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Its in the fabric of the stories of the show, she says.
The themes for me were back to basics.
(COVID made it impossible for her to fly to California.)
Youre like, Do not call me a boomer.
Have your kids done that to you?Oh yeah.
It works on two levels as an insult.I dont know why it matters, but it really matters.
My brothers a boomer, and we are of a different time.
It got me thinking about howBetter Thingsis a portrait of a Gen-Xer in ways I hadnt thought about before.
Its about men and women and everything in between.
But I suppose it is a really good example.
We first heard this termsandwich generationin regard to us.
I guess I would agree with that.
All these things seemed really, really scary when I was in middle school.
They left this crazy feeling inside.
Things can get really fucking bleak, and youre allowed to laugh.
You have to laugh.
The kids need reasons to keep moving forward.
You made the decision not to bring the pandemic into this season ofBetter Things.
I was hoping the pandemic would show us we were going too fast:This is a reset.
Lets not go back to normal.
We need to change and be better.
We did a birthday parade for one of my daughters, then one of my friends daughters.
Thats always been a part of the show.
I guess I just doubled down on it.
Sams tackling the steps, and she sees this man crying.
She doesnt know what to do, so she just sits with him.
Then, after Sam says, This is a monument to gayness.
Its like the Stonewall of L.A., an entitled woman walks through like, Excuse me.
And they just burst into laughter.
That, for me, is addressing the pandemic.
When you go to a doctor, youre at your most vulnerable.
Through Sams eyes, were seeing how this ugliness lives in the world.
If you’re able to laugh at it, it makes it less awful.
The set rebuild of Phils house was very seamless.Celia felt very privileged.
She couldnt believe we all came there.
I was tunnel vision: I wanted to get to Celia and complete the story of this season.
Another theme this season is Sam not being as integral to her daughters daily lives.
She goes to see Frankie at the grocery store where she works, and Frankies waving her off.
Sam has to back away and stay out of the store.
it’s crucial that you keep moving forward.
Your kids are on loan to you.
They dont belong to you; youre raising them to launch.
Seeing somebody else besides Sam do that is what I love.
There were so many years where my dinner was the rest of the food on their plate.
That cant be your whole future.
Youre not just eating the fucking rest of the mac and cheese they left on your plate.
Youve got to plan for your future as well as helping guide your kids to theirs.
As Sam says in the finale, The meanest thing your kids can do is grow up.
Nobody talks about the aging thing, like when the women did the menopause secret testimonials last year.
I didnt have anything like that.
At a certain point, the spotlights back on you.
What are you going to do?
Sam is a very progressive and welcoming person, but shes having problems with they/them pronouns this season.
She makes some jokes, but you’re free to tell shes taking it seriously.
I screw it up sometimes, too.
Okay, give me a minute people are very resistant to that kind of change.
The thing about this season is you adapt or die.
We had to adapt in terms of the shutdown and the pandemic.
Its about not being resistant to change.
I really appreciated Frankie saying to Sam, This is not about you.Exactly.
Or at least think about it.I dearly hope so.
Theres kids at the house, and Frankies like, Ive got to read this play.
Sams like, How much did you read?
And shes like, None of it.
She was on a fucking plane that had to make an emergency landing.
Then she says, Okay, how about this?
Ill read a chapter and then you read a chapter.
And they start readingARaisin in the Sun.
Celia came up to me after and said, You know what, mate?
I wish I had done that with Angs her son, Angus.
That wouldve gotten us through so many things.
How is she on every committee?And they wouldnt share with you.
If women hold on to that and selfishly want it for themselves, were all missing out.
I put that stuff in my show because I wish I had known about it.
