MovieChat Forums > My So-Called Life (1994) Discussion > Obscure Things You've Noticed

Obscure Things You've Noticed

posted 14 years ago by TeaBunny
59 replies | jump to latest

- There's a paddle on the wall in Principal Foster's office. (Man, he's a jerk!)

- When Ricky is talking to Jordan under the bleachers on Halloween night, Jordan has a fake HAND sticking out of his shirt. For like, NO reason.

- The lady who introduces the band at Club Vertigo is told to "shut up!" by someone, as she is leaving the stage. No idea who that is, or why she is portrayed as being such a nervous person.

- When Angela is walking home from the cop car after Let's Bolt, she trips on the shoes that are not hers. When we see her turn in the street (same shot from the opening) she is wearing some flat shoes we have not seen before.

- The anti-smoking poster in the bathroom in The Zit episode gets more and more defaced as time goes on... starts out clean, then gets doodled on and finally one of the girls is labeled, "PIG".

- Rayanne once points out that the different mustards are about "sex" - and Angela says that's her father's doing. After Graham's first night seeing Hallie Lowenthal he comes home to make a sandwich and asks where the spicy mustard is.

-When Patty is hanging streamers for the Anniversary Party, you see a couple of them fall down. Then, as Patty and Angela talk, you just HEAR them falling down, that papery sound, so you get the idea that Patty has to redo the whole thing again.

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] nobodies666 14 years ago

Damn never noticed any of those things exect like maybe 2. Wow. Good job!

Jared Leto & Marilyn Manson share title of:God of F!ck and Manson/Jared are MY GODS of F!CK!! ;)

[–] TeaBunny 14 years ago

You know what, watching it with headphones really makes you notice more subtle dialogue!

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] billr1953 14 years ago

I notice the girls never wash their hands in the bathroom.

[–] TeaBunny 14 years ago

I know! Of course, there is "never soap", as Sharon says.

Another thing I noticed is when Patty wants to take her Dad to the "healthy" restaurant "with the fountain" - then the restaurant space that Graham and Hallie want to open is in a space with a fountain. Same place? The one restaurant went out of business? (Fueling Patty's statement about 50% of new places going out of business)

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] nobodies666 14 years ago

Those are good ones!! This show has soo many oddities. Pretty neat. Heh. ;)

Jared Leto & Marilyn Manson share title of:God of F!ck and Manson/Jared are MY GODS of F!CK!! ;)

[–] ilgreven 11 years ago

Delia tried to in "Betrayal"...and found out there was no soap...or towels...and then she found out that Rickie hangs out in the girls' bathroom...

Speaking of Rickie and Delia, does anyone notice that they're the only two that are actually happy at the "World Happiness Dance", even though they are the ones that were feeling the crappiest going into the dance?

[–] pitajean007 14 years ago

It's not so much an obscure thing that I have noticed but as I've watched this show countless of times(I have the full boxed set.) I've noticed that Angela and Ricky are the same. They have the same feelings pretty much about everything. Because when she first starts obsessing about Jordan Catalano, Ricky tells her exactly where she'd be able to see him as if by "accident." He seems to know everything there is to know about Jordan's school schedule. I even believe he had a crush on him too. To me, it's pretty clear that he did. He even said one time to Angela when she's explaining something that happened between them, he says,"That's exactly the way I would have imagined it." And he says it with kind of a sadness. That kind of stuff happened alot in the beginning of the episodes but not so much as the show progressed up until the episode when the "cheating" stuff started to happen. Then it all kinda comes full circle.

This show really was a good show. I really could go on and on about this show forever.

Lead Cenobite: No tears, please. It is a waste of good suffering.

[–] SlightlyTwisted143 14 years ago

Yeah, I agree that Ricky had a crush on Jordan. The writers were hinting at it, but didn't out right say it, even though it was obviouse sometimes. I think they just hinted about it too, so that Angela could maybe get the hint without Ricky haveing to say he liked Jordan, which basically outed him as gay. Ricky didn't really seem ready to come out then. But I thought the way they had him come out to Dehlia was very good, and well timed.

