Blockbuster Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Parental Control

The devastating lows, the caffeine-induced highs, the frustrations, the revelations — it’s inventory time, baby!

On Blockbuster Season 1 Episode 6, Timmy finally stands up to his parents, Connie stays up too late, and Eliza can’t catch a break. 


Parental control is not just an issue for Timmy but for Carlos, too, though it’s more insidious in that the latter has internalized the guilt of not measuring up as a son. 

Anyone who’s worked at Blockbuster for a significant amount of time knows what it’s like to do inventory. This episode will bring back all those feelings!

On the one hand, you would have to work late, and it could be hard to struggle through your sleepiness. On the other hand, it was usually done without customers around, so way less pressure! 


Though I love Olga Merediz (Paciencia y Fe), Connie’s dance interlude went on just a little too long. Carlos’s trailer about it was fun and a testament to his skill.

By this time I’m usually asleep in front of the TV having a nightmare about James Corden.

Connie

The joke about “coming out” as a filmmaker to his parents was sweet, and it was nice to know they accepted his bisexuality. He thinks “filmmaking” would disappoint them, but they seem like loving parents.

It makes logical sense — film school is expensive, and accounting is a more steady, reliable source of income.

Again, we have the theme of immigrant children not feeling entitled to have dreams of their own. They must make sacrifices for their parents, who sacrificed so much for them.

Carlos: I’m, like, weirdly good at accounting. That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever said.
Connie: Saddest thing I’ve ever said is “One ticket for Space Jam 2.”

Poor Carlos struggles with the need to prove himself academically. He has skills in both accounting and filmmaking, but one of them is his passion.

It will be a hard road to achieve his dreams and financial security, but it’s better than living a life of regret. Hopefully, his parents will support him when he “comes out” to them.


I also appreciate Hannah and Carlos’s friendship. They are so supportive of each other, always encouraging their friend to live their best life.

I don’t know if the show will attempt to ‘ship them (not saying I’d be mad, though), but I do like how their platonic relationship is portrayed. 


I love B’s. They’re home school A-pluses.

Hannah

It is odd how an episode about parenting didn’t feature Percy and Kayla, the show’s most dysfunctional parent-child pair. JB Smoove and Kamaia Fairburn are decent actors, but their characters don’t have many redeemable qualities. 


This whole episode felt oddly paced, and the action at Timmy’s parents’ care home just felt like a distraction from the main storyline. Though I understand it’s showing character development for Timmy, it’s hard to see his parents treat him like this. 

Timmy: My mom’s a required taste.
Eliza: You mean an “acquired taste?’
Timmy: Nope, required, as in I’m required to help her whenever she calls.

Timmy’s just a good guy. He’s wholesome and lovable and owns his own (struggling) business. Of course, he’s a catch (see Blockbuster Season 1 Episode 5)! However, he lets everybody walk all over him, which we now see started with his parents.

He’s a doormat because he wants to keep everyone happy. As a child of divorced parents, he’s always going to want to be the peacemaker, but it was good for him to realize that his parents have always had a strained relationship and probably always will. 


This was a great episode for Melissa Fumero as Eliza.

Eliza: This is supposed to be my “me” time. I should be on my couch cuddling my cat, a bag of sour smurfs, and Target’s finest Merlot.
Hannah: Is this what Cathy is?

Here’s the thing — it’s okay to want alone time. It is healthy for couples to have outside social circles (other than work) as long as the other spouse doesn’t feel excluded.

However, Eliza equated wanting “me” time to disliking spending time with Aaron. Sometimes people grow apart, and no amount of Aaron trying to improve himself will be enough because Eliza has mentally checked out of their relationship.  


Eliza’s rant to Timmy was gratifying, and, honestly, it feels so important to hear a woman articulate these feelings — a woman is allowed to want time for herself.

It’s not unreasonable to be frustrated when she clearly states what she needs and is constantly denied it. We all need our “decompression” time for our sanity, whatever it looks like.

When Timmy told her she was making him a better leader, and she responded that that wasn’t her job, the message landed crystal clear. It shouldn’t be the woman’s responsibility to make the men in her life “better.” 


Here is the thing — Eliza felt comfortable and safe telling these things to Timmy. He really listened, apologized for taking her for granted, pledged to do better, and then did.

This was an example of Timmy improving on his own, and Eliza took notice.

Eliza: It’s so weird hearing the word “sorry” coming from a male voice.
Timmy: 13-year-old Timmy thanks you for saying I have a male voice.


Other little fun jokes/running gags: 


• Trout Royale! Standing in for Squid Game, this is one of the goofier parody names I’ve heard, but I giggled every time someone said it with a straight face.

• Love that the seniors just settled in to watch Saw III like it was any old Turner Classic Movie.

• The newscaster joke just keeps going! Way to commit to the bit! 


Overall, this episode was uneven. I missed the Blockbuster employees during Timmy’s side trips to the care home. However, there were still some great moments.

How did you feel about the inventory shenanigans? Did you dance along with Connie?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Mary Littlejohn is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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