“Al Bundy and his contemporary equivalents can easily afford a three-bedroom house in almost all of the country. You can buy one in perfectly fine shape for less than $70K where I live.”

In Chicago in what appears to be a fairly safe neighborhood? Actually, looking it up, Archer Heights looks affordable so it appears you are right.

The first such mention of it was last season when Julia, the younger sister, talking to the prospective mother of their adopted child said in a discussion on the soon to be mother’s catholic faith that the Braverman’s weren’t brought up in a religion.

This season began taking on the topic of religion straight on with Jasmine’s mom being the catalyst for the question of how Crosby and His wife were going to deal with the topic of faith with their son. And that episode I thought gave a creditable account of how the fact that the Braverman’s parent’s neglected to bring them up in a faith was an authentic absence in their upbringing. I recall Crosby even making a complaint to the effect “we were all brought up in a spiritual void.”

I am hopeful that this is going to be a theme that will re-occur over the next couple of seasons as it seems to pop up in interesting ways in later episodes this season. For instance in the same episode dealing with whether the Braverman children should be brought up believing in Santa, we see Adam praying to God to “not take his wife” who is fighting cancer. And, yes, there is something absurd in a family that is passionate about Santa Claus but agnostic on matters of faith.

In an odd way the show seems to be giving religion its due respect but from the point of view of a family that is coming to an awareness of it very late. Perhaps in some ways it’s the best one could expect from a show about a family of nones.

Like I said, I have high hopes that the writers will continue to take on the topic with the kind of maturity that I’ve recognized in their writing so far.

2. I think that is a shortcoming. Jasmine’s mom could easily be a better character, as well. Jasmine is very classy, though.

3. Same here on Floyd County Georgia. There are people who have worked for a long time comfortable in such places.

2. The absence of religion (save in the title song, and in Jasmine’s mother) in the show is clearly its biggest shortcoming. Far more so than its overly crowded melodrama–it IS a soap opera, after all!

3. Al Bundy and his contemporary equivalents can easily afford a three-bedroom house in almost all of the country. You can buy one in perfectly fine shape for less than $70K where I live.

Having said that, last weeks episode, One step forward two steps back, I thought was one of the best treatments on tv about the political challenges of parents staying on the same page when things get difficult. So like anything else, its strong moments justify in my mind the weaker ones. In light of the fact that most writers and producers aren’t really even trying I suppose I’m more forgiving toward those writers/producers who are.