Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV
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Idealistic Sentiments

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FX Networks original comedy Better Things premieres S2E7 Thursday.

#Betterthings has been renewed for a third season.

rottentomatoes: 95%

metacritic: 80

imdb: 7.6

emmys: 2 nominations

Leslie Winkle
Alex Dunphy
Janine Davis
Sheldon Cooper
Earn Marks
Larry David

Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Pamela Adlon, Mikey Madison, Hannah Alligood, Olivia EdwardSam Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Pamela AdlonSam Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Pamela Adlon, Olivia EdwardSam Fox

Working actress and single mother Samantha Fox does her best to impart upon her daughters Max, Duke, and Frankie some semblance of gender equality.

Sam Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Pamela AdlonOUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

1 nomination: 2017

“Hi.  Do you want to buy her the earrings?  ‘Cause that’s why she’s crying, because of six dollar earrings that– she has them at home already.  But she wants them for right now, so– you should go into that store and buy them for her.  ‘Cause I’m not doing it.  Or stop looking.  You want hot dog on a stick?” — Sam Fox

“Oh.  Hi, Richard.  Look, uh, Richard– yeah, look, Richard, I, I– Richard?  I’ll see you at school things.  Sophie’s dad.  Yeah, that was a big mistake.  What about him?  Is he tall?” — Sam Fox

Sam Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Pamela Adlon“Wait!  Don’t go in there.  The wizard will see us, and he’ll try to rez us down.  Hello?  Hi, Miss Jacobs.  Yes.  I’m sorry.  Duke had her homework, but I forgot it in my van.  I took her to the dentist today.  Yeah.  Yeah, I understand that.  Yes, I know.  Amanda, will you give me a break?  I have three of them, and you know I work.  No.  No, he doesn’t help.  They haven’t seen him in, like, a month.  I didn’t say that was your problem!  I– okay.  All right.  Amanda?  And I’m so sorry.  Thank you.  Whoo.  Okay, Vernon.  I am so sorry.  One more time.  Almost done.  Adrenaline.  Wait!  Don’t go in there.  The wizard will see us, and he’ll try to– Goddamnit.  That woman is pure shit on a stick.  I cannot wait till my daughter leaves that school, so I can tell her what a cock-biting douche her teacher was!  Ooh, Vernon!  Okay.  One more for the wizard.  Wooww.” — Sam Fox

“Where is the freakin’ graph paper?  I mean, this place is like a pre-apocolyptic nightmare.  Okay, graph paper, journal notebook, dictionary… ew.  What?  Oh, headphones, that’s great, and speakers, and calc– where’s the freakin’ graph paper?!  Does anyone actually work here?  Hello!  Does anybody actually work here?  Wait, but can you tell me at least where I can find the graph paper?  This is aisle eight.  Oh, here it is.” — Sam Fox

“I didn’t freak out.  Just nobody works there.  What?  I’m perfectly mellow.  Okay, you don’t have to, but now you know you’re going to.  What?  ‘Good nugs?’  I don’t even know what to say.  That’s amazing.  I don’t know how to get pot.  I don’t even know where to get– Gabby Shuster’s mom said that to you?  Okay, that’s great.  I can’t even get gran pot for her arthritis.  How about this?  How about this?  No.  No, Max, I’m not gonna get you pot.  Sorry.  Oh.  Oh.  Max, honey, can we just go back to the regular hard things, like school supplies?  Oh, yeah, well, that might be a little better.  Yeah, these things are normal, but you should be ashamed of them.  Little bit.  Aah!  No!  Hide things from me.  Please!” — Sam Fox

“Come here.  Yeah.  You’re a good dog.  I’m a bad dog mom.  What?  What?  Neither did I.  Baby, just– what?” — Sam Fox

“You want me to make you a burrito?  This is a burrito, burrito, my little burrito.  Did you brush your teeth?  Let me smell.  Why do you say you brush when you didn’t brush?  But isn’t it easier to just go brush?  Do you want to be a kid with orange teeth?  You promise to brush in the morning?  Okay.  Good girl.  Oh, no, baby.  I can’t lay down.  It’s late.  I have too much to do.  Okay.  Just for a minute.  All right.  No, no, I can’t get under.  No.  And don’t touch me.  I swear to God, if your little baby hands touch me, I’ll fall asleep and then I’ll be in a lot of trouble.  I’ll play you a song.  Okay?” — Sam Fox

