Designing Women S6 E5: Anthony - A Season of Humorous Coincidences Making His Life a Living Hell

It’s finally time for us to revel in the gloriousness that is our dear, sweet, unproblematic Anthony. He had some major plotlines this season (law school! professional development at the design firm! exploits with Bernice! an engagement!), but was his character developed enough, or did these storylines leave us with even more questions about our friend? We’ll talk about it. 

We’ll also reimagine Anthony’s life if social media has been a thing in the “Designing Women” universe. Would he be a keyboard, prison reform advocacy warrior? How would the whole “A Scene From a Mall” plotline have played out? And what about his engagement to Vanessa? Are they a #vanthony couple? Let’s talk about it.

And then come back Thursday for this episode's "Extra Sugar" - inspired by Anthony's soon-to-be (maybe. possibly. surely. right?) trip down the aisle, let's talk about our favorite TV wedding memories - "Designing Women" and otherwise!

Come on y’all, let’s get into it! 

Or listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music.

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Transcript

Salina: Wait, what are we doing? Where are we

I just forgot everything. I'm like, I'm totally ready. Wait, what are we doing?

Where are we? Yeah, what's happening?

Hey, Nikki.

Hey, Salina.

That sounded so natural. Welcome to sweet tea and tv, y'all. Ah. Where we're just a, well oiled machine. Ready to go.

Super smooth. Ready to go.

That's right. we are at season six, episode five. This is our Anthony episode.

Yay.

That's right. to get us, like, back in the spirit of season six, which some people don't want to do, but we're taking you there anyway. Will you remind us, Nikki, what did our dear Anthony experience?

Yes.

Anthony recruits others to help him with outreach program at his old prison

Okay, so we have a handful of episodes that we consider Anthony focused. Episode 7, Last Tango in Atlanta. In this one, Anthony recruits the others to help him with an outreach program at his old prison. As expected, the prisoners are super grateful for his outreach and they do nothing but honor him, especially when they spring and escape. And our crew ends up safely locked away with T. Tommy Reed, Anthony's longtime prison nemesis. In the background. Allison has ended up with a not the best hairstyle, which sets the table for a potential romance between her and T. Tommy. Then we got episode 12, real scary men. Anthony is trying to land a, land the firm. A job decorating a men's lodge. His weekend away with the lodge staff overlaps with a trip to North Georgia for the ladies to go antique hunting. Unfortunately, their trip ends early when their car breaks down. Fortunately, they're close to Anthony's cabin, so they drop by and all goes well. She's like a lot of sarcasm in these, which I hope people hear. Episode 13, Tales out of School. Anthony and Carlene are cramming for exams in this one, but Anthony gets the bright idea that he might be able to get a better grade from one of his law professors. He just needs to squeeze Carleen in a dress and tease her hair a little bit. Episode 18, a scene from a Mall. We've talked about this one a lot. Here's the description from designingwomenonline.com after Anthony is harassed by mall security guards because he's black, Julia forces the ladies to stage a much publicized sit in, much to Anthony's chagrin. And then finally, episode 23, Shades of Vanessa. Salina's using a back massager that goes over her shoulder. I thought you were putting your purse on. I thought you were putting your purse on and just, like, walking out. And I was like, it's so much shorter than Bernice's.

Just let me get through this segment.

Vanessa rear ended Anthony in episode 23 Shades of Vanessa

So episode 23 Shades of Vanessa. The high points. Vanessa is rich. Like, really rich. She rear ended Anthony, and not in the fun way. Their connection sparked two things. A potentially huge contract for Sugar Bakers decorating her family's chain of hotels. And two, an engagement with Anthony.

Excuse me, did you just say rear ended? Not in the fun way.

I said what I said.

Okay, here's what I'm saying. You can't. Can't put you in a box. You know what I'm saying?

You gotta hang on because I might surprise you. Sometimes I'm the sweet tntv. Eccentric. You never know what's gonna come out.

Never know.

Anthony struggles in law school this season; gets engaged to Vanessa

So what were Anthony's major plot points? we see him struggling in law school this season. So again, in tails out of school, he's even trying to broker Carleen to get his grade up a little bit. we get a little bit of a redemption moment for Anthony. He faces off with his biggest bully, T. Tommy Reid, finally giving him a piece of his mind. we get the most racially oriented episode I think we've had so far in the series when he stood up to racism at the mall. And last but not least, he got engaged to Vanessa, who I think is a black. Suzanne.

The second Vanessa.

