Discussion for Episode 4: Father Figures

[Natasha (candygirl)]

In regards to printing, what is "offset"? Patty wants to do it, or appear to do it, and Wood and Jones.

Patty : That's my master plan, Dad. I want Wood & Jones Printers to move into the world of high speed copiers. Did you read it? What do you think?
Chuck : Well, it's an awful lot of money to spend in one fell swoop.
Patty : You know, that's exactly what I thought Dad, and then it came to me. Lease it. I mean, that way it'd only cost about eight grand a month.
Chuck : [cringes -- only $8,000?]
Patty : Well, uh, yeah I know, that's, that's not peanuts, but, oh Dad, it looks like offset. People won't have to go to an offset printer.

The short(er) answer from webopedia:

A printing technique whereby ink is spread on a metal plate with etched images, then transferred to an intermediary surface such as a rubber blanket, and finally applied to paper by pressing the paper against the intermediary surface. Most print shops use offset printing to produce large volumes of high-quality documents. Although the equipment and set-up costs are relatively high, the actual printing process is relatively inexpensive.

Desktop publishing generally involves producing documents on the computer, printing out drafts on a laser printer, and then offset printing the final version. To produce the plates used in offset printing, a print shop requires either film or high-resolution paper output, which the printer can then photograph. You can obtain either by taking a PostScript file to a service bureau.

The beginning of a much longer answer from howstuffworks.com (an awesome website!):

There are nine main types of printing processes:
offset lithography - what we are exploring in this article
engraving - think fine stationery
thermography - raised printing, used in stationery
reprographics - copying and duplicating
digital printing - limited now, but the technology is exploding
letterpress - the original Guttenberg process (hardly done anymore)
screen - used for T-shirts and billboards
flexography - usually used on packaging, such as can labels
gravure - used for huge runs of magazines and direct-mail catalogs

Offset lithography is the workhorse of printing. Almost every commercial printer does it. But the quality of the final product is often due to the guidance, expertise and equipment provided by the printer.

Offset lithography works on a very simple principle: ink and water don't mix. Images (words and art) are put on plates (see the next section for more on this), which are dampened first by water, then ink. The ink adheres to the image area, the water to the non-image area. Then the image is transferred to a rubber blanket, and from the rubber blanket to paper. That's why the process is called "offset" -- the image does not go directly to the paper from the plates, as it does in gravure printing.

There is a lot more on the process, complete with very helpful pictures, at the howstuffworks link.

[Jody Barsch*]

As always, Candygirl, you are awesome! Your thoroughness humbles me and makes me feel lazy

[svenkid]

Where did Graham see Angela going when she ran out of the house to supposedly go to the concert? Patty says, "is she getting into Rayanne's car?" and Graham replies, "she's gone". I'm thinkin, she couldn't have got into Rayanne's car if she was sitting in Brians, and the next day, Angela didn't know that Rayanne went to the concert, plus Rayanne already knew that she'd scalped the tickets, so she wouldn't have come to pick her up, so wouldn't Graham have gone after her, if her just saw her running down the road? Strange... (sorry about the rambling).

Im not sure if anyone caught this, if it was posted like 4 years ago, but..
the poster got patty and graham's lines mixed. patty says "she's gone"

obviously, they both thought she got in the car to go to the dead show.

Oh and how's that for a first post. pointing out an error in someone else's post.

cheers!

[majesty]

-I love how Angela looks dead at her father and asks, "Why, did you lie about something?" LMAO!

-LOL @ Stephen King writing the audit notices.

-Jordan's presence in this episode appears to be shoehorned, IMHO. He really didn't serve any purposes, and nothing was furthered in his relationship with Angela. He was just there to buy tickets? It could have been anyone. I think he could have set this one out.

-LOL @ Graham finding Angela sift through his things.

-LOL @ Brian attempting to invite Angela up to his room. Everything was going nice, just them sitting in the car talking, before he mentioned Jordan. It's so sweet when he gives her his sweater.

-LOL @ Brian skating off when Graham asks for help.

