This is a Bramble Jam podcast.

Welcome to Girls Gone Homework, a Homework of you podcast.

I'm Megan and I'm a longtime a Hallmark fan.

Today we are discussing The Chicken Sisters Season two, episode two, Mama Tried, y'all, and I'm so lucky to be joined by Dara Auston, host of the Dear Hallmark podcast.

Thank you for joining me, Thank.

You for having me.

I'm so excited to be here.

It looks good, the food is good, the vibes are good here.

Thank you for inviting me.

I love it.

This has been such a fun project.

I mean, we're only two episodes in, but it's been fun to get to collaborate with other podcasters for this season of The Chicken Sisters.

You certainly celebrated five years of Dear Hallmark.

I did.

We're actually coming up on five years of Girls con Hallmark congratulation.

Yeah you too.

I know you haven't asked me anything episode coming up.

I don't want to steal from that, but I want to ask a real quick question, like what in the five years have become your favorite types of movies to review?

Oh, that's a really good question.

Sometimes, so I have two answers to that.

I would say sometimes I enjoy reviewing the bad ones because then I can have fun.

With it, you know, sometimes it is.

But also I really enjoy like, if I'm really really passionate about a movie, You're going to get a one quick, like ten minute YouTube take and I'm just gonna pour my heart out.

Like I like those where I can just pour my heart out because of how much I love a movie.

And normally those movies are like cooking movies, and our destination movies and our literary movies, anything to do with the book writing or publishing.

Those are kind of my jam and my jelly.

M hm.

Now, you're such a fun interviewer.

Do you like interviews as much as reviews?

Do you like the more?

So that's an interesting question as well, because last year I felt like I was more interview heavy, and so this year I kind of pulled back and I find that I genuinely enjoy I think I enjoy reviewing more, but I do like adding the conversations with different people, whether actor, director, producer, or what have you.

But I think because this is how Dear Hallmark started in the first place, my first love is reviewing the movies and talking with people about the movies.

Before we get into the details of this episode, I want to hear where you are with the Chicken Sisters insel.

Our hosts are coming at it from all different angles, so I'm curious.

I kind of know the answer to this.

But our listeners, did you watch season one?

Any thoughts on that seat and if you did, how are you feeling about a second season?

Yeah, so, y'all where my heart was.

I watched the first three episodes of the first season as it was airing last year, and I tapped out after episode three.

I was just like, this might not be for me, but it could be for somebody.

And so with that, I was shocked that it had a second season because I, at least from the like the comments I've been able to grab from the Facebook streets and the Instagram streets, I didn't think anyone was really watching it or liked it either.

So I was shocked and they announced that there would be a second season and it would still come out this year.

I was shocked about that, and I don't want to spoil my thoughts on the episode, but yeah, this episode was different for me.

I'll just leave it there.

Did you watch episode one.

I didn't, so I came in completely blind.

I just saw the recap at the beginning of the episode, I was.

Like, Okay, well, this is gonna be so fun.

So a quick synopsis of this episode, Amanda, Nancy, and guest tried to mend fences following their ultimate Kitchen Clashed episodes airing and may enlist Sabrina's help with her wedding planning.

And we always run down news and notes of these episodes at the top.

We're not going to run down everybody.

But for this episode, Carrie Karney was the head writer.

She was an actress and only has Chicken Sisters is her only writing credit other than a short.

She was a staff writer on all eight episodes of the first season, but is credited with as head writer of this episode.

I think we're leaning into I think we're leading into comedy writers.

Here is my feeling.

I can feel that.

I can feel that.

I definitely felt that with this episode.

One thing I noticed I was listening to a podcast last week and one of the guests that were like, he's a writer on The Chicken Sisters.

And then of course, as I'm watching this, I see his name in the credits.

It's mono agopian.

He has a podcast of his own.

Hehosts a RuPaul's Drag Race Recap podcast, which I have not listened to, but he was so funny on this other podcast that now I'm like, I've never seen an episode of RuPauls Draggrays and want to listen to his podcast.

