" and "Self Esteem" were up there as well. Maybe I am choosing Weekend b/c everyone else picks "Self Esteem" as the favorite episode. Maybe the show took an unusual left turn and took the typical sitcom route for a week...but at least it was funny! I think Danielle is the most under-rated person on the show. She seldom gets mention in these discussions but whenever she makes an appearance on the show her timing and comments are right on. Lisa Wilhoit shines! I think that had the show gone on for more seasons, her character HAD to be developed into a more prominent presence. The fact that the episode was told from her point of view was genius writing. If I am not mistaken, the only other character to voice-over an episode was Brian in "Life of Brian" and that episode was nothing to write home about. (at least by MSCL standards) I think the entire episode from the plot to Danielle's involvement to Patty's binge to Neil's typical antics were brilliant. Another reason I loved this episode was it lacked the typical heartbreaking downer segment most of the others contained. Like in "Why Jordan Can't Read" when he ditches Angela the night he agrees to meet her parents. Or in "Self Esteem" when he dusts her at the Buffalo Tom concert. This episode was pure happiness. Except if you want to cite when Neil dumps that annoying girlfriend (or whatever she was) the morning after. But let's face it...we all wanted her gone anyway. Let her annoy the E.R. audience for all I care. "Weekend" was not the typical MSCL episode; but as usual the writing was stellar, the performances were excellent and most of us felt good by the time the credits rolled.

[ataris]

Don't take this the wrong way I don't mean to be mean at all. But if "Weekend" was your favorite episode and you didn't like any of the other ones, and you agree that it was similar to a normal sitcom then maybe you should just watch normal sitcoms. They won't have all the realistic teenage stuff in it, and you can get your phony sitcom stuff.

[K-man]

OUCH! That stings! What did I do to deserve that?
May I respond to your comments regarding Weekend? First of all, maybe I didn't make it plain in my post how I felt about the other 18 episodes. I don't think I said I didn't like the other episodes. I don't think I said I "didn't like" any episode. I was just expressing how I felt about #18. I didn't dislike any of the episodes of the greatest show ever made. If such a message was implicit in my writing I apologize. My mistake. I was just trying to convey my feelings about Weekend.
I really enjoyed it. I figured if I was going to go out on a limb and talk about one of the less popular episodes I probably should cite some reasons to support my claims. I didn't mean to do so at the expense of any other episode. I loved them all. Please don't think I didn't like 1-19! Am I the only person that liked "Weekend"? Please don't hate me for that. (My original post was written under anonymous as I didn't yet have an ID)

k-man

[ataris]

Sorry, sorry didn't mean for it to come off like that. It's just the impression that I got and I now know I was wrong. So I deeply apologize hope there aren't any hard feelings.

[Joanna]

I like this episode purely because (not only does Patty 'let herself go') but because Angela finds herself in a room with ALL the main teenage cast - Brian, Rayanne, Sharon, Rickie (and of course her little sister) and they are all working TOGETHER to try and resolve the situation - the only one missing is Jordan but I don't suppose he would have been much help (even Kyle and his mate end up at the house!) I always enjoy how MSCL brings different characters together to show the true spirit of people...in MSCL no one really hates each other or doesn't get on. Just wish it used to be like that in my group of friends.

Anyway, I decided to bring up this topic of conversation again because I figured we needed a new topic other than DVDs or NightJessi (no offence NightJessi - it would just be nice to see a variety on the Forum's front page). Yes I know that this has probably all been discussed before but I think there are some new people on the site that might be able to bring a new perpsective to it all. Anyhow, I thought about which past page to check out to bring back a conversation and decided to pick 'Page 9' because Rayanne thought it was a witchy number in Halloween! - then I proceeded to pick out what might be the most lucrative post in regards of replies............what do you think?

"And dance by the light of the moon!"

[Guest]

I personally believe that "Weekend" was, of all the episodes, the most clever. Consider where in the canon it sits: next to last. Consider that everyone pretty much knew at that point that the show would not make it to season #2. Consider that Danielle was the narrator, so that the audience is intended to view everything from a younger child's perspective.

"Weekend" was satire. And a most amazing example of it, at that. Everyone and everything was out of character. It's almost as if the writers were saying "fine, you dont like the great stuff that we do, then we will give you one episode that's just like all the other tripe on television." And you know what, even though the episode stooped to the same low level as any other sit-com or dramady, it was still written, acted, directed, and produced better than most anything else on the air!

Remember Patty's last words as she was handcuffed to the bed and forced to watch a fishing show on TV: "isn't there anything better on?" I think that about sums it up, don't you?

Anonymous Bill

[Joanna]

I also think that someone has already mentioned this before now.....but when Rayanne finally gets the cuffs off Patty later finds them on the bed and they are locked! How did she/Graham manage to get them on again without finding the key FIRST? Doesn't matter to me either way - it's the only 'error' I (think) I have ever really spotted in MSCL.......Brain would know the answer.

"And dance by the light of the moon!"

[Guest]

<blockquote>
but when Rayanne finally gets the cuffs off Patty later finds them on the bed and they are locked! How did she/Graham manage to get them on again without finding the key FIRST?
</blockquote>
That's the way handcuffs work (don't ask me how I know... . If there's nothing "in" the cuff, then the arm that swings can be swung all the way through and out the other side, a full 360 degrees. If the cuff's arm is already engaged in the ratchet you can keep pushing on the arm and it will swing all the way around and back over again. So you don't need a key to lock someone in. Good cuffs do have something called "double locking" which prevents the arm for tightening further in the ratchet. If the cuffs are double locked then you do need a key to operate them. But clearly that wasn't the case.

Anonymous Bill

[Joanna]

I've got fun furry cheap ones that do that but I didn't think sturdier ones would be so easy!! LOL....with mine you never need the bloody key (there's a little lever you press to release them). Of course I have never actually tried it out - just bought them for a laugh!

"And dance by the light of the moon!"