Let's talk about Roger. in Whey and Sonic Screwdrivers.

As most readers know, I like to watch “Sister, Sister” while I wash the dishes. Great background noise, and also I find myself actually watching the darn episodes.

The most recent episode I’m up to has to do with the divide between Ray and Lisa. There’s a B-plot with Ray working with Roger on the roof. With the A-plot being how one twin is Ray’s, and the other is Lisa’s. (They’re identical twins, I SERIOUSLY CAN’T REMEMBER WHICH IS TIA AND WHICH IS TAMARA. I’m sorry!) Lisa happened to pull the girls out of school to have a little fun. To which Ray is unhappy with.

He goes off on this tirade about how Lisa is NOT his twin’s mom.

Naturally, she’s sad throughout the episode.

Ah, but with good writing, this is when the B-plot intersects the A-plot. Or falls into. Literally.

Lisa senses the roof caving in, and pushes her not-twin out of the way, and there’s rubble falling on her.

I actually shed some tears. Even before the trauma, I would have felt something, Post-trauma, well. Told you I cry more easily.

Ray jumps down from the frakking roof in a panic, breaks his leg, and tries to dig Lisa out of the rubble. All that front he had previously is gone. He’s apologizing his ass off, digging, “YOU ARE THE MAMA. YOU ARE THE MAMA.”

Writers. Actors and actresses. Let’s slow clap it out.

But, I titled this entry about Roger.

I should talk about Roger, no?

On the surface, he’s coded as The Annoying Neighbor. Or… The Guy Who Won’t Take No For An Answer.

Thing is.

This is the point of this entry: Roger actually DOES take no for an answer. A certain catchphrase is played for laughs.

In my casual watch-thru, I’m up to an episode with Denise. See, one of the twins is sick for a week. So, the other twin makes a new friend, Denise. Denise emulates the twin(s), as she doesn’t have any friends, and is an only child. In predictable sitcom writing, the other twin is restored to full health. And Denise is left feeling....

Well. She wants to be friends with them. She wants to be them.

She even goes so far to say “Go home, Roger!”

To which the twins say to each other, “Wait, only WE can say that to him!”

Thus indicating a small amount of affection for Roger.

Now, Roger gets told no a lot. A LOT.

But notice his body language. In all of my visually watching ‘Sister, Sister’, he never touches the girls. I don’t think he ever gets a hug without them initiating. He’s annoying, yes. But his heart is gold.

I think there was an episode with… was it a burglar? I forget. The girls are home alone, and a touch scared. There’s a flash of lightning. They scream a little, but it’s just Roger. He came because he worried they might be scared. I don’t recall there being a “go home” line in this sequence.

Roger’s a good guy. He doesn’t care that they’re not romantically interested in him. All he cares about is their safety and well-being. He’s willing to be a good wingguy if it helps their happiness. ....Think there’s an episode about prom, and Roger steps in whimsically. And the twins relax, as the previous ‘date’ was a total douchebag - but they felt safe around Roger.

Hrm. This may require a rewrite. Think I need to watch more ‘Sister, Sister’ to express this fully.....

Last updated January 27, 2021