So just a hint of where we're coming from with these writers.

Yeah, and Leah Thompson is back as director.

She directed episode one, she directed episode two.

We don't get a lot of information ahead of time, so I don't know how many of f Yourdure episodes she's gonna direct.

But whoa, Yeah, that's really cool.

Is this our first time directing within the series.

Within this series yet?

Yeah?

She has quite a few other television directing credits.

It's definitely not her first thing.

Yeah, she did not direct last season.

Okay, Wow, that's cool.

Lea Thompson is getting it between this and Spencer Sisters like she's owning it.

I love it.

Could we get a second season of Spencer Sisters?

That's all I want for Christmas?

Yeah?

Right?

Then?

We have one new cast member, David James Elliott.

He plays Clayton Briggs, the third former high school quarterback and of course May's daddy.

He has a deep resume.

He's obviously most well known for his appearance on two hundred and twenty seven episodes of Jag over ten seasons.

Stara, is that a show you ever watched?

Yeah?

I actually grew up watching Jack.

My dad would always have it on.

So yes, interesting.

Yes, indeed, I've never seen an episode, but that's he has a ton of credits, but that's what everybody references.

In the last episode, one of my wishes was for our girl Gus to get a little love interest and see him walking at the end.

We'll talk about it a little bit more happy to have him joining the cat me too.

We're gonna take a quick break and we're gonna come right back with our first impressions.

All right, dar let's hear your first impression of Mama tried, y'all?

Okay?

So, uh, my first impression I wrote, give me a caesar salad and some fries because I might be here longer than I thought.

So first of all, a caesar salad and prize is the perfect.

Meal, quintessential meal, if I do say so myself.

Chicken seas it, shrimp sees it.

If I'm feeling fancy, oh look at you.

Yeah, but I feel like maybe you're coming around.

On the chicken sisters.

Listen.

That's what this episode did to me.

I was shocked and my petty behind was forcing myself to not like it.

And it was just like, no, girl, lean in, lean in, that's right, melt that heart, melt it.

Let it melt your heart, and it showed it definitely did.

I adored this episode.

I was cracking up so much with our guy from the Cluckery.

I didn't catch his name.

Christian Christio gives real strong like uh like alpha mantic podcaster, Yeah, red pill like that whole thing, which was just hilarious to me and for me, Like I just I enjoyed this whole episode and I felt like I felt like I was on vacation in a way, which was weird.

Like I can't quite put it into words, but this it was something about the pacing of this episode that that really made me happy, Like I really enjoyed watching this episode.

Well that's one of my few questions to come up.

So I'm glad you said that.

You know the reason why I'm doing this this season with co host is because our listeners know Wendy was not a fan of the first season, and when the second season came around, she was like, I don't know if I can do it, and I said, I have an idea and let's see how it goes.

So interestingly enough, she has watched the first two episodes and after the first one she was like, it's better.

It's better, so you're not alone and feeling like the vibes are better.

We have a brand new showrunner this season, and I don't know how much influence there is there.

Yeah.

My first impression is feels a little bit like Shawna is quickly becoming the third Chicken System.

Okay, okay, I don't want to jump ahead of you, but yes, yes, yes, now, yes she.

Was in season one and of course, but she the first two episodes of this season.

I mean, it has been Shawna heavy and I'm here for I'm the biggest fan of cam Howden, the actress too replace her, Like yeah, to the point that she's she saw some posts and she shared them, but I'm like, okay, Megan, pull.

It back, like, but she's so good.

She's such a great as to the show.

Yes she is, Yes she is.

Let's talk what you liked about this episode.

Okay, I have I have a lot of Billet points.

I had to and it didn't take me long to put this in.

But like again, the pacing of the show was it was like a slow drink of lemonade for me.

It was refreshing, it was sweet, it was kind to me, and I appreciated it.

I love it.

And then you mentioned Shawna.

She's one of my favorite aspects of this episode.

And also seeing Sabrina and May interact with each other the way they were, with Sabrina helping May plan her wedding and May just kind of like glitching and she's like, I could do everything else, but planning a wedding, I just like I go blank.

