The New Normal: Jane Tweets, Shania Sings, and It's a Boy!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

First, a complaint. I'm kinda mad that the Halloween episode has not yet aired! That one should be episode 8 by the way, but because it hasn't aired and is not even scheduled to at this point, I'm going to bypass it, as many others are doing. Problematically, they can't just wait and air it next season because Goldie is pregnant now and shouldn't be by the time next October rolls around. Anyway, on with the episodes. Ditching Jane has done wonders for my sanity and the shows likeability, but we can't keep her away forever. I particularly love how each episode builds on the couple and their apprehensions regarding the baby while managing to include a pretty decent "other" storyline as well. Pairing Jane with Rocky was kinda different but it worked. Having Goldie reach a revelation over her seamstress skills was pretty neat as well, especially when the lead-up fit so nicely for such a short backstory thus far. Whether we'll see what Shania does during her suspension remains unknown, but hopefully it will not deter this little overachiever too much!

The New Normal "Unplugged" (S01E08): Jane goes to lunch with Rocky, who talks about how she wants to produce her own television shows. [apparently they had drinks on Halloween. another reason we should have seen that episode!] Jane wants to get her California real estate license and is going to take a class at the local annex, but Rocky says that she needs to take online classes and have an internet presence. [truth.] She's on Twitter as @NanaUrBusiness and allegedly gets 422 followers after only 32 tweets. She's "telling it like it is," but insulting celebrities in the process. She decides to post a private video of Bryan's, where he sings to David about wanting a family. [blocking Bret Easton Ellis? ooookay...]

Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC

Goldie is tired and wants Shania to entertain herself with video games, but when it comes to having dinner, Goldie wants everyone to be off their devices for the meal. [haha, busting out "the shopping cart" dance move!] They decide to try "no devices on Saturdays," but Shania decides to ditch technology altogether, turning off the lights. David cheats and uses the internet to check on his fantasy football team, and when Bryan catches him David gives him five minutes, too. [haha!] A significant portion of @MrBryanCollins' 734K followers are well aware of Jane's video, and Bryan storms over there to demand she remove it. [bleh to that suit he was wearing! and I found it odd that NBC went ahead with truly using Jane's account but not Bryan's.] David had never even seen the video, as Bryan made it for their wedding day. [awww!] When Bryan gets to work, everyone has great things to say about the video so he has everyone retweet it! [oh, technology!] After Shania wakes Goldie before dawn, she's allowed to use her tablet and phone once again. [haha.]

Oh, and Bryan and David have an infant CPR lesson. [why not also have Rocky and Goldie take the class? Surely they'll be babysitting and whatnot.]

The New Normal "The XY Factor" (S01E10): As a boy, David wanted to marry Shannen Doherty and have a son with her, so he's been collecting World Series baseballs to share with his child. [really, Brenda Walsh??] David and Bryan had decided not to find out the sex via ultrasound, but the doctor's office tells Goldie that it will be a boy, and she quickly lets it slip to Bryan. [that SUCKS. I would be so angry if someone let it slip to me! and who was that sexist doctor/technician??] Bryan tells David, though he was still hoping to be surprised. [you gotta admit, it would probably be awkward for one parent to know but not the other.] Bryan is disappointed, having been hoping for a girl. David, however, is ecstatic, and immediately volunteers to coach some pee-wee football. David also wants to start making the nursery more masculine, but Bryan feels threatened, wanting to have the same connection with their child that David will have. [that's a very realistic circus theme for a nursery!] They work it out, though, as Bryan finds his strengths in obtaining arcade games and throwing an impromptu pizza party. 

Shania wants to be a contemporary "woman of note" for a school project, so rather than choose Marie Curie or Mary Todd Lincoln, she goes with Cher. [um... what??!?] Bryan and Goldie are thrilled with the job Shania does, but the other parents are a little uncomfortable and Shania receives an "F," plus a suspension for violating the school's policy on hate speech. [I can see how her song violated the rules and am surprised that Goldie didn't take any issue with it. Maybe David should have gotten more involved, LoL.] Goldie fights it, going into the principal's office in her royal blue lawyer suit jacket with all of the legal jargon she can muster. [that was kinda sad, actually.] Still, she's told that rules are rules, and Goldie is greatly disappointed in herself. But, she realizes that she might not want to be a lawyer after all, but a costume/fashion designer!