“Oh!  Yep, that’s me.  Life sucks.” — Sam Fox

“Hi, baby.  You up?  Why are you up?  Yes, I did, baby.  But I stayed in there with you for a long time.  Long time.  It’s been a really long day and–” — Sam Fox

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!  No, don’t come in here.  Don’t come in here.  Don’t come in here.  Don’t come in here!  I said get out.  Get out.  Get out of my room.  Get out.  Get out.  Get out of my room.  Frankie!  You didn’t even knock.  And no, you’re not getting your clit cut off!” — Sam Fox

“Like– I want to see something real.  You know, I– real.  Like, I want it to at least feel real.  Can they just, like, make it feel real?  I don’t– what?  I don’t know what that is.  Oh.  Mm.  Penis.  Maybe.  Close up.  Don’t– you probably knew I was gonna say that.” — Sam Fox

“No, Stan, we’re not a couple anymore.  We’re business partners.  Oh.  Oh… hold on.  Hang on.  Can I just–?  John?  One–?  Can I have one second?  Yeah, I’m okay.  Thank you.  Sorry, Gary.  I love you.  Hi.  Yes.  I just– come here.  I want to– John?  Okay, you know I’m a gamer.  I come here, I throw down.  Okay, so you know I have three kids.  Girls.  Daughters.  Huh?  Okay, you remember Max?  My oldest?  Okay, she’s in high school now.  And in the interest of her carpool that I drive every morning… okay, there’s this one moment in this scene, a little detail that I just want to dial down a tiny bit.  I’m not sure that I want to live with it.  It’s the part where my legs are up in the air, and that one is eating my pussy, and his son walks in and sees us.  Mm-mm.  Yeah.  I…” — Sam Fox

“Hi, Dr. Akoya.  I’m okay.  Well, you’re about to find out.  You might find some evidence in there.  I can see you haven’t behaving yourself.  You’ve got a belly full of dicks there, young lady.  Sorry.  Fine.  Okay.  Anyway, I was just kidding.  I haven’t done anythi-ing.  Yeah.  Okay.  Normal, like… for my age?  How close am I… like, have I shut down down there?  Am I a man yet?  Please tell me I’m close to being a man.  No more periods.  Oh, my God.  Jesus, that’s so weird.  I don’t know.  I just– because– ew!  Shut up.  Stop talking about me.  Talk about you.  When are you due?  Can I feel?  Oh!  Hello, there, baby.  Your mommy’s a doctor.  And your daddy’s a– uh, writer?  Mm.” — Sam Fox

“So this isso  weird.  Um, I went to Dr. Akoya today.  Yeah.  Why?  Why?  No.  Okay, so this is the weird thing.  I assumed, you know.  I thought I was at the end of the rope here, and I was kind of hoping she was going to say that.  But apparently I have the reproductive system of a 16-year-old.  Like, my tubes are really good, and my eggs are still coming, and I’m fully functional and productive and just the reproductive system of a 16-year-old.  Did I fart?  What’s wrong?  Um… no.  I just– I just thought it was funny.  Um, okay.” — Sam Fox

“As long as you’re doing all this, can you help me out on the chin a little?  Do I have to be an alien who’s also an aging lady with whiskers?  Don’t women on the planet Zeepzop get electrolysis or whatever?  No, but seriously, can you– oh.  Hi.  What?  Home to the hotel?  Oh.  Got it.  I’m fired.  Oh.  No.  Totally.  Copy that.” — Sam Fox

“Hi.  Can we smoke in your cab?  How many kids do you have, Curtis?  Are any of them named Curtis?  I have three girls.  Um… uh… yeah, so you get to tuck them in every night, right, daddy?” — Sam Fox

“Hi, mom.  No, no, no, no, no, no.  Don’t come over here.  Don’t come over here.  Don’t come– have a good day, mom.  I got to go– I just got back from working in Canada.  Oh.  Good.  Well, anyway– –they let me go a day early, so– well, I assume they’re here, although they don’t answer their phones to torture me.  Susie’s with them.  Oh, that’s okay.  Mom, I want to go inside now.  Okay.  That’s good.  Good.  Nope.  No.  Mom, I don’t– no, no.  No, mom!  I don’t want to stand outside and compare bodies with you like we’re grooming chimps.  I’m sorry.  Time to go home now, though.  Yes.  Home.  Now.  Oh.  Oh, shit.  Oh, shit.  Hello.” — Sam Fox