And so just watching Sabrina help her in that way.

And it's odd because I, like, I still had a little bit of residual distrust of Sabrina from what I saw from season one, but this episode swept that right away.

I was like, well, look at Sabrina just being just a beautiful friend to May.

And then again, the guy from the Cluckery, like he he brought it and the whole masculinity coach thing, and like that whole scene between him and Frank Junior about like I was, I was howling, like I was hollering.

It was that was my problem.

My favorite part of the episode.

Yeah, no emotions, Clauset, yes, Oh my gosh, and him just like on his shoulder or whatever, He's like take the day.

It was so funny, so so so funny.

A few things I liked.

Look, we're seeing Amanda coming into her own.

This is a takes you know.

I did watch all the first season, and it's just hard to watch.

She's really bogged down by Frank Junior and she's living the life that other people wanted for her.

We see in the flashbacks that she had her light dimmed and it's very literal the way it's shot by Frank Junior, with the lighting and the literal dimming and darkening of the scenes.

He squashed her creativity.

And then we see her come back to life when Frankie is born, and I like how they bring it back around.

Frankie's about to move on to the next step, and she's the one who's encouraging her to find herself again, find her creativity, and the things that she loves.

My girl, Nancy is a little frustrating, but I loved that when she finally apologizes to Frank Junior, She's like, you have some ownership to take here too.

Of course he takes none, because Frank Junior is the worst, literal worst, But I appreciated Nancy in that moment.

Yeah, a couple funny moments.

I liked May telling a man that she can't move because she's been barring a lot of her clothes and long jean skirts have really grown on me.

I also loved Seanna's funeral flowers and her continued love for Bodice rippers.

I love it.

Those two things told me all I needed to know a watch Seana literally as someone who doesn't have much experience with her her bringing in the Flower, the Flower Arrangement, and then the novel.

I was like, Oh, I'm here to say, I'm here to say, like, that's my girl, that's it.

Were you a Gilmore Girls fan bine each year?

Okay, fun fact, I just started watching Gilmore Girls last fall and then brought it into this winter and season six, episode two I had to tap out because Rory was getting on my nerves.

Oh yeah, Rory has a rough time in there is this yeah.

Dropping out of Yale Roryler.

Yes, like when right when they got arrested for the boat thing and then she ends up living with her grandparents.

I screamed at the TV, and so I've boycotted it since the winter, but I'm going to pick it back up in the fall finishing.

I will say that is that is infuriating.

It's so frustrating, but it does have payoffs.

The reason I ask is, to me, Shauna is Kirk.

She's and she runs all these different businesses.

She's in everybody's business.

She's kind of she's here, she's there, she's everywhere.

So she's kind of the.

Interesting Okay, I didn't know her to have, but that I guess in season one do we see that a lot of her that she okay, Okay, that's good to know because honestly, if we're talking Gilmore girls without that prior knowledge of Shauna from season one, she was giving me back, not bad back.

Who's our is it?

Miss Patty teacher dance teacher?

Yes, that's the vibe she was given.

She was.

Yeah, I think that's accurate too.

But you know, for anybody who didn't see season one.

Yeah, frank Junior sabotages, he takes off with the winnings.

Shauna comes in and she's like, y'all, I'm rich, I have sixteen jobs.

And she then franchises the Chicken Sisters because Gus's business is in severe debt and so she comes and saves them, which is why she's kind of stepped up in importance because she basically owns these restaurants and she's a partner with them.

Okay, so it all comes together.

Let's look what you wished for in this episode.

So I only have one wish.

My only wish was and this is kind of across the board with different shows and movies, but the way the daughter Frankie talked to Amanda, I just that just hurt me, and I know she was hurt and embarrassed too.

But I just wish that we were able to talk to our mom in a more delicate way than what we did.

That was my only wish.

Interesting, Yeah, interesting, Okay.

One of my wishes is a question to you, because with such an ensemble cast in this show, how are you feeling about the little snippets for getting?

