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A fortune teller perhaps foreshadows the future of our leads, and not all of the fortunes are good. In fact, 2/3 are pretty bad.
| Network | ||
| Disney Channel | ||
| Director(s) | Paul Hoen | |
| Writer(s) | Terri Minsky | |
| Air Date | 2/23/18 | |
| Characters Introduced | ||
| Walker | Darius Marcell | |
| Norman | Danny Jacobs | |
| Madame Le Doux | Peggy Ann Blow | |
It All Started with Madame Le Doux: Cyrus, TJ, Buffy, Andi
It’s Cyrus’ Bar Mitzvah and after reading the Torah comes his party! One which has so many games, a DJ and also a fortune teller booth. One in which Cyrus is told he’ll get into an Ivy League college, but won’t graduate. Buffy learns her mom isn’t home for good, and neither is she, and Andi learns she’ll have a real boyfriend sooner than she thinks.
Let’s go further? Cyrus’ college thing isn’t gone into further at all but what is gone into is him being gay. For the reason Andi asks the questions of Madame Le Doux is because she is going through it when it comes to Jonah but knowing Cyrus is kind of feeling the same, it helps. She is shocked, kind of adjusting, but knowing someone gets how she feels, and she can be open about it, that helps immensely.
As for Buffy? That news rocks her world since it has been a year since she saw her mom and because of where she was, there would be weeks at a time where she would lose contact. Which makes TJ, who talks only really to Buffy in his scenes, annoying to deal with. However, with him seeing Madame Le Doux and asking about his learning disability, and her saying he has one and should go to his friends about it, he questions if she is valid. Thus pushing Buffy to ask her mom if she will get deployed and learn that she won’t in two years.
Making it so Madame Le Doux is technically right, but because it isn’t immediate she feels the need to confront her. Leading her to realize, maybe her mom won’t get deployed but it could mean they are moving. A fate possibly worse for that means Buffy would lose her two best friends. Not point blank period but definitely in terms of being able to hug and console her in ways only they could.
We Need To Talk About Miranda: Bex, Bowie, Andi
With Bowie invited to the party, like how it is awkward for Andi to see Jonah, it is awkward for Bex to see Bowie. However, eventually, there comes a point where the elephant in the room has to be addressed and it happens to be in front of Walker. Someone who has to witness Bowie confessing it was Miranda’s idea to meet her daughter and deal see Bex storm off and Bowie walk away as well. Setting up what is talked about in the next topic.
But, as for the adults, consider them like Buffy and Marty, who apparently wasn’t invited. No matter how much they fight and bicker, they end up back together. Leading to him and her making up for the prom they didn’t go to and having the kind of moments that give fans and Andi hope. Yet, in the long run, it really does seem that as much as Andi and Bex mean to him, Andi especially, let’s not forget Bex said no. So, Bowie has to move on. It’s hard to but, as much as Bex needs to hear she still matters, as does Andi, Bowie wants to know that too. It’s just, for whatever reason, perhaps due to that ex, Bex just can’t bring herself to love Bowie the way he desires anymore.
About A Boy: Walker, Andi, Jonah, Norman
To put it simply, there is something about Jonah in terms of loving attention and not liking when people are mad at him. Perhaps it is because, as he said, he doesn’t like confrontation, yet it could be more than that. Without seeing these kids families for extended times, it is hard to say where they get any of these traits from. However, what can be seen is Andi is ready to move on and make Madame Le Doux seem legit.
For this kid named Walker, who was doing caricatures for the party, he takes to Andi quick and hard. I mean, the fact he didn’t ask for her number or anything was a huge surprise to me. After all, they were dancing, taking pictures, he drew her and they were cute and giggly with one another. To the point Jonah got jealous. Heck, he got beyond jealous and had a full-on panic attack. Possibly all over the idea of losing Andi. Is this how tween shows get dramatic? That’s a real question since I can’t think of another show which features this age range which isn’t a comedy.
But I digress, this panic attack is seen by TJ and handled by Norman, Cyrus’ biological dad, and like with TJ not wanting people to know he has a learning disability, Jonah doesn’t want people to know about his panic attack. Perhaps speaking on how much kids fear being labeled in today’s society. Especially considering how, as much as there is this idea this next generation is kinder than the last, that may not be true.