Then again, if this show was filmed today and not during the 90's, they would have him saying that he's gay the first scene he's in.

Natalie: *beep* you.
Keith: You just did, partner.

[–] rck_n_rll 12 years ago

Really? I never got the feeling that Ricky had a crush on Jordan. He might have thought he was cute, but duh, who wouldn't?

[–] TeaBunny 14 years ago

And in the pilot ep Rickie says, "Don't you love how he LEANS?" after we hear Angela think about her appreciation for Jordan's leaning. I knew right away he was gay (it's so obvious) and I figured he just thought Jordan was hot. Which is like, indisputable. Or whatever.

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] pubbly 14 years ago

This show really was a good show.

I agree.

Just watched the episode where Ricky joins the Drama Club after getting caught doing an imitation of the teacher (who also treats another teacher who seems to have a crush on him the same way as Jordan treats Angela).

This was also the episode where this teacher reads a poem that leads to Jordan having an EPIPHANY about Angela.

Ironically Brian's decription of what the poem means also seems to help Jordan finally realize how much Angela means to him.

Poor Brian. Angela also treats him the same way as Jordan did her and the same way as this other Teacher treats the other teacher.

Gina to Paul: You begin by questioning your value as a therapist - you end by questioning mine.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BingoFlip20943 14 years ago

When Angela's parents are trying to figure out if she wrote the sexy submission for the Lit, one of them says, "We don't have a basement." At the beginning of Life of Brian, the Chases are in their basement- Graham is getting wallpaper and Patty says something about not being able to do Danielle's hair in a basement. Spontaneous basement eruption in Penn!!!

[–] fanetta 13 years ago

Supposedly the Chase's have a cat, but it's never seen. There are many references to kitty litter and Graham is even seen putting cat food into a bowl when Patty says something to the effect of...
"You always give the cat better food than I do."

And save your soul
Save your soul
Before you're too far gone
Before nothing can be done

[–] latebar7609 13 years ago

Here's my biggest pet peeve/plot hole about the show. When Ricky was thrown out of his house, why didn't he stay with Rayanne? He was there a lot, Amber was obviously a hip mom that was really open minded, she obviously would have let him stay there as long as he wanted. That's something I never understood. Left a huge plot hole in my opinion.

[–] TeaBunny 13 years ago

Remember when Amber was dating "Rusty" and Ricky had this really quiet, throwaway line "Wow, is HE unfriendly" - I got the feeling that Rusty maybe was mean to Ricky or he had a problem with him being gay... It seemed like Amber wasn't the kind of person to let someone boss her around, so having that little throwaway line about Rusty doesn't really fit in.

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] rck_n_rll 12 years ago

I sort of thought that too. I didn't really get it, but by the end of the show I realized Rayanne's mom wasn't that great. She was really laid back and stuff, but I sort of think she would pick a man over her daughter and her friends. Even if he was a jerk. She probably would have left him if it got to be too much, but I could see her holding onto somebody like that for awhile. She seemed like she could be selfish.

[–] TeaBunny 13 years ago

>> Regarding the fake hand sticking out of Jordan's shirt - wasn't that just his Halloween costume? >>

He's JORDAN CATALANO... he doesn't wear a Halloween costume! Although it was probably just a spooky prop but no one ever mentions it and it looks weird sticking out of his shirt.

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] oldewill 13 years ago

Why is the science teacher discussing "scientific method" its written on the blackboard and the class is dissecting a pig's heart ????

Maybe the "cat" hangs alot with Tino??????

[–] SundayMorning67 11 years ago

I always thought Ricky had a crush on Jordan too. When Angela wants to tell Jordan he has to meet her parents before they go on a date, Ricky tells Angela for the second time where Jordan will be, because (one can assume) he knows Jordan's whole schedule. Angela says "Oh, Rickie", like she just realized how much Rickie likes Jordan. Then Rickie says something like "No, it's OK," confirming that he wants Angela to go for it with Jordan, because Jordan means more to her now and she has way more of a chance of actually dating him than Rickie does.

