YOYO-ISG 101024 TV series, Desperate Housewives

[chiron]

We will discuss the 2nd episode of the 1st season on 10/24, so please prepare by taking notes of at least 3 good sentences, words or phrases worth learning, and posting your summary or any reflection about the 2nd episode under this post. Remember not to repeat others' words, so we can save more space.

Below are questions we haven't finished yet on 10/3. We may continue from these ones.

1. Why is the TV series called “’Desperate’ Wives”? Why are they desperate? Explain from your personal viewpoints.
2. Compare this TV series with “Sex and the City”. What are their common places?
3. What do these 4 women (LYNETTE, CARLOS, BREE, SUSAN)/and their families stand for? Do they reveal any American typical values?
4. What's the core value of this drama since you have seen 2 episodes already? What does it want to convey?


p.s. The excerpt from Toshi’s previous topic may bring us hint toward question 1, as below:

So, in the U.S. we have more stuff than ever before, but polls show that our national happiness is actually declining. Our national happiness peaked sometime in the 1950s,58 the same time as this consumption mania exploded. Hmmm. Interesting coincidence.

p.s.2 Remember the meeting starts from 8 o’clock. And for any problems about where to get the film, please refer to our first TV series meeting.

[Kooper]

facade[singular]: an outward appearance which is deliberately false (more pleasant than the reality) and gives you a wrong impression about sb/sth

Ex: Behind that amiable façade, he's a deeply unpleasant man.
Ex: Behind her cheerful façade, she's a really lonely person.
Ex: She managed to maintain a façade of bravery.
Ex: We're fed up with this façade of democracy.
Ex: They hide the troubles plaguing their marriage behind a facade of family togetherness.

thunderbolt [c]: an announcement, event or idea that is very surprising or shocking
Ex: The idea hit her like a thunderbolt.

If you have a feeling in the pit of your stomach, you have a sick/tight feeling in your stomach, usually because you are nervous or afraid.
Ex: I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that something terrible was going to happen.
Ex: I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when the news of the attack was announced.

[janet12tw]

1 tell him about it over coffe and pastry 閒聊的時候告訴他

2 age old question 老問題
3 to work out the kinks: to solve a predicament or whatever is bugging you and cause you pain (kink as a noun means: a short tight twist or curl caused by a doubling or winding of something upon itself) which is something painful.
4 track records 紀錄
Ex: We're lucky. This year we have two people with good track records running for Congress. It's hard to make up my mind, but I think I'll vote for Ms. Green because her track record is a little more impressive

Ex: Barry had been D.C.'s mayor for 12 years before he was put into prison for involvement with drugs in 1990. This time he was elected again. I just don't understand why people voted for him. He simply doesn't have a good track record.

5 Catch on: Finally understand what is going on
Everyone else realised what was happening, but it took Henry ages to CATCH ON.

6 throw a dinner:举行宴会
Ex: I will throw a dinner this weekend. Come and join us, OK?

7 Out of your hair:
If you get someone out of your hair, you get them to stop bothering or annoying you. ('Stay/keep/get out of my hair!' can be used as imperatives)

Questions:
4:42 bear clock 晴天霹靂
22:15 add salt to the woods 雪上加霜

[Sherry Liao]

In Episode 2, Carlos almost detected Grabrielle’s affair with John, so she decided to be more cautious with it. At the same time, Grabrielle found John was serious about their relationship, which made her a bit upset.

Susan tried to get some chances to be closer to Mike. She threw him a welcome-to-the neighborhood dinner; unfortunately, her love rival Edie successfully got a foot in the door. A battle between the two women started!

Bree persuaded Rex to see a marriage counselor with her. During counseling, Rex complained that Bree never showed her true feeling in their marriage. But later Bree elicited sympathy from the counselor that she devoted herself to the family, but the family members didn’t feel gratitude to her.

Lynette got pulled over for not having her kids sit on backseat and buckle and was mad. She later took Mrs. Huber’s advice to leave her children on the side of the road when they acted up. But she found trouble at her doorstep. A woman blamed Lynette for her emotional issue and kept her from taking her kids back. Finally, Lynette turned the corner with the help of her kids and they ran away.

[Kooper]

Lynette got pulled over for not having her kids sit on backseat and buckle and was mad. She later took Mrs. Huber’s advice to leave her children on the side of the road when they acted up. But she found trouble at her doorstep. A woman blamed Lynette for her emotional issue and kept her from taking her kids back. Finally, Lynette turned the corner with the help of her kids and they ran away.

I think the trouble didn't take place at Lynette's doorstep but at the woman's doorstep.