MovieChat Forums > Clubhouse (2004) Discussion > Clubhouse Jumped the Shark

Clubhouse Jumped the Shark

posted 20 years ago by marykapelos
18 replies | jump to latest

In only three episodes!! It has to be record.

Last might's episode was so badly written, so contradicting of everything they had established about the characters that there is very little chance they can recover from it.

They made most of the characters into hideous bleepholes, the only one that remains is Dean Cain's character whom they'll probably savage next week!

Too bad. It had the makings of a good show if only the writers had some common sense and continuity in their writing.

Hazing is a horrible thing that should not be tolerated and having most of the lead characters act otherwise makes the characters into people I don't care about any longer and makes the show completely irresponsible.

The writers, producers and directors should be ashamed of themselves.

[–] Xx2Good2BeTrUxXx 20 years ago

I disagree. I think that that episode was like a lesson to teach teenagers, etc.

www.hometown.aol.com/sweetangelash90

www.hometown.aol.com/jeremysangelbabi

~*Ashley*~

[–] Defenseman13 9 years ago

lol, hazing is just fine unless it goes too far. The hazing I got playing hockey was epic.

[–] jpsbluez 20 years ago

Wow! You certainly are harsh. Your opinion is noted, but I don't agree with it at all.

First of all, I think this was by far the best written episode yet. As for the characters, they are developing into REAL characters what we can actually believe in.

You sound kind of sheltered.:P Have you ever been initiated into or got involved in a close-knit or fraternal type job or group(especially one involving kids and sports for example)? Hazing to some degree does happen. A little bullying is not uncommon. I'm not saying I agree with it at all, but it does happen. It is just a crude way that the established members test the character of the new ones. I'm sure they have done excellent research in the writing and developing of these episodes. This whole show is based on a book by a former batboy. I don't think they went over the top with anything. Pete Young was actually heroic in standing up to them at the end.

This is a wholesome show. The characters are great and show the kind of values that we need on TV today. If all you saw were the bad things then you didn't get it at all. Pete stood up to the older batboy. And when the older batboy got scared on that tower, he helped him get down and didn't embarrass him about it when they got down. That is real character and strong values. Especially after the way that older batboy had treated him earlier. Heroic. When the mother was worried about going on a date, the two kids subtly encouraged her. That is real character and family support. And when the girl was in trouble, the mother was immediately to her rescue.

With all of the garbage on TV today, it is amazing to me that you found THIS show to be irresponsible. These characters cannot be completely sheltered like it sounds like you want them to be. It wouldn't be believable at all then. This show depicts characters with good moral values in life situations. Believable situations.

I applaud the writers, director, producers and performers for another GREAT episode. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think the characters are developing well.:)

JP

[–] Xx2Good2BeTrUxXx 20 years ago

yup, once again, I agree with JP.

www.hometown.aol.com/sweetangelash90

www.hometown.aol.com/jeremysangelbabi

~*Ashley*~

[–] Blue3bttrfly 20 years ago

OMG i totally agree with what u said. i beleive that if we portray people as they are people object and make a scene... but that is how people are... so why make a scene. I'm just glad there is some else that feels the same way.
I say keep the shows rolling...people will understand and begin to LOVE it as i do.
LT

[–] rlo157 20 years ago

I had wondered how many people thought this show was going to be along the lines of "The Waltons" or "Little House on the Prairie". Those shows were fine in their time, but Clubhouse is a huge jump from them. I think the show is finding it's way slowly to what it wants to be. I'm in for the ride. I really hope those who don't like it right now will give it a chance to grow on them. It is, despite some middling reviews and ratings, a good show, and one sorely needed in today's TV landscape of reality shows and CSI spinoffs. Oh, and I did like last night's show. Trying to fit in isn't always the right thing to do, but sometimes one has to learn that the hard way. Pete Young learned that last night. So to all the prudes and shut-ins who think this show is over the top, well, your entitled to your opinion---even when it's wrong! And get out and live a little...that's what Pete is trying to do!! (and if you don't make mistakes, you never learn anything!!).