[Cami A.]

LOL @ Brian attempting to invite Angela up to his room. Everything was going nice, just them sitting in the car talking, before he mentioned Jordan. It's so sweet when he gives her his sweater.

Did you catch what he says after he gives her his sweater?
"Try not to sweat in it" LOL!
He's always ruining perfect moments!

And why were they stupid enough to walk right in front of her house where he parents could see her?? I'm surprised the parents didn't think more of the fact that she ended up hanging with Brian in his sweater instead of going to the Dead concert.

Another question: Do you think Rayanne really did go to the Dead concert with Amber & Rusty? Or do you think she just said that to make Angela jealous that she missed out on the experience?

[majesty]

LOL @ Brian attempting to invite Angela up to his room. Everything was going nice, just them sitting in the car talking, before he mentioned Jordan. It's so sweet when he gives her his sweater.

Did you catch what he says after he gives her his sweater?
"Try not to sweat in it" LOL!
He's always ruining perfect moments!

And why were they stupid enough to walk right in front of her house where he parents could see her?? I'm surprised the parents didn't think more of the fact that she ended up hanging with Brian in his sweater instead of going to the Dead concert.

Another question: Do you think Rayanne really did go to the Dead concert with Amber & Rusty? Or do you think she just said that to make Angela jealous that she missed out on the experience?

I wondered why she did that, too. I wonder if Graham talked to her or just decided to give her the silent treatment.

Hmm... I've always thought Rayanne was telling the truth. I don't think hearing Rayanne's story would make Angela think she missed out on anything special. LOL @ the guy in the wheelchair having a "great upper-bod."

When Angela explains that Graham thinks she is at the concert and he would be upset if he knew that she wasn't, Brian says, "Wow, your dad is so different from mine." What does he mean by that?

I think it had something with Angela's words. She basically said she was hiding because her father wants her at a concert. Not the usual reasons teens are hiding from their parents. Especially not Brian's.

[Cami A.]

This thread made me want to watch Father Figures again. It's one of my favorite episodes because it's got some great themes running through it. The big obvious one is the role that father figures play in our lives--and we see the diverse roles they can play through all of the different characters. They can inspire fear (Rickie's Uncle), they can cause a gap (Rayanne's absent father), they can make you feel inadequate (Patty's father), or they can be there for you (Angela's dad). Angela lucked out--she was the only one who got a good deal when it comes to fathers in my opinion. He's always cooking for her, trying to make sure she's having fun, and he's generally interested in her and her life (Is this the famous Rayanne?). Even though he's dorky and embarrassing he's the only one who really tries and does it right!!

I love how in this episode after talking to Rayanne and Rickie about her decision to scalp the Dead tickets she realizes just how lucky she is, and how much crap other kids have to deal with that she doesn't. One of my favorite moments is between Rickie and Angela..A:"My dad always knocks." Rick: "I had a feeling."

I've gotta say Grandpa Chuck is a major jerk. Chauvanist and belittling towards Graham. I really feel for Graham when Chuck and Angela hug...you can see him thinking "Why doesn't she love me like that?"

[Natasha (candygirl)]

I really feel for Graham when Chuck and Angela hug...you can see him thinking "Why doesn't she love me like that?"

And even worse, Graham knows that until a little while ago, Angela loved him the same way too. He can't figure out what has caused the change in her or why she no longer adores him.

[Cami A.]

I really feel for Graham when Chuck and Angela hug...you can see him thinking "Why doesn't she love me like that?"

And even worse, Graham knows that until a little while ago, Angela loved him the same way too. He can't figure out what has caused the change in her or why she no longer adores him.

Natasha,
Exactly. She so suddenly realizes that she no longer trusts him (after seeing him with a "girl" around the corner from their house in the Pilot) and how he's super nice to Rayanne--it just seems plain sneaky! I'd probably feel the same way at her age...But how is he to know any of this? It must be extremely upsetting and puzzling! Poor Graham!

On the other hand, Patty's an old vet to Angela's "silent contempt" so she's like what's the big deal? I love that scene.