[–] Lets_talk_about_that 11 years ago

ding ding ding! Yes, Ricky had a big crush on Jordan, but he knows he has no chance with Jordan, and Angela & Jordan have "a thing" together.
Then Ricky had a huge crush on Cory Helfrich, but Cory is into Rayanne. Then out of frustration at her good girl image, Angela grabs Cory and kisses him, which of course hurts Ricky...
Angela seems to have a habit of taking Ricky's man. lol

www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-j-winograd/PETA-KILLS-PUPPIES-KITTENS_b_ 2979220.html

[–] chillbill 13 years ago

Not actually an obscure thing, but very funny was Anglea thinking Ann Frank was lucky because she got to be locked up in an attic with a boy she really liked for 3 months. I laughed and cringed at the same time - reminds me of some moronic things I said at that age.

[–] rck_n_rll 12 years ago

Yes, yes, yes! It's exactly what someone at that age tends to think like. Until, you know, they grow up and see pictures of the holocaust.

[–] anqieBabesz 13 years ago

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, and I don't know how obscure it is, but something that I've noticed is that during the episode where the poem is being read in class and Jordan has his "epiphany" about Angela, it seems as if the teacher gets kind of pissed off when Brian interrupts Jordan.

After Jordan says that "yeah, he does love her" the teacher asks him "well why do you say that?" but then Brian interrupts and starts elaborating. The teacher's face just seems to kind of fall and he sighs, as if he really had wanted Jordan to answer.

I've seen a couple of posts or comments regarding Jordan's mental intelligence, and I think that scene is kind of hinting to the viewers that maybe Jordan is actually capable of deeper thought process than he's given credit for. It seems like if Brian hadn't interrupted then maybe Jordan would have been able to answer himself.

I Think Your Luck Is Finally Changing

[–] dairwendan 12 years ago

I agree. In the episode "The Substitute" Mr. Racine says to Jordan, "Don't ever play dumb with me again" and calls him "That very smart kid". It seemed obvious that Jordan used the dumb act to keep anyone from finding out that he couldn't read, and most teachers, in fact most people, bought it. Hallie Lowenthal also described him as "spacey but not unintelligent".

[–] patronizing_bunnyrabbits 13 years ago

The MC at Vertigo isn't told to shut up. Two of the band members are bickering in whispers. One says "Shut up." The other responds with "You shut up." Quite the eloquent pair.

"Sacred cows make the best hamburger."

[–] TeaBunny 13 years ago

Oh I see, that makes sense because none of them get along anyway.

------------------------
"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] AcidRaina 13 years ago

I picked up on most of these but good job with the mustard observation! Never caught that before!

"Living our maggot lives, dreaming of becoming flies."

[–] sissywillard 13 years ago

what a great topic.

in my re-discovery of this show when i noticed the poster in the bathroom increasingly defaced as the ep went on...that was my awakening of what a truly brilliant show this was. wish i knew if the idea of the poster becoming unrecognizable by the end was a writing-thing, director-thing or just organic by the cast.
one quirky thing i loved about the show was how Brian was so insecure about his social dialog. at the end of the ep where he wrote the love letter to angela but let jordan take credit...at the end when jordan appears from the shadows while angela and brian are talking in the street:

JC - "hey"
AC - "hey"
BC - "hi...HEY"

[–] ECETeacher 13 years ago

I love in the last episode how Jordan gives Brian ("Brain") his big puppy dog eyes and Brian ends up agreeing to help him get Angela back.

[–] markbirdxxx 13 years ago

I only noticed ONE very odd thing and it seems to be out of character for Clarie!
When they are standing in line at the movies and Rayanne mentions someone from Sesame street...Clarie starts to laugh and then screams out loud making the actor who plays Rickie seem shocked and not sure what to do which makes him start to laugh, making CLAIRE laugh even more! It seemed like it was not meant to happen like that but they kept it in the show!

[–] rck_n_rll 12 years ago

Yes, I noticed this too.