“Hi, Susie.  Susie, I didn’t mean it.  I didn’t mean hi.  Where is Duke?  Oh, no, no, I don’t give a shit where Max is right now.  This is what I’m going to do.  I’m going to go upstairs and take a long nap, like Susie got to, and then I’m going to come downstairs, and all of this is going to be cleaned up.” — Sam Fox

“Hi, mom.  Uh, tell me about your muscles and the water thing.  You can do it now if you want.  Uh-huh.  Phil.  Do you have any vodka?  What was the name of the man that you were dating when you met my dad?  That’s right.  That’s amazing.  Audrey.  Then why didn’t you marry him?  My dad.  What do you mean?  What the hell?  What the hell, mom.  I don’t know this story.  What happened to Joseph?  Jesus.  He died?  So why did you marry my dad?  Why’d you marry him?  Why’d you marry my dad?” — Sam Fox

“So are you ever gonna say something?  Oh, my God.  Nothing.  About what?  What?  Max, you had a party.  I had to work.  What? How do you think we ever have anything?  This is so unfair that I think I’m gonna pass out.  Max, I try like hell to be fair to your father and not put you in the middle.  I’m human, but I do try that.  But you’re 16 now, and that’s old enough to know how unfair it is what you just said to me.  You know, it really disgusts me how you will sometimes say anything to avoid responsibility for your mistakes.  You had a party, and you wrecked the house.  You’re not the first kid to do that.  It’s not the end of the world.  Because you make me get this mad before you even look up from your phone!  And you act like your shit don’t stink and you shouldn’t answer for anything.  But you know what, baby?  Your shit does stink.  And your father lives better than I do!  And I’m paying for all of it!  Hello?  Yes, I will be there then.  Bye.” — Sam Fox

“Yes.  What?  Tell me.  Okay, go.  Frankie, don’t speak to your mother like that!  Frankie!  Stop.  Save it for later.  Women and girls empowerment is annoying?  Oh, well, I’ll try not to ruin it.  No, we’re not.  Hey, Patty.  Did you think I wasn’t gonna come?  Oh, my God.  Okay, so who’s on first?  Oh, shit!  God!  Nobody cares.  Oof.” — Sam Fox

“Thank you, Patty.  Um, well– I work and I am a mom.  And some of you might later in life find yourselves in the same situation, I hope.  Because you girls can be anything you want.  You know, when I was a girl, no one ever really said that women had jobs, except Marlo Thomas and Mary Tyler Moore.  Thank you, Henry.  But, uh… we can do it all!  And we have to do it all, because in the end, the mom, the women, are the ones left watching.  Okay, this is– let me ask you all a question.  How many girls out there get your period?  Yeah, you heard me.  If anybody here has got their period yet, put your hand up.  Put your hand up.  It’s okay.  Who’s cotton-holing?  I know, gross.  But we’re all girls and women here.  It’s just us.  So come on, Frankie, help me out.  Come on, raise your hand.  Listen, Frankie and I went through it last week.  She was stealing her sister’s tampons for half a year before she told me.  Frankie.  Be a leader.  Get your hand up.  Help ’em out.  Good girl!  There!  Anybody else?  Who else here?  Who’s bleeding?  There you go!  Good!  So brave!  Come on, moms, let’s hear it for them.  All right, who here has not gotten their period yet?  Wow!  Okay!  Well, you girls are in for it.  You really are.  But we all got your backs, right?  Who here is having their period right now?  I know I am!  Can you tell?  All right!  Thank you!  Mrs. Donner!  Yeah!  Moms?  Thank you!  Hands, hands.  Sisters all!  Who here has stopped getting their period altogether?  Aunt Flo has left the station forever.  Mom.  Mom.  Thank you!  Thank you for that!  Thank you!  Look, we’re all girls, and we’re all women.  And we all bleed, and we all suffer.  And then the bleeding stops, and we still suffer.  But you’re gonna find your own path, because we’re tough, and we can take it.  And as long as you believe in yourself, and you take care of each other and watch out for each other, you just make the rest up as you go along.  That’s all there is to it.  That’s it!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you, Detroit!  I know.  It’s okay.” — Sam Fox

