This one has an intriguing title! And Fritz; it's been nice to see him so much. Hard to believe the summer finale is next week.
This one has an intriguing title! And Fritz; it's been nice to see him so much. Hard to believe the summer finale is next week.
LeverageGuru wrote: Nonsense. Your view is so colored by your intense dislike of Rusty that everyone else comes up rosy in comparison; there's no possible scenario where Sharon could be anything but wrong in the extreme (see: The Audrey Effect). Ricky's behavior was childish, designed to humiliate Rusty and far beneath what one would expect for a well brought up adult. He doesn't have to love Rusty at first sight, just make an effort to be polite. Instead, he had a passive tantrum, which escaped no one's notice.
Sharon never said anything to suggest that she expected him to tow the line, just to act like a civilized human being, consider what Rusty had been through, and give the kid a chance. I'm no Rusty fan either, but Ricky's behavior was beyond the pale. That's why once she chewed him out he was so busy over-compensating. He got the message.
I disagree. My feelings against Rusty have very little to do with his situation. Randy's reaction seemed very typical to this particular situation. In fact, if Sharon had listened to what Randy said, instead of taking as a personal affront to her wishes, things might've been a lot easier on everyone. She over-reacted badly to a reaction she'd already mapped out as a completed situation.
This has nothing to do with any other character or show. Sharon has become increasingly strident and immovable in her opinions. It's an unattractive trait.
Ricky wasn't in anyway humiliating Rusty. He chose to speak to his mother alone about the situation. If Rusty thought their meeting was cool it's because he was apparently meeting him for the first time. We already know Rusty has less than ideal people skills. He probably didn't expect it to be smooth as silk, anyway. Ricky seems a clever, personable young man. We saw him respectful and friendly with the squad. There was no tantrum whatsoever, only a request to see it from his perspective. Something she wasn't willing to do. Plus, she absolutely was expecting him to tow the line.
i agree. I think Jack liked Rusty well enough, but it seemed he wasn't sure if adoption was the right way to go, especially considering the children. Mary seems to think he has no right to an opinion on the matter, but in fact he's the father of her children and she is still married....he has a right to talk to the kids and give an opinion about the situation. The kids have the option of listening to both parents and asking for advice if they want it.
When you think about Rusty's background, it's not so absurd that Ricky would be worried about taking this kid in permanently. Not only does he not know him, but he's heard of his history. Why wouldn't he be worried that Rusty was just conning Sharon and taking advantage of her. Here he is a kid from a broken and dysfunctional (not to mention poor) background, who's landed in a bed of roses. Sharon spoils him tremendously, and he knows it. If you were a grown child of a single mother, wouldn't you have concerns? Sorry, but I still don't think he was childish at all.
Wow, this discussion has had more posts than any other since the summer premiere. Interesting.
I agree about Jack liking Rusty. I just thought when Ricky told his mom Rusty is using her, being a con man, that this info came from Jack. Jack for some reason wants to hang on to Sharon and told Ricky whatever he could to undermine her.
Rusty did say their conversations had become tense the last few times they had talked. This is why I figured Jack had told Ricky Rusty is conning his mother.
Hub you are correct this discussion, so many different points of view.
I don't doubt there is a bit of maneuvering done by Jack, but I don't entirely blame him for some of it. It seems that even though he's been quietly separated from Raydor for a long time, there is still the original family that keeps them together as a nuclear family. Here comes Rusty and I imagine everyone, except Raydor, is wondering where he and the rest of them fit in. It's an interesting dilemma that the show could've discussed. The conversation just got shut down by Raydor's attitude. I imagine that when Ricky (and/or Emily-think that's her name and Jack) thought she'd taken in the ragamuffin for his own safety, things were OK, but when it changed to a permanent place in the family they thought she was going too far. Probably that's why the tension in the latest phone conversations.
Another thing that bothered me a lot was Raydor's comment about not asking his permission. I won't re-hash the conversation, but if I were a child and was shut out of a major change in the family unit, I'd be very hurt. Of course she's an adult and so are her childen, but can you imagine being left out of the conversation? I completely agree with his apprehension. All of us who have siblings weren't a part of the discussions our parents had about additions to the family, however if you are an adult you'd think you might like to be included. I bet most children would be fine with an adoption by their parents, but circumstances change things. I've read about large families with lots of adopted kids, and most of the time it's discussed by the family for a much more harmonious decision.
There could be a practical reason for Jack's machinations. I don't know about California but in some states parents have to pay child support until the child is 21. If he and Sharon are still married when Sharon adopts Rusty, it is possible that he could have to pay even more child support.
California is 18, and even then, the marital support arrangement and when Rusty came into the home would be factors in any support decision. Rusty isn't a child of the marriage and has never lived with Jack; that would balance agains the rest. That said, if they stayed married, Jack would have to adopt Rusty as well, which would alter the landscape entirely. But Sharon is divorcing Jack to adopt Rusty, which would seem to pretty much put Jack in the clear -- AND Sharon would have to petition for support. I don't see her doing that.
Hub, you're assuming a LOT that dialogue doesn't support. But again, your animosity (ragamuffin? really?) colors all your perceptions so totally that there's no objectivity possible. It's quite clear that Sharon has discussed this with the kids off camera, so the boo-hooing about poor widdle Ricky being left out of the conversations is off the mark. You also seem to forget that Jack spent a good few years as an absentee father who had no contact with his children; it was only because Sharon literally put a phone in his hand that he has contact now. So his playing concerned father will crackle like confederate money.
Janets98 wrote: There could be a practical reason for Jack's machinations. I don't know about California but in some states parents have to pay child support until the child is 21. If he and Sharon are still married when Sharon adopts Rusty, it is possible that he could have to pay even more child support.
Since they seem to be divorcing rather quickly, I'd think that wouldn't apply. I'd also think if it wasn't a mutual decision, that he might not have to pay. Also, I thought most states the cut off was 18, not 21...that seems a bit old for child support. It's another interesting dilemma they didn't cover.
LeverageGuru wrote: California is 18, and even then, the marital support arrangement and when Rusty came into the home would be factors in any support decision. Rusty isn't a child of the marriage and has never lived with Jack; that would balance agains the rest. That said, if they stayed married, Jack would have to adopt Rusty as well, which would alter the landscape entirely. But Sharon is divorcing Jack to adopt Rusty, which would seem to pretty much put Jack in the clear -- AND Sharon would have to petition for support. I don't see her doing that.
Hub, you're assuming a LOT that dialogue doesn't support. But again, your animosity (ragamuffin? really?) colors all your perceptions so totally that there's no objectivity possible. It's quite clear that Sharon has discussed this with the kids off camera, so the boo-hooing about poor widdle Ricky being left out of the conversations is off the mark. You also seem to forget that Jack spent a good few years as an absentee father who had no contact with his children; it was only because Sharon literally put a phone in his hand that he has contact now. So his playing concerned father will crackle like confederate money.
I think it was pretty clear she had spoken to him about considering adoption, not having a proper discussion. If they had "discussed" it, she would've had prior notice of his feelings. It seemed clear or me she was surprised by his reluctance...plus, if he'd said anything prior to this visit she surely wouldn't have tried to push them together so often in the "getting to know you" familiarity.
Just because Jack was guilty over not speaking to Ricky for some time doesn't mean that he didn't care for him and vice versa. I never said there weren't other issues at play between Jack and Raydor...there's some sourness definitely there. For the record...widdle Ricky?....(eye roll).
What you say about Rusty is true though. There is nothing he can do at this point that would make me loathe him less. That ship has long sailed. Sorry Duff is "blue" about fans not liking him, but we didn't write the character. That's all on him.