SwingTown Episode 4: Cabin Fever - discussion

[JustAskJulie]

An annual getaway is cozier than expected when both the Deckers and the Thompsons arrive at the Miller's two-bedroom cabin.

So it sounds like the Miller's are trying to get their friends more comfortable with each other.

I understand wanting your friends to all get along and everything... but really waht the heck are they thinking? It will be an interesting episode, to say the least.

[MsGingerLynne]

Well.....it's Wednesday morning, shortly after 10am EST.....less than 36 hours until show time!!!

I'm not excited or anything......

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by MsGingerLynne

Well.....it's Wednesday morning, shortly after 10am EST.....less than 36 hours until show time!!!

I'm not excited or anything......

In the meantime you can always go answer today's Trivia Question (it's a Swingtown question).

Julie

[DarkenFreaky]

Oh boy this is going to be an interesting show!!!

[Zoe&Wash]

An annual getaway is cozier than expected when both the Deckers and the Thompsons arrive at the Miller's two-bedroom cabin.

Oh, dear Lord, please don't let it be a cabin in Northern Wisconsin. I like them. I like them in Chicago. Once they come up here, they become annoying weekend cabin people who hog the roads, the boat landings, and ignore the "no wake" signs.

Seriously, how is this going to end well for Janet? They must not have told her that the Deckers were going to be there.

W

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by Zoe&Wash

Seriously, how is this going to end well for Janet? They must not have told her that the Deckers were going to be there.

W

From the looks of the previews, the Millers didn't tell the Deckers that the Thompsons would be there either.

[knb2004]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

From the looks of the previews, the Millers didn't tell the Deckers that the Thompsons would be there either.

And I just realized that when Janet walks in the door, the kiss she interrupts is between Susan and Tom. Hehe, whoops.

[Zoe&Wash]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

From the looks of the previews, the Millers didn't tell the Deckers that the Thompsons would be there either.

Huh. Couldn't get the preview off their website and we rely on Bittorrent to watch anything, so we, like Janet, are pretty well screwed for knowing what's going on.

W

[JustAskJulie]

Tonight's episode was a bit blah... it was nice to see Janet open up a bit but of course as quick as the door opened it slammed shut.

The one part of the show that really bothered me was the kids... and what Samantha has been exposed to. There are things that kids just should not see. I'm also a bit worried about where things are going to go as far as the kids becoming aware of their parents situation. Part of me wants to say if what we do (swinging) is so ok, then why are we so against the kids knowing about it, but on the hand I don't really see it as being so much an issue of the kids KNOWING what is going on but of them being there when it is going on and being directly exposed to it. Or worse, in the case of kids like Samantha when their parents are neglecting their children and choosing swinging (or just sex and drugs) over their children.

The preview for next week is a bit worrisome as to where things may be heading as well.....

[knb2004]

I agree, it was a little blah. I'm not a Hollywood writer, not sure what I woulda done different, but something.

As far as kids exposure, well Samantha seems more concerned with the drugs than any sexual issues, though I coulda missed that. The fact is that as parents, real or fictional, our sex lives are none of the children's business. There may come a point where for whatever reason, they NEED to know, but I don't think we have an obligation to share under normal circumstances, especially while they are still biologically children. Of course, they shouldn't be exposed to it, but then again I walked in on my parents getting freaky when I was 15 or so and it didn't damage me. Well, unless that's why I'm a swinger lol. (For the record, they were alone, I can't even remotely imagine my parents, ESPECIALLY my mother, being a swinger.)

I think there's some serious soul-searching in the near future for our prudish friend Janet.

BTW, Mrs. knb and I have decided that "stop being a Janet" just may become a standard swinger insult. Not that we really need one. :-)

The teaser for next week was interesting, I'm suprised to see that level of drama from Susan, but who knows that that means, teasers can be quite misleading.

[cplnuswing]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

The preview for next week is a bit worrisome as to where things may be heading as well.....

Yes it was, and it kind of threw me for a loop. It seemed like sudden sharp turn onto some sort of sisterhood/women's liberation tangent, which I guess stays true to the era as being an issue that people were talking about and working through. I hadn't really recognized that as an issue between Bruce and Susan, but the hints are that is where we are headed. Maybe where they're going is that Susan wants to expand her newfound sexual liberation to other areas of her life, and Bruce wants those roles to remain traditional while enjoying the benefits of her sexual liberation. It will be disappointing if the dynamic goes from couple vs couple vs couple to males vs females.

I think the kids observing their parents with a mix of interest and embarrassment will be a continual topic in some fashion since the show's writer was inspired by what he saw from the top of the stairwell while his parents and their friends had parties downstairs. Not like they see any actual sex (and the writer's mother denies they were swingers) but just a tween or young teen observing interaction between adults that just doesn't quite compute for them but they can't quite place their finger on why it doesn't compute.

[BDaring4Me]

Nothing like some home-baked brownies, Alice B. Tokles style, to get people to relax!

[cataryna]

I loved tonight's episode. It was funny and I think was a good stepping stone to repairing the relationship between Susan/Bruce and Janet/Roger and building the relationship between Janet and Trina. The whole scene with Susan asking Roger if he'd told Janet was interesting because I really don't think Janet is as much of a dummy or necessarily as close minded as we may have thought she was. I fully expected a "mad rush" out of the house the next morning by Janet when she realized what she'd done the previous night and was surprised that she stuck around and even went out of her way to ask Trina to stay for breakfast. I think Janet secretly wants to be more like Trina, more liberated. I still have to wonder if Roger has a crush on Susan or that he wishes Janet were less rigid and more like Susan.

I still can't grasp the children's subplots. B.J.'s I kinda get. He's falling in love with Samantha...that first REAL teenage love. Do you remember what it was like?

The daughter's story...ehhh. So she's in love with her teacher and is trying to seduce him...okay? I just don't see the point of her subplot.

Samantha's story is just sad. Julie, you mentioned "when their parents are neglecting their children and choosing swinging (or just sex and drugs) over their children." I think for Samantha's mom, it's more of a drug thing than a sex thing. She's using sex to get the drugs so I wouldn't necessarily say it's swinging that she's doing. I really hope they delve more into Sam and her Mom soon. I really do want to see them work through that.

Janet's son's part in this story tonight was interesting also. He obviously comes from a strict tight household, and look at how he's rebelling with the drinking. I think they could be in for some hard times with him. I think it also says a lot about people today raising their children in such tight close-minded households. I think the children will end up exactly the same tight and close-minded way...or at the opposite side of the spectrum, in serious trouble.

[ViSexual]

I just watched it and, actually, the Miller's did pretty well. I think it's going to really enhance the long-time friendship of the two couples.
Great episode!

But, is it just me? I don't feel comfortable with the kids. Maybe it's because I never had any, but adult sex and adolescent sex just don't seem right on the same show.

[Alura]

If Swingtown is to have any real depth to it, it's necessary that teen sexuality be explored. Sex becomes an issue to all teens, not just swingers' offspring.

I agree that Women's Lib, an important movement of the time, needs to be a part of the story. It may be the thing that opens Janet up.

I can't imagine anyone needing to be told what the Alice B. Toklas brownies were. If you've ever baked them, you know the smell is unmistakable. ... a little technical mistake on the part of the writers.

All in all a very good episode, in my opinion. I wasn't ready for it to end.

Will the kids still be in the pool when Trina and Tom arrive home?

Mr. Alura