Episode#1: Rather sad lineup of 25yr+ single men talking like juveniles, being lectured by Andrea.
Eps#2(RFK): Just DON'T, really.
Eps#3(CMH): Date of Kate+David, both horribly irritating – obviously they are a total mismatch, but Andrea doesn't seem to get that at all.
Eps#4(HCSD): By all means!
Eps#5(ACA): In 2nd run, David turns out only slightly more normal, whereas in her epilogue, Andrea finally comes shining through.
Eps#8(HWIK): Truly+totally heartbreaking. Andrea tells about her own recent breakup with, clearly, THE love of her life. Doubtful decision imHo, perhaps guided by misconceptions about life.
Eps#9(JMS): Hysteric Joanna – skip.
Eps#12(OS): No man good enough, no advice either – again, Andrea drowns in her overperfectionism.
Eps#13(SSLFG): Unlike the men in eps#1, these -27yr women are talking sensible, smart & funny.
Eps#18(WIAB): First half total non-story, second half definitely new story but, well, uuugly.
Eps#19(DIB): Clearly, locker room talk is just plain stupid, but apparently complimenting a woman is just not done anymore either, which is truly sad, although also understandable. Eps#20(DIHM): At the core of Andrea's struggle to find the man she'll love for-all-seasons: her misconception that asking men "Do you consider yourself to be a feminist?" is identical to asking them "Do you believe in the equality of women?". If you can't even +conceive+ of those being very different questions +for a man+, how do you think to ever truly partner up with one?
Eps#22(GT): Profound & amazing, but uncharacteristically little of Andrea's doing.
Eps#23(ASTV): Ok, in a surprisingly particular & serious way, tv dating shows (I never watched one) make sense after all, which Andrea then brings to a touching conversation with her mother.
Eps#24(TFG): In spite of his –now lost– better self, Jim is a sad man.
Eps#25(YBF): Basically two girls giggling over getting too old.
Eps#26(ADFG): Good lord, finally a group of serious albeit clueless men talking — and then Andrea and her editor Hillary (the only adult in the room ever since the WoW-trailer) apparently can't think of anything better to say than basically pitying these guys for being unprepared for lives as dads (if so), and for not having fully thought that through. Jeez, you two overorganized condescending perfectionists, give some credit to life as it has been unfolding for ages without your overzealous approval-in-advance.
Eps#32(DITW): Repeat from 2014 — which is just where this cringing-with-Jim should have stayed dormant. (Grandma on her own is awesome though — just too short.)
Eps#36(LAV): Hilarious, touching and sincere. "Dating is hard, until you meet someone who makes it easy." Exactly. When you meet him or her, you will KNOW — at least that's what I still do believe.
Eps#37(LaB-C): The sheer brilliance of Andrea to associate THE Fred with –of all things– line dancing and then litterally bring that on, meanwhile lovingly spotlighting her mother, I found both staggering and moving. Coming up with that idea is exactly why she -Andrea- is SO good.
Eps#40(GOG): Didn't bother to listen to this one — game of thrones is so utterly ugly, juvenile & just plain stupid that anyone who identifies with it, automatically disqualifies for anything serious.
Eps#41(CYFLA): The most sincere & profound interview of the series so far. Andrea, even though –understandably– giggling, keeps asking the right questions, and Mandy LC's very thoughtful answers stem from both her personal desires as well as being research-driven, acknowledging the latter can't thrive without the inexplicable former.
Eps#43(MWWIB): Initially, Andrea backs the most ridiculous table-turning 'solution': as a woman, just grab+pay the bill. Of course anyone's mind –apparently except Andrea's– would boggle. Luckily, she wises up into a closing note that's both profound and levelling.
Eps#46(LOTS): American superficialism at its very worst. It isn't that these people feel somewhat lost or odd at a singles party – that's understandable, who would't? It's that they actually crave, and are basically proud of, their shallowness and are trying really hard to make conversations about as utter nonsense as they can think of. Truly "Totally Sad!", for once.
Eps#47(POIC): This (I forgot, but remembered while listening to it) is the one that originally got me (coming from The Allusionist) to, and into, this WoW series. And rightly so, as I found yet again. Plus many other episodes are even better than this one! And then, of course, there's the brilliant casual importance of Burning Man at this one's end. (Do google BM if you've never heard of it.)
Eps#48(TPS): I just don't understand the point of this episode. It's about a nice getaway weekend in which, well, actually +nothing+ noticeable happens. Totally noneventfully weird! Oh, and the new Recorded Blind Date Conversation segment is a really, REALLY bad idea. Two people unable to quickly overcome meaningless smalltalk is NOT worth listening to.
Eps#50(SDOG): Fascinating+fantastic instalment, this one — provided you're curious about the much-bigger-picture-level of dating as well. Two highly intelligent, serious and funny women rightfully upset about dating/age statistics, while at the same time themselves being impossibly picky & unwilling to settle for less than simply a careering, professional, family loving, children oriented, smart, serious, intellectual, non-macho, stable, emotional, soulmating, caring, independent, same-age, nodickpixing, tall, good-looking and oh btw, also funny superman — while still being surprised they're condemning themselves to ending up as old spinsters.
Eps#58(JASLS): All tingling+sizzling here from a totally overjoyed Connect between Schuyler & Tom, which even bursted out through my speakers. And yet at the end a huge gaping hole of utter incomprehensibility as to why it came crushing down at litterally the last moment — all that disaster was supposed to be merely b/c long distance?? I don't buy it.