“Come here.  Listen, baby.  Your future is yours.  You could be anything you want.  You know those people that you see every day?  That look like they have their shit together and they made all the right choices?  And how impossible it seems just to get to that place?  Well, look.  Look at you.  You look like one of those people.  And all they did was put on the clothes.  And honey, you can be anything you want to be.  Seriously.  But also, if you just get a job and get by, you’re still gonna love your life.  Because life is good.  Even at its worst.” — Sam Fox

“I used to have a really good mommy toolbox for you, and now you’re a real person, and your heart is broken, and I wish I had an easy thing for that, but nobody does, baby.  I’m so sorry.  I’m– I’m really sorry.  That’s okay.  I can take it.  That I can do for you.” — Sam Fox

“Oh… they’re good.  I, uh, I don’t, actually.  Everybody always gets a little bit screwed.  Even when I do my best, it ain’t never enough.” — Sam Fox

Artisan.

Phyllis, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Celia ImriePhyllis

“Yoo-hoo!  Hello, darling.  Hi.  What are you doing?  What are you doing?  Canada?  You know it;s legal to be a prostitute there.  Fascinating, isn’t it?  If you’re not a child.  It’s illegal to pay for a prostitute, but it’s legal to be one.  Where are the girls?  Oh.  Why didn’t you ask me to watch them when you were gone?  Well, anyway, it’s impossible, because I couldn’t have done, because we had a neighborhood watch meeting to discuss disaster response.  Yes.  I know, but… hold on a minute because what I wanted to tell you was that I’m building up my muscles.  And look.  Look at my arm.  No, look.  Feel it.  Because what’s interesting is that my nail is falling off, and that’s disgusting.  But my muscles are really, really good.  Go on, feel them, Sam.  Let me feel yours, then.  You certainly told me.  All right.” — Pyllis

“Hello.  Hello, darling.  Oh.  Well you know Marshall Sanders.  Uh, well, he’s the water commander, and his wife died last year, and I don’t know whether I’m making it up, but I think he’s got his eye on me because do you remember how he looked at me in the grocery store?  And then I thought to myself, God, ‘water commander’– aptly named.  But I might be wrong.  Anyway, but the thing is I was very, very pleased that he chose me to be in charge of water because I thought it was quite a responsible position, don’t you think?  It is, isn’t it?  And so I’ve got to be very on the ball in case there’s an earthquake.  Um, and then he’l be pleased with me, don’t you think?  Anyway, so the doctor says I’m losing muscle mass, but he’s a liar.  And he can’t tell me what’s happening to my body because I know.  So I’m trying to decide if I should sue him.  What do you think?  And then he’d stop.  Yes, darling?  I always have vodka.  Audrey.  Hmm.  He swept me off my feet.  Oh, no, no.  You don’t marry the man who sweeps you off your feet.  You marry the man who pulls you back down and grounds you, takes care of you.  No.  I met Audrey in 1960, and I fell in love immediately.  And he took me to New Zealand to live by a vineyard while he picked grapes for about five cents a pound.  And then I met Joseph, and he was an American businessman.  He was very small and serious.  And he saw me in the village, and he said, ‘I’m gonna marry you,’ and told me how much he made and he could provide for me, and so I grew up, and I said yes to Joseph.  Well, we were getting ready to go back to the States to get married, and I said good-bye to Audrey.  But then Joseph died.  He drowned.  He got drunk and fell in a puddle.  Well, it was raining.  And so then I went back to Audrey.  And then two years later, I met your father.  I don’t know.  I don’t know…” — Pyllis

“Hey!  Calm down.  Now, co me on, we’re here for your mother.  Yes, we are.  Hi, Miss Donner.  Darling!” — Pyllis

Max Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Mikey MadisonMax Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Mikey MadisonMax Fox

“Oh, calm down, mom.  That woman smelled like my dad’s girlfriend.  What?  I don’t know, mom!  Now get the binders and the rest of the stuff.” — Max Fox