[–] k8lyn 20 years ago

Exactly, I mean, doesn't stuff like this happen on The OC or One Tree Hill or any of them shows? Why can't it happen here? It's a life lesson...never let yourself get hazed... not a very good example. But like I thought it was a great episode.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] jpsbluez 20 years ago

LOL! No. I don't work for CBS.:P But I am sincere in all that I said above. Absolutely sincere in my opinion. If you make this show too wholesome, it is not going to be believable anymore. The characters aren't going to seem real. As rlo said, this isn't The Waltons. Pete and his family are going through and learning and growing from situations that are a real part of the environment that this story takes place in.

Whether you like it or believe it or not, a certain degree of bullying and hazing does occur in this type of environment. Especially involving teenagers and a close-knit or fraternal job like this one involving a sports team. Having the character to deal with that and stand up to a bully like Pete did is a part of real life. It is a part of growing up. You deal with these situations and learn from them. You don't always make the perfect decisions, but you learn. And your true good character will surface in the end....like Pete's did.

Heck, even the Beav (Leave it to Beaver) and the Brady kids got into some mischief.:P

As for Mr. Sumpter, I am one of his many fans. I'm not one of the tons of young girls that are in love with him, but I am a huge fan of his work. I've said this many times on many boards, but I will say it again here. I've been a film fan for a long time. I am a big fan of many actors and actresses of all ages. Age has never been a barrier for me (and should not for anyone) in choosing which artist's work we admire. I first saw this kid in Frailty and then became a fan after seeing Just A Dream. I've seen all of his films now. He is the only actor....yes, the only actor of ANY age....that I have found to be completely believable in every single character I've seen him play.

I am a working musician and a college student. I rarely have much time for TV. I used to love TV. But even on occasions when I have the time, I have chosen a good film over TV these last few years simply because of all of these tired Crime shows and weird reality tv shows. I make the time now to watch Clubhouse. I'll admit it was Jeremy's reputation that got me to watch the first show, but I am hooked completely. This is a good and believably wholesome family TV show with a great cast and excellent writing so far. TV NEEDS this show. I really believe that. And I hope more and more people give it a chance and see how great it is.

And to say one more time...I am in no way affiliated with CBS. I say everything I say here as it comes from my heart. I always have and always will. (If CBS ever did decide to pay me for that, it would be awesome...ridiculous..but awesome).:P lol.

Again, my hat is off to the writers, director, producers and performers for another great episode. I can't wait until next week.:)

JP

[–] mgr1900 20 years ago

I have to agree. I don't get it. How can a show that started out with so much potential, suddenly go down in flames as fast as it did in episode 3? If the writers, producers, and directors read these boards to get an idea of what the public is thinking, here are a few questions for you:

To the writers of Episode 3:
First of all, what was the message of this episode? Was it that hazing is a bad thing? I must have missed the message at the end. Even Christopher Lloyd's character appeared as if nothing had happened. Did he approve of it? Come on! Throw me a fricken bone here, people! His character appeared so neutral that he came across moderately creepy. I guess the message was not to climb tall towers if you are afraid of heights.

Second, during the first episode, there is a nicely written scene in which Pete talks with his girlfriend and kisses her on the cheek. By episode three, they're sucking face in about four scenes. At the rate he's going, he's going to hit a grand slam by episode five. Again, going back to the first episode, there was something in that scene that was missing by episode 3.

And third, did I miss something here but where did the segment with Dean going out on the date go? It looked like filler to me.

To the editors:
Uh..........what's the deal with certain items (ie necklaces, sunglasses) appearing and dissappearing in the same scene? As the viewer, I shouldn't be seeing things that make me aware that the scene is a combination of multiple tapings.

To the producers:
Just exactly how irresponsible is it to show a kid being put in a dryer as a joke? I would expect to see this on MTV's Jackass but not on a CBS prime time show about baseball. Mel Gibson approved of this?????

This is a show that has a lot of potential. It has a cast full of talented and interesting actors and it would be a shame if this show was cancelled because of bad directing and writing as demonstrated in episode 3. Bring back the writers and director of episode 1.

Strike one.