The second Vanessa. I think she, had a lot of lines that were very Suzanne esque.

Okay, I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

So we're calling Our Anthony Season 6 adventures Anthony. So can you walk us through some character superlatives

So we're calling Our Anthony Season 6 adventures Anthony. A season of humorous coincidences making his life a living hell. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it, Salina? So can you walk us through some of our character superlatives?

I can. So, as is tradition now, we start this category with our best and worst episodes overall. so, Nikki, you haven't talked in four seconds. What do you think is best episode or. I can take it. We can switch it up. There's no reason that we have to stick to the same old script. It's not a script.

It's an outline.

It's an out. It's a heavy outline.

And the heavy outline had me going first. So I can go first and say episode seven, last tango in Atlanta, was my top episode for the season. I loved the physical humor of him dancing with T. Tommy. His, breakdown while giving the speech at, the prison. Like that. That old Anthony thing. What did he call it in this episode? Like, where he turns into.

Oh, Jerry Lewis.

Jerry Lewis, Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, I dig real deep for that.

And it came so fast. I really loved the trueness to his character. It's just this continuation of Anthony. We've learned that Anthony has these breakdowns, and I really loved that throwback. But I also really appreciated when he confronted T. Tommy. So T. Tommy was like, you think you're better than me? No. Well, yes. You'll probably kill me for saying this, but I didn't come all the way back here to tell lies. And he goes on to tell T. Tommy that he had guts for coming back, trying to help someone else. There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. And then I have two things to say to you. Number one, this will be our last dance together permanently. And number two, always, always dip on the downbeat. I really appreciated that confrontation. It was a really good payoff to what we had seen built over the last five seasons. Oh.

It is also my best episode.

Oh, good.

So, I mean, we're just really on the same page this season.

We are.

That it doesn't always happen, to be honest.

usually happen.

I think this was such a nice continuation of his character. You know, he's someone who went through a lot, and he came out on the other side, but he's also someone who is constantly giving back. So I think it's very in line with who Anthony, you know, is to want to return to prison to show there's a way out and forward. so I just think. I think all of that character motivation and everything made sense.

Yeah.

Dragging the women along was. Yes, it was a strange and funny choice. And, we do get T. Tommy Reed and his hilarious infatuation with Allison. Like, it's just. It's just. It's, like, also a good time. And it was, you know, or maybe it's their infatuation with each other.

I think they were. She was infatuated with the fact that he wasn't offended by her wig, and then he was infatuated with their wig. I guess.

Yeah.

It was mutual.

I just like that her hair messed up was, like, red, curly hair, and they're like, could there be anything worse?

It was orange, to be fair. It did look, like, very short. Yeah.

Yeah. Just like an Annie wig.

It was,

But I like to go with the broader strokes.

I like to take offense at things.

Salina has red, curly hair, maybe. It's hard to say.

It's not orange, though. Tell your colorist I said that Nikki.

Passed along the highest of compliments.

Doesn't look like Annie.

That's right. But, like, I don't know. The lockdown of it, the singing, the dancing, it was silly and fun. It was just like a Nice break episode. So it was good.

I give Shades of Vanessa runner up because I thought the dialogue was great

I did give Shades of Vanessa runner up, and because I thought the dialogue was so great in this episode. Okay, so first of all, they give us the first kind of true cliffhanger in Designing Women history. We've not had this before.

It's a. It was a big moment.

It's a big moment. And I kind of feel, from what I've heard, we're not gonna get a lot of, satisfactory resolution to that cliffhanger. But spoiler? Well, I don't know. I don't haven't seen it, but from what I've heard, it's, like, not going to be great. But imagine you're watching it in real time and you get this great cliffhanger. You kind of don't know how you feel about Vanessa yet. So I just said that she's like a black Suzanne. That is very much what I thought when she was delivering some of the lines, that she was delivering some of the just, like, complete entitlement and just complete disconnect from the rest of the world. Like, telling them white people are so uptight and not thinking they would even be, like, offended by that. Like, oh, I hope I didn't offend you. Like, just saying these things where you're just like, you should have just stopped talking, like, four minutes ago, and it would have been great. She's, like, obsessed with Carleen because she's such a trip. She's just, Vanessa was delightful, and I was really glad that Anthony found that, and I was glad they left the season that way. So it was a runner up favorite for me.

Okay, I. I agree with all of that. and I like the Suzanne take. I think I'll have to go back and watch it through that lens. It does make sense, I guess, like, for Anthony also, because. Come on.