Either way, after he is calm and got his wits, and the party is long over, he goes to Andi’s apartment and asks her out. Mind you, this is after she says she is once again free of him like she said in episode 11 of the first season. The only difference now being she isn’t trying to go cold turkey but make it clear she can’t deal with the lack of reciprocity in their – whatever you wish to call it. However, once again, the possibility of losing Andi forces Jonah to step up. But this time, rather than act nicer until he is back on Andi’s good side, and regress, it seems he is going all in. He asks her out properly.
Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments
- As noted in this article, Joshua Rush’s real-life mother plays his stepmom in the episode.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Walker wasn’t in the next episode preview. So, is he coming back?
- Speaking of coming back, have you seen Marty? He has been missing for a long period of time and I’m wondering if authorities have been contacted.
Highlights
Moving On
Even though we saw and heard Andi say she was done with Jonah before, I like how now it has evolved from being done and going cold turkey, avoiding him, to trying to just be friends. Which is why I so badly wish more of these kids parents would show up because I feel Andi is learning how she can be friends with Jonah by watching how her parents interact. Is Bex necessarily happy Bowie is dating someone new? Not at all. However, she has her own history and friendship with him which supersedes whatever is happening with his girl. They have a kid together and went through so much and still, there is so much guaranteed to come.
And I can imagine Jonah and Andi having that type of friendship. One in which, she can be there for him for when he has panic attacks, maybe dates someone for real, and he can be there for her. For, and this is what I love about Andi so much, she recognizes when their relationship is becoming toxic and lets him know it has to stop. Maybe not totally, but if they are going to be friends, if he values her company, certain things have to change. Plus, you gotta love she calls Jonah out on his nonsense. Not even in some overdramatic fashion with yelling or anything, she talks to him as calmly as she would Buffy or Cyrus. “What you’re doing is hurting me, so I’m taking a step back.” Not her exact words, but you get the idea.
Addressing Stigma
I really do like how TJ isn’t alone in admitting he has a problem. Jonah’s panic attack was a bit weird, and definitely will take time to not seem out of left field, but I still appreciate it happening. Things like that, learning disabilities, and more, aren’t really normalized on television and Andi Mack is probably going to be one of the few dramedy shows featuring young teens for a long time. Yet, unlike Girl Meets World, which I mentally compare this too often, you have to love how this show doesn’t make it seem that with friends and family, you can easily conquer anything. No, despite being on the Disney Channel, the show doesn’t approach these scary and real issues like that.
I mean, look at Cyrus. So far, he has only explicitly told two people he is gay. This is the kid with 4 loving parents, an extended family through Andi’s, and Buffy backing him up. Yet, him coming out is slow and steady just like TJ coming to terms with maybe having a learning disability. Which, I’ll admit, is frustrating at times, since I’m so used to shows on the channel doing things in a after school special style, but I feel like for this day and age, taking things slow is necessary. It presents this sense of realness I wish wasn’t limited to this show, in terms of the focus squarely being on the kids and featuring the adults from time to time. But, considering how well this show is doing, eventually, others will take note.
This Show Really Did A Hour Well
Being that I watched this on Disney on Demand, through PlayStation Vue, there were no commercials and it was a straight 45+ minutes. And honestly, I feel like this show could be an hour long program and rock. Granted, the chance of that happening is slim, but considering how the show has broke ground and picked up the baton GMW left, who is to say it won’t continue to innovate?
On The Fence
So, Buffy’s Mom Couldn’t Have Come to the Bar Mitzvah?
One day I’ll get over Marty’s disappearance, but no time soon. However, being that we have not seen any of these kids really interact with their parents besides Andi, I was so infuriated that Mrs. Driscoll, much less Mr. Driscoll, wasn’t at Cyrus’ party! Were they not big parts of his life, as much as Andi’s parents and grandparents? I get Buffy is not the lead character but, as said in the last episode, Pat’s appearance is being so downplayed right now that it is like they don’t want Buffy or Cyrus getting so big their stories could eclipse Andi’s.
But, who knows, considering Buffy’s mom maybe deploying and have to leave to foreign places, with Buffy following, maybe the Lizzie McGuire spin-off, which was to feature Miranda, might get retooled to fit for Buffy? Just a thought.
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