[–] jpsbluez 20 years ago

As a fan who did enjoy this episode (the best one yet in a series so far that is developing nicely), I think I can help you out with a few of your questions.:)

"First of all, what was the message of this episode? Was it that hazing is a bad thing? I must have missed the message at the end." - quote from mgr1900

No. It wasn't that 'hazing is a bad thing'. It is not a good thing and they showed that, but that wasn't the real message. Hazing or some form of initiation (which can also include bullying) is a part of life in many groups and job situations. It does happen, whether you want to believe it or think it's right. I explained that in an earlier post in this string. If you've never experienced it at all in any situation, you must have led a pretty sheltered life. It happens, and these are the things Pete is going to have to deal with to make this show somewhat realistic. If you remove all of the harsh things that might happen to Pete in this show, the characters will not be real to the audience anymore as the story will not come anywhere near to resembling real life.

This is what I got as the message of episode 3 involving Pete and the hazing, and it is a good message:

Having the guts to stand up for yourself and your friends when life situations get out of hand - like Pete did at the end by standing up to the older batboy and winning his respect - builds character. It's as simple as that. It would take a lot of guts for a 16 year old like Pete to be that strong. Hazing is not a good practice, but it does happen and Pete withstood it and fought to get through it. He needed to, to be secure in continuing his dream as being a batboy there. He now has respect on his side in the Clubhouse. And that will solidify him in that tight-knit group.:)

"Even Christopher Lloyd's character appeared as if nothing had happened. Did he approve of it? Come on! Throw me a fricken bone here, people! His character appeared so neutral that he came across moderately creepy." - quote from mgr1900

If I recall correctly, Christopher Lloyd's character started out as a batboy himself in a clubhouse. These hazing and initiation rituals are usually traditional, so his character would probably have went through it all himself. As the boss of the clubhouse it makes sense to me that for this character to seem realistic, he would look the other way. He neither approves or forbids it. He just looks the other way as he knows it is part of getting initiated into that group. You have to remember...the character that Christopher Lloyd is playing is not Ward Cleaver or Mike Brady. Good grief.

"Second, during the first episode, there is a nicely written scene in which Pete talks with his girlfriend and kisses her on the cheek. By episode three, they're sucking face in about four scenes." - quote from mgr1900

Good Lord. lol. He's a 16 year old boy. They are under the stars in a baseball field on a big night and away from their parents. I don't know whether you are a guy or a girl, but are you saying you never made out with someone you liked by the age of 16? I don't think what they did in that circumstance in this episode was that abnormal for a couple of teenagers. It was a big night for them. From what I remember about high school, kissing like that does happen....and it doesn't necessarily lead to anything like you are suggesting in episode 5. I think you are really exaggerating. I respect your opinion, but that is how I feel. These characters (Pete and Jesse) are coming off to me as good kids and real teenagers. They continued to come off that way in episode 3.

"And third, did I miss something here but where did the segment with Dean going out on the date go? It looked like filler to me." - quote from mgr1900

The character that Dean Cain plays is a major character in the show. But not every major character in the show is going to have life changing drama happening to them in every single episode. You can call it filler if you like, but his presence in the story is needed I think. Especially in the early going of this new series.

"Uh..........what's the deal with certain items (ie necklaces, sunglasses) appearing and dissappearing in the same scene? As the viewer, I shouldn't be seeing things that make me aware that the scene is a combination of multiple tapings." - quote from mgr1900

:)...Gosh you sure do pay close attention to little details.:P I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't notice any of that that you mentioned. I guess I was too busy enjoying the show.:P

I appreciate your opinion, but I disagree with quite a bit of it.:) I hope my perspective (opinion) helped you understand the episode a little better.

Episode 3 - (in my opinion) - a game winning home run and a solid continuation in the development of these rich characters and this great show.:)

JP

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] darkromanwine 20 years ago

jpsbluez--> you are doing a fabulous job defending the show. Kudos to you! I agree wholeheartedly and no, I'm not one of those Sumpter diehards even though I am still a teenager, 17 to be exact. :) Kirsten Storms was the reason why I was interested in watching this show in the first place since she's been my favorite actress for years now, but I have come to love Clubhouse entirely as well as almost everyone in the cast. It's THE best new show in my humble opinion and from the 3 episodes that I've seen, it's just gotten better and better!