“That was great, mom.  Just freak out in the store, why don’t you?  I wish you smoked pot, mom.  It would be good for you.  Stoners aren’t losers, mom.   And it would mellow you out.  Can I ask you something?  No, you know what?  Never mind.  You’ll just freak out.  Could you get pot for me?  Gabby Shuster’s mom told her if she ever wanted to smoke pot, she’d get it for her.  Like, don’t you want me to have clean, organic pot?  You should want me to have good nugs.  It’s so easy, mom.  You get a prescription.  You just have to be 18.  You should be happy I’m honest with you.  I could just get it and not tell you.  Seriously?  Why?  You’re– you’re my mom.  I want you to know if I have sex or if I want to get high.” — Max Fox

“Why?  Wait, why’d she say that?  Mom?  Mom, I didn’t say anything.  Then why are you mad at me?  I love you.” — Max Fox

“About what?  Are you ever gonna say something?  Oh!  About my dad leaving.  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  No, it wasn’t a party.  And anyway, you left.  God, you don’t have to work, mom.  You work because you want to be famous.  Dad told me.  You have tons of money in savings, and he is living like shit.  Oh, my God.  Yeah, mom, you’re the victim.  Everything is unfair.  Then why are you acting like it is?  Answer your phone.” — Max Fox

“Oh, no, mom.  It’s fine.  No, we got it.  We’re strong, independent women.” — Max Fox

“I’m such a loser!  No, it hurts, mom!  And I really like him.  And-and everybody knows.  And he’s making fun of me with everybody!  I’ve been a total bitch lately.  Get out!  Yeah.” — Max Fox

Frankie Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Hannah AlligoodFrankie Fox

“Mom?  Mom!  Jesus, mom, you’re so bi-polar!  Did you know that in Africa, girls get their clitoris cut off when they’re, like, 13 on their birthday?  What if I did that as, like, a protest?  That would be so, like, real.  No.” — Frankie Fox

“No, mom.  I mean, you weren’t even supposed to be home today.  We would have cleaned it all up.  This– this doesn’t even count.  Mom, you’re freakazoid.  Please stop freaking out so we don’t have to send you to a mental hospital.  Mom, I can’t.  I have soccer, remember?  Are you taking me to soccer?” — Frankie Fox

“20 years since they were kids, they never left, they let– it’s like this amazing story.  So I asked if I could do my project, like, I have three of my friends stay in my basement for, like, a month.  And then we all write about it afterwards to see what it felt like.  And it was like– mom, are you listening?  Ugh!  mom, listen.  I’m telling you about this because it’s important.  Ugh!  Anyway, my teacher was like, ‘no, you can’t do that.’  But I was like, ‘Oh, this is just so–‘ oh, my God!  Oh, I want to kill everybody.  It’s this women and girls empowerment ting, and it’s annoying.  It is the way my school does it.  The people get up there and they talk and they ruin it.  Yeah, mom!  Go, mom!  Mom!  Mom!  Mom!  Good job, mom.  Also, I hate you.” — Frankie Fox

Duke Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Olivia EdwardDuke Fox, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Olivia EdwardDuke Fox

“Who is that?  Ew.  Ew!  What about Charlize’s dad?  Mm.  To me.” — Duke Fox

“Yeah.  Yes.  I don’t know.  I’m so tired.  I don’t know.  I’m so tired.  Yes, mama.  Mama, come.  Come on, mama, please?  No, mama, under.  Please?” — Duke Fox

“Hi, mom.  You were asleep, so I just had… had them come over.  Uh… mom?  Can you get us some food, please?” — Duke Fox

“Mama?  You left.” — Duke Fox

“Mommy, I don’t get what this is.  Mommy, what is this ever gonna do?” — Duke Fox

Joy, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Patricia ScanlonJoy

“She pregnant?  I know.  That’s annoying.  I don’t know.  She should take a leave of absence when she’s pregnant.  I don’t know.  Then why did you bring it up?  Oh.  Well, it is.  It’s funny.” — Joy

Sunny, Better Things, FX Networks, 20th Century FOX TV, Alysia ReinerSunny

“Really?  Oh, my God.  Oh, baby, are you pausing yet?  Hmm.  But your eggs are… fried.  Right?  I mean, they’re… rotten.  It’s not like you can make anything.  Do you want to have a baby?  I think I’m going to have the ‘smores.” — Sunny

Constance Zimmer

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