Because in this episode, we've got a big focus on Amanda, little shots of Nancy with the past, or a little bit of Lindsey and Frankie.

Does it feel cohesive enough?

Or are we we're getting too little of those other storylines in this episode.

Honestly, I'm okay with what we're getting because I see it as that's something that they'll probably expound on in later episodes.

So it didn't bother me, like it didn't feel it didn't.

I didn't sense a lack of cohesiveness for me with this episode.

But is that is that kind of how you felt?

No, it wasn't because so the first episode was very fast paced and the way they were catching catching us up and bringing all the characters up to date with everybody, and I love that.

Going back to Gilmore Girls, I love that fast pace, like give me the dialogue.

Move it along.

I like that.

And I was worried because last year I felt like the pilot episode was like that and then it slowed way down and we dug into these storylines.

I felt like this episode kept up that pace.

Okay.

I was just wondering, as someone who's maybe not as entrenched in the world of Marynac, is it not enough?

But Yeah, we are going to get more of Lindsay and Frankie.

Yeah.

Question, are you feeling any romantic vibes there?

Okay, so I was getting that in the first season.

I thought that they were setting that up in the first season.

So, but who's Who's is his name Dudley?

Who?

So who's he?

Like?

Who's he supposed to be?

He's Frankie's dud of a boyfriend.

He shows up in the first episode and Lindsay's like, who are you.

He's like, I'm Frankie's boyfriend, and just to look on her face.

And then in this episode when he shows up at the movies and Frankie leaves with him, and then you know, Lindsay goes home, She's like, I want to go home.

That makes sense now because I'm like, what I'm like is she's just sick of the town.

But as you're talking, that's why I'm like, Okay, that's why she was.

She just like kind of crashed out a little bit because she has this kind of longing for Frankie.

Yeah, I've thought about that.

Yeah, I'm hoping we see that come to fruition this season.

I am curious your take on gus So last episode, I felt like we started to see a little.

Bit of a softer side of Gus.

Yes, my co host.

Brian Harold said he didn't love that.

He felt like that wasn't true to who she was and it was setting us up for some not really for her character to not make sense later in the season.

I stand by it.

We see a lot of peaks of her softer side in this episode.

Yeah, you know, she even gets teary eyed when people are making fun of her, supportive of Amanda in a way you never would have seen in seasons.

That's true.

She goes along with Shawna's plan.

How what do you think about Gus as we see her now?

I enjoyed Gus in this episode because it felt like she was doing at least going along.

I'm thinking specifically about doing that bit at the end with Shauna with the season salad thing.

I felt like she was doing it, but begrudgingly, Like even when she said hi, I'm Gus and no, I'm a Chuck consists it like, I felt like she was doing it begrudgingly, but because she she is listening to Shawna and respecting Shawna's you know, opinion, she obliges.

But I enjoyed Gus, I really do.

And I think Wendy Malax she's I love her, and I think she does such a good job of kind of that balance of like having that heard exterior but still being able to show a softer side of Sharman.

And so I'm I'm enjoying the push pool.

I think I wrote in my notes, I was like, it's springing Narnia again because because of just how yeah, how warm.

For lack of a better word, I felt like Gus was in this episode and I liked it.

Do you watch the show Shrinking?

No, but I've heard of it.

I recommend it.

Wendy Malick is in it.

She's frea fantastic also created by the creator of The Chicken Sisters, Annie m Vain.

Oh wow.

But it is.

The best thing on television right now.

I mean, season three is coming up, so we're not actively in a season, but it is one of the best shows.

I've ever seen.

Which streamer is it on.

It's on Apple TV Plus, which is frustrating because I feel like it's not one that a.

Lot of people have.

That's true, I am one of those people.

Yes, but it's worth like a one month because it's only ten episodes in a season, so you can kind of get through.

Okay, it's great.

I think it's great.

I have one more and it that.

While I think it's a great storyline for Sabrina to help May plan the wedding, it's how we give Sabrina something to do while she's back in town.

I don't fully buy.

That May is this checked out of the process, even with the explanation that she is used to not seeing marriages last I just feel like May, who she was as a person, is not lining up with this.