So could you imagine we didn't get to see Suzanne engaged. I think we might have seen her engaged to Ted really briefly, but that's before her character was really developed and the old man. Yeah. Okay, so maybe I should rewatch that one. But could you imagine being engaged to Suzanne and, like, the. After a quick courtship and the things that would come to light along the way. So, like, Anthony finds out that she has these expectations of him that they've not discussed at all. And that's a little bit surprising that you think that's going to happen. And Suzanne has already built a story in her head. That's what Vanessa reminded me of.

Okay.

She knows what's going to happen here. She's totally Disconnected from the world. There were some things she said, like, I, love a man who apologizes to me or something like that. Because she's in her mind. Anthony apologized for her rear ending him, and he's like, that's not quite how that happened, but that's how she remembered it. It just felt. Suzanne coded.

Yeah, but it's a good episode. I feel like people who go through life that way are probably just the happiest.

They're so much happier.

Yeah.

They're making everyone else miserable, but they are happy.

That's fine.

What about your worst episode? I don't have a worst episode this season

What about your worst episode?

I don't have a worst episode.

Okay. Well, mine was also the same that I have for my worst episode for the season, which is real scary.

Scary man.

Yeah, I just. I just really enjoy it that much. It's not, too big of surprise, really. I've said it before, and I say it every season. There's a mid season slump. so the fact that this is almost right there dead in the middle, you know, it. You just have some episodes in there that tend to sag. And I felt that way about this one too. It just goes to show, if you're kicking out 20 plus episodes a year, you're gonna have some low points. M. But, I mean, there's still some definitely funny lines in there. I, mean, the. That's the thing about the show. That part, like the crispness of the writing and the zingers is always there.

Yeah.

You know, I think it's just too, like. You have these episodes where it's like all zingers. And I think that almost two can. Hm. It almost brings those other episodes down because they only have like 12.

Right.

Versus the whole thing just being real zippy.

And it also depends on the story that it's all hung on. And some of the stories are just a little. Okay. Anthony's gonna go spend a weekend with some men in the forest. All right.

Yeah. You said things in that summary that I was like, oh, they're antiquing. I didn't know what happened.

I didn't know how they ended up there.

Can we get away from here?

Yeah.

I don't want to hear this guy call himself Simba anymore.

I do think, and I don't have my episode one notes in front of me, but it feels familiar that we talked about that one as a low point. I rewatched it again this week, actually preparing for this recording. It wasn't as horrible as I remembered it being. Wasn't a favorite by any stretch. but Some of them kind of grow on you after a while. So the season one through five truthers who won't hear of six and seven, I think they should try again.

It's. I. I'm. I don't want to say I'm frustrated, because that feels. But it is like this thing. It's. And we talked about this, too, in, our first extra sugar. Game of Thrones. Go back, guys. Give it a re. Watch or don't you just. Or don't. But also then the same thing applies. Suspend. Your opinion is here because you can't watch something 20 years ago. Never watch it again, and just think that you're gonna react the same way. So, you know, just try.

Just give it a try, guys.

Try.

Carlene: I have three favorite Anthony moments on the show

how about your three or less funny moments?

I have three.

Okay.

Last Tango in Atlanta. I just mentioned this, but his breakdown when he realized T. Tommy was there, it was just a classic Anthony emotional outburst. Never better.

Never better.

Did I already say that? It was just delightful. Bosom buddies in episode 17, when he and Julia were on stage together, and there's the whole undercurrent of, like, the heels were hurting him, but he was still fabulous. Like, he was still wonderful. That was perfection. That scene was for me.

Didn't Allison say, but look at his legs?

But look at his legs? Yes. and then episode 18. So this is Scenes from Amal. It's a really, like, emotionally charged episode. And it's like, all of this. The whole point is that Julia is advocating for Anthony without really thinking about what Anthony feels like. So hearing Anthony's perspective on the whole thing, There was this one line where he says, see? Doesn't that put things into perspective? There are wiener dogs out there being harassed by lamps. Like, he just took the whole, like, tense moment and diffused it a little bit by being like, there's lots of problems in the world. Like, lots of people have them, and even wiener dogs have them. It was just a cute little line.

He's just adorable. He's really adorable, you know? So I also had a funniest moment from, the T. Tommy Reed episode. It's just very physical acting, but I think also, like, kind, of complimenting this idea of him being a nervous wreck and that funny, like, nervous energy that he can bring to a scene. The confidence that he got once he started tangoing.