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Jason Cook and Kirsten Storms ("Stormy") fan! Shawn & Belle ("Shelle") FANatic forever!

[–] imnoxious 20 years ago

hazing happens. on clubhouse, it was pretty pretty benign. getting nailed with condiments. scrubbing floor with toothbrushes. getting thrown into a tub of ice. it was a little harsh when the kid was tossed in the dryer, but that does happen, and the point in the show was to illustrate that the older batboys went too far. that's when pete stands up for brad. and that's very commendable. the goal of the episode was to be real and teach a lesson in how to deal with bullies. i think the episode accomplished both.

[–] jpsbluez 20 years ago

Yup. I agree. Good episode.:)

JP

[–] Hitoshirenu 20 years ago

I finally got a chance to see this show. I normally miss it on Tuesdays because that's the night my girlfriend and I spend together, and we normally don't have the t.v. going, but I'll remember to watch it tonight. The way I watched this episode was downloading it off the internet, and I was told to watch it at the behest of my good friend JP.

It's been said before, and it'll be said again. Hazing happens. It's the big initiation into a club or clique. They only had one night, in college if they're going to join a frat in real life there's a whole week of light-hearted hazing. And for the most part, the hazing was light. The only part that went overboard again was stuffing the little kid into the dryer. And it wasn't that Lou was approving the hazing, he had other plans and preferred to not be babysitting them. He knew they were old enough to take care of themselves. And like he said, the older batboy was afraid of heights so he can always go up to the mezzanine if it gets too bad. And of course the kid is going to want revenge after seeing one of his own get shoved in a dryer, he(Jeremy Sumpter's character) recognized that it had gone beyond the "safe" level of hazing. The kid could have seriously gotten hurt, and he was mad at himself for not being able to do anything about it. In the end though, he was trying to prove that it had gone to far. That's why he challenged the older batboy to something he knew that the batboy couldn't do since he was afraid of heights. He didn't do it to embarass him, it was almost like a chance to call it off without the other guys, who were really goading them both hearing about it. He earned the respect of the older batboy when they came down, by covering up the fear of heights, thus he passed the test.

As for the "making out", the total time for all three kisses was less then 10 seconds. I don't know about anyone else, but there ain't a whole lot then can go on in 10 seconds. And since it was divided up into three segments, the avg. time would be a little over 3 seconds. I've never made out with a girl in three seconds. If they were making out, there would have been excessive fondling and groping and maybe even some dry-humping.

Also a point of fact, they were using O'douls cans which is a non-alcholic type beer. And they more then likely weren't actually drinking beer, you can put anything you want into those cans and make people think that it's beer. Besides, when you were 16 don't you remember the anxiety of having your fitst beer? Come on, this is pretty much a view of how some teenagers are living nowadays. So it's time to stop sheltering kids from the world, and actually take the time to talk to them about drinking, sex, hazing, and smoking. That's the only way you can get anything done.

In conclusion, I applaud this show for actually having an original storyline and some characters that look to be growing into well-developed people. Sure there are some faults, but then again there are faults in all of us. Jeremy is doing a great job as are the rest of the cast, though I wish they would flesh out his best friend's character more. He doesn't seem to really do much, at least not in this episode. I had no problem with the writing, or the directing. I think that this show has a lot of promise in this day of reality TV and shallow sitcoms, and I'm most definitely going to watch it as often as I can.

I fight only for myself and only love myself...that's the only love i need.

[–] rlo157 20 years ago

Bravo, BakaGaara, Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] chocochip260 20 years ago

Yeah after seeing the 4th episode, I've decided that this whole relationship thing with the batboy and the girl is kinda awkward, I mean, I don't like see any chemistry, I get embarressed when I watch it! Yeah, this show has defiantly jumped the shark, I think though, that if they concentrate more on the family issues it'll help because I think that's when it gets interesting and real and their acting is the best!