Like I can't plan my own wedding.

It's three weeks away and I don't have a dress.

I mean, that's fair, No, that's fair.

At least it got us Sabrina back, which was one of our biggest wishes at the end of last season because Brute to love her.

Rookie Bernard is one of my favorites, one of her best roles.

She's so good.

Yeah, and so I'm glad it brought her back.

But we'll see, we'll see.

Okay that I mean, because she has been, at least from what I saw previously, like she has been made to be this very kind of like type a tie type of person.

So to think that when it comes to something as so so big as your wedding for her to not have done anything, yeah, or does that.

Of an organizing television show?

Now question?

Because I know her and her fiance had at least to mine from what I gathered, was she having an issue committing to him?

Like, do you think that that's like something deeper?

Is her not planning it?

Is her not kind of wanting to commit to him.

I think the issue was that he didn't know the truth about her past, about she was from.

She hadn't told him that and he doesn't find out until the eighth episode of season one.

But I think she was a little nervous.

About planning a wedding, and in season one when they were engaged in trying to figure out how am I going to do this and keep up this facade of who he thinks I am?

And of course he finds out and he's like, I love you for you, not the idea that you presented as some you know, New York City girl.

So I think she's all in on the relationship, especially now Okay, it's all out there and.

I just found out he's magnets from Providence Falls.

Yes, did not make the connection.

I said, play the role, brother, play the role.

He did such a good.

Job, so good.

Oh, I could talk about Providence today.

You and me both girl.

People are talking or dogging on that show.

I'm like, excuse me, we need to have a conversation.

Absolutely, step into our office.

We have office hours whenever you need.

Well, let's talk.

Any did you see that moments that you've came across in this episode.

I only have one, and it's it's more so than I just want to highlight this, this part when Gus is filming the actual Caesar salad video, her blazer is just I sent my compliments to the chef that blazer was just as delicious as that Caesar salad looked.

And I just need y'all to just give just give a hearty her heart to the costumer for that choice.

Yeah, that whole look, right, we get that look where she looks ridiculous and whatever.

Nancy has her usure in, and so you kind of assume she's just gonna be gussed, she's just gonna wear her normal gut and when she comes in, she's still dust.

She's dust.

Two point oh, it's so good.

The straight jeans and the blazer.

I loved it, and I love her shorter haircut.

Yes, it was perfect, perfect.

So good.

I again have kind of just moments that I want to highlight.

One is really about me.

It's Amanda saying to Frankie, I don't know who I'm going to be when you leave talking about Frankie in college.

I can't stop talking about the fact that I dropped my kid off at college last week.

And so I'm like, bury in that.

First of all, congratulations because that is a big feet in and of itself.

I know.

Wendy was like, hey, he's launched.

I was like, it's a transition period.

She said that I thought, I see you a man.

That.

Yeah.

I want to throw it back to a question we had last week in the episode, because.

To me, the logistics of the two Chicken restaurants are a little bit confusing because they're both the Chicken Sisters, but we maintain these two locations because it's a franchise.

But we were like, Brian especially, was like, which recipe are they using?

How are they doing this well?

It seems to me, based on a common August mate, that they're continuing to use their own recipes, which is weird for a franchise, Like you think there needed to be some continuity, but you know, nothing makes sense in this town.

And I mentioned it a little earlier, but I just really love the use of lighting in this shows.

It's really well in flashbacks when we talk about Amanda's trajectory and the Cluckery is lit in dim, cold blue lighting.

Yeah, I mean that place is devoid of life.

It's really good.

You know what.

It reminded me of good Burger when the like how the contrast.

It's the old nineties Nickelodeon movie with Kel Mitchell.

It was like a Kennan and Kel movie, Uh huh, And they had a competing burger restaurant called Mando Burger or something like that, and just the contrast between like the warmth of that restaurant and then the darkness of that, and I think theirs was like overexposed so much that it felt unreal.

This reminded me of that, like what you were saying, in terms of how they purposefully shot it, it feels abandoned, neglected, like like so, yeah, I thought the way they lit that, you could you could feel that it felt like you were inside of a refrigerator and not a restaurant.

Yes, for sure.

So we have a segment we're including in these episodes because most of our hosts are not Chicken Sister loyalists.

I think that pertains to you.

So this segment is called fresh Eyes, and this is just for those who are new.

What questions thoughts do you have?

What's not making sense?

What was the how did it?

Because it seem like Gus and Nancy are on good terms now, Oh what brought them back to good terms?

Well, that's actually a great question because I think it's we're seeing it again.

So in season one, we know that there was some rift between Franny's and Mimi's back in the day that led to the split of these two restaurants.

Originally was the Chicken Sisters they split into two restaurants.

Well, come to find out, nothing ever happened, except that the men in their lives perpetuated these rumors to make them hate each other, to exert power over each other.

So like at one.

Point it was believed that Gus had had an affair with Frank Senior, and that never happened, but Frank Senior allowed Nancy to believe it because it gave him power over her.

I think it comes back because in the first episode I was like, what's Frank Junior's play here?

Why isn't he signing the divorce papers?

And it's because that's the only card he holds, yea only power he has.

So the men in the series are all trash exerting yes, yes, and all about exerting power over the women in their lives.

Except for Sergio.

I'm very very curious, like what his how they're going to play with his character throughout this season this he has the biggest he's the biggest wildcard to me in all of this.

Uh huh, yeah, that's real interesting.

He was very funny.

He only had a couple scenes in this episode, but was very funny and thrown off.

The entire time.

And that text he gets from that do not that's his ex that do not answer number.

We learn about her in season one.

We don't know what's going on with her, but that's who's colin.

Have we seen Harley?

Do we know what she looks like?

We have not.

Oh it's like Mary's from Frasier, like because she's just it's like pritty.

Okay, that's interesting, Okay.

Well it's time to name our feathered friend of the week.

Who was the MVP of the episode for you?

Oh, Shana hands down, hands to feet like it's Shanna.

She again, the Bodice Rippers, the flower arrangement.

She goes in and commits corporate espionage, which I love, like her whole.

I like she.

She is it for me and she she will always forever be my queen for this.

You know, Shauna was my feathered friend and I even put in my notes I'm tempted to go with Shauna because she is here, there, and everywhere, but I did choose a different person.

I went with Frankie, and I think you're gonna disagree because I actually was, for lack of a better word, proud of her when she expressed to her mom why she was so hurt, when she was able to explain, you know, what was going on.

I do think those were hurtful words and hard to hear, but yeah, you know, she's a teenager and going through big feelings.

Yeah, I wondered, like, are they teenagers entitled to know what's going on as a marriage is splitting out?

Like how does where's the line there?

Because yeah, because I'm not sure, you bring you'd loop them in until a decision.

Is right and made right.

But I did appreciate her expressing herself and then showing her mom a little grace.

Yeah.

I do think even though maybe the delivery was a bit much for me, I do think like the nature of her words that that was a big step in and of itself of being that vulnerable and that honest and then for her mom to kind of meet her where she was.

And I thought Amanda's response too, she was like, well, what you know, what can I do?

Like I I causes But I love that she even came into the room and was just like, I'm just going to sit here.

I'm just going to sit here because I just want to be with you Like that was that was a heartwarming moment for me.

Yeah.

I really liked that too.

You don't have to say anything, but I just want to be in your presence.

Yeah.

Yeah, Well, thank you so much for joining us.

This was so fun.

I'm loving having all these different perspectives on the Chicken Sisters.

Can you tell people where they can find you outside of this episode?

Absolutely, so you don't have to look near or for I am on Instagram at dear Homemark, that's d Ea R.

Hallmark and then you can find me also on YouTube at that name, and also wherever your eartakes in podcasts, whether it's Google, Spotify, Apple, it'll be dear Homemark.

Well we will link all of those in the show notes for this episode.

And thank you for listening to this episode of Girls Gone Hamewark, a brandble jam podcast.

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