[Natasha (candygirl)]

Ha, yes! Patty already said in the pilot, "She loves you more. I accept that. But, that's
not enough for you." It must be interesting for her to see Graham experience this sort of treatment from Angela after putting up with it herself for so long.

[MonnyUK2]

I always find this episode very interesting. I found Cami's analysis of the different roles of the father figures very accurate. Working in
education myself now, you see the problems that absent father figures can cause. Rayanne actually says in this episode jokingly that Angela is product of a two parent family. It is Rayanne and Ricky who are the ones who have no stable father figures in thier lives. Although Ricky's behaviour isn't in question but Rayanne's certainly is. As we all know she goes off the rails in episode 10 and nearly dies. She is reacting to her father not being there and just sending money.

I always find Chuck's words in this episode quite deep when he says it is like walking on egg shells raising a girl. I feel that in the future that if I was to have any female children then this show and this episode is a pointer in how to and how not to interact with your children.

Angela's attitude towards her father in this episode is also very interesting. I know she is upset becuase of what she hears and sees in episodes 1 and 2 but why does she wait until episode 4 to show her feelings?lol! I find that the end scene is really cool and that the way Angela and Graeme try to connect is really heartening. Angela does show that she can have aa dark side when she gets rid of the dead tickets knowing how much Rayanne wanted to go. I think at times she can be a bit selfish. I think me and Cami discussed Angela to death in the 'About Angela' section of teh Forum.

I think the scness between Brian and Angela are really good. Brian as always finds a away to ruin the moment by mentioning Jordan. I always feel frustrated though because I feel that her and Brian are about to get into a deep and meaningful conversation before they are firstly interupted by Brian's mom and then Angela being spotted by her father. I feel at times that scens between and Brian could have been longer and had a bit more depth to them. A good example is the scene at the end of 'Strangers in the House'. That is a beautiful scene and so well shot.

On the fuuny side I always find that when Graeme is trying to call Brian over to help him at the end of the episode and Brian doesnn't then Graeme's comment makes me laugh every time. It seems that everybody in 3 rivers knows that Brian likes Angela except Angela.

[Cami A.]

Angela's attitude towards her father in this episode is also very interesting. I know she is upset because of what she hears and sees in episodes 1 and 2 but why does she wait until episode 4 to show her feelings? Lol!

Monny, I think the only reason it seems like she waits so long to show her feelings towards her dad is because Winine Holzman put that plot on the back burner so that we could focus on some other relationships for a while (Episode 2--Jordan & Angela, Episode 3- Rickie & Angela). I think we are supposed to assume her resentment towards him is growing over the course of these episodes where it is untouched. And it's not until she sees Graham flirting with Rayanne, who is even younger than "the girl" he was "talking" to, that she recalls how much she distrusts him now. Sometimes when you a teenager caught up in your own drama is takes a while for things to kick in.

[stburr91]

...it's not until she sees Graham flirting with Rayanne, who is even younger than "the girl" he was "talking" to, that she recalls how much she distrusts him now.

Wow, I never thought Graham was flirting with Rayanne. He was being very friendly, but he was with Sharon as well, and I never thought he was flirting with her. He was also friendly with Brian, and Ricky, so I think being friendly with Angela's friends, is just part of his personality.

[MonnyUK2]

Cami,
I don't agree that Graham was flirting with Rayanne. I think Angela may have perceived it to be that way. There is a reference to it in episode 2 when Angela overhears Graham talking to this mystery woman at the end of the episode. Yes I do agree that it was building up over the 3 episodes before.

[TomSpeed]

And why were they stupid enough to walk right in front of her house where he parents could see her?? I'm surprised the parents didn't think more of the fact that she ended up hanging with Brian in his sweater instead of going to the Dead concert.

Being a Brian champion, I think Angela was connecting with Brian in such a deep way that she forgot that she needed to hide from Graham.

I love this episode, too. Graham seems like such a cool dad. I'd like to think I would be so cool. But, I'd probably blow it.