The New Adventures of Old ChristineGuess Who’s Not Coming To Dinner?
Original Air Date: 26 Nov 2008
Caitlin - TwoCents Reviewer
caitlin@thetwocentscorp.com
Old Christine celebrates Thanksgiving this week! And we finally see Christine and Matthew’s infamous mother, played by Brenda Blethyn. I have to say, she’s everything we thought she’d be and more.
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[photo: CBS.com]
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Old Christine celebrates Thanksgiving this week! And we finally see Christine and Matthew’s infamous mother, played by Brenda Blethyn. I have to say, she’s everything we thought she’d be and more.
ReplyDeleteChristine talks to Barb about how miserable their trip to spend time with her parents will be. Matthew enters with Lucy, who Christine somewhat traumatizes by laughing at Matthew’s suggestion that their mother will love her. Christine tells Lucy their mother can find any way to blame her for her and Richard’s divorce- which Richard loves. And so the entire cast of the show is off, because the writers need everyone in a holiday episode. We meet mom as she runs in, basically makes out with Matthew and calls Lucy “Lucky” (for getting to date her son) before chatting happily with Richard and New Christine while making snide comments toward her own daughter. But soon everyone notices something- Christine and Matthew’s father is missing.
After some confusion, Lucy replaces Richard in his and Matthew’s room. She starts hitting on Matthew in his old bedroom- full of Dungeons and Dragons collectibles from his youth, just in case you thought he was a total ladies man in high school. Meanwhile, mom continues to rag on Christine about her singlehood. Christine points out that dad never came home, but mom continues to act ignorant about this. In the morning, having to sleep on an air mattress leaves New Christine so stiff she and Richard think she’s paralyzed, for which Richard wants to break up with her. Christine comes in, concerned about her mother’s behavior. Barb has the obvious explanation- that Christine and Matthew’s mother killed their father. Everyone doubts this for some reason. However, there are pills lying around that dad never leaves the house without. Insert dramatic music cue here!
Lucy’s still waiting for Matthew in his bedroom, only to have everyone run in. Barb continues persuading them that their host is a murderer, using rather absurd math. Still, everyone starts to believe it. At dinner, Christine sends Richie running while Richard asks New Christine to sacrifice herself for the sake of the group. But mom finally admits that she didn’t kill anyone- dad just left after a fight. She says he’ll come back and they must wait, but after a while she runs for the kitchen. Christine is sent after her, only to find her crying with her head in the fridge, lamenting the fact that “the celery is gone forever”. After much persuasion, Christine gets her mother to start to deal with the fact the man she spent her whole life with is gone, and even to create a bond between them- only to have it all ruined when dad returns home after all.
Sorry about the late review this week- it was delayed for my own holiday plans. As a ‘what if’ question this week, who would you have liked to see cast as Christine and Matthew’s father? Talk about the episode in the comments section!
What Old Christine Taught Me This Week:
1. Christine doesn’t understand how seasons work in the Bahamas.
2. Nobody likes driving with Christine
3. Christine had to sleep in the garage. But it was out of love.
4. Lucy understands Dungeons and Dragons about as well as I do.
5. Brenda Blethyn needs to come back as soon as possible