Oh, yeah.

Was also, like, really enjoyable to see that turn. And it's fun because that's what tango is all about. Confidence. That's how my tango always goes. Anyway, I'M sure I've heard that in a movie at some point in time. I'm like, where did that come from? But I'm sure that's true.

Anyways, it has to be.

Yeah. but, you know, it gave him that confidence to confront this man that had tormented him for years. And now this man that we've met a few other times. And this just had to inspire the dance between Joey and the janitor and friends. Do you remember this?

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

If it didn't, I would. I don't know. Or, like, either that or it turned into a trope.

Yeah. It just became something.

Yeah. So I don't know. That was, Put me in the mind of that episode while I was watching it as well. His impression of who they choose to put on the news along with Carleen's, for that matter. I didn't write down what episode this was in, so, I don't remember. But, basically, I, wrote the line down. I'm not going to do it with an accent. Just too much. Okay, but. And every New York film crew that goes to cover up will invariably pick some guy with two teeth in his head, saying, well, we seen it coming. Sounded like a big old freight train. I thought, we all going to die. Oh, Carlene, you really think in one of Those trailers there's PhDs wearing suits and ties? I'll give you three guesses who that was. It probably took them all afternoon to find the guy with two teeth. He's probably the mayor. Carlene might be right. The media does like stupid people. If there's a traffic accident in the black neighborhood and there are two witnesses, and one goes, yes, I saw the accident in question. And the other one goes, oh, Lord, yes, I saw it. It was horrificating. Guess which one is going to be on the 6:00 news? And I can tell you that both of those things are true. I took many media classes and have also watched the news.

They're the most quotable people. Oh, Lord, ain't nobody got time for that. That's the quotable stuff I want from the news.

Just the memes that live on and on and on, perpetuity. And then I did, like, his, his Yo Mama runner in Carleen's apartment. Just because, like, it was just a con. It was just a way to shut Allison up. And sometimes Allison just needs to be shut up.

Needs to be shut up.

How about your cringiest or most obnoxious moments on the show

How about your cringiest or most obnoxious moments?

So, what a lovely segue. Because the yo mama reference was One of my cringy references. Okay. And I think I'm putting some pieces together. Okay. Now, as you're saying that it was actually originally cut from, like, the very first reference in the episode was cut. The reason it's there is because Carleen's imagining her life with, on TV and on the sitcom. And he would be Jerome or something like that, and he'd have a fun catchphrase like, yo mama. So it felt very, like, racially motivated because it was coming from there. Later in the episode when he's using it. It's hilarious. But I think the seeds of it being planted in that, to me, felt cringy. And this is what I was talking about maybe, in the Bernice episode 2024 lens. Looking at a 1992 show, trying to be, like, aware and, like, know what's going on. Not advocate for, like, not be the person that advocates for everybody, because everything needs to be PC. But it's just a tough line to draw. And so when I saw all those pieces coming together, I was like, well, I guess maybe he reclaimed it.

It feels very much. I agree. I think the Bernice comp. with her sing songs throughout the rest of the show is a great comp. And, I would say the reason why is because I think in both that case and in this one, the show is poking fun at it. So I didn't know about that cut line. But it does seem like very much so, like, an awareness of the token trope and also like, the urban trope and all of those things. And it is kind of interesting that they were, like, identifying that.

Yeah. Ah.

At that time and putting that into the show. Feels like an early runner, and ahead of other shows at the same time. But, yes, all of those things. I don't think we would handle those things the same way today. I think that's absolutely astute.

It, wasn't, like, out of pocket offensive. It was like, Anthony is an unproblematic king. So I was really scraping the bottom of the barrel for things. Yeah, he's just, like, a delightful character. He's written really well. The performance is impressive all the time. The other cringy thing or obnoxious thing I had was him pimping out Carleen to his law school professor.

Yeah, I was gonna say that one's.

Kind of a little.

A little questionable. That's mine too. I mean, it's in. Well, there's two things in that one, you know, that was definitely strange for him to sex kitten up his friend to try and get a better grade in his class. or, like, even just to get noticed.

Right, Professor?

I wouldn't even in a positive way. Yeah. So maybe not the best, later, actually, I think is the worst one for me, where he mistakes the professor's daughter is his girlfriend. And, like, he's doing it from a good place. It's just the line is so weird and so awkward that I'm like, it actually physically makes me cringe. He says, that blonde that was just here, that's a very sexy woman there. I really like the full figure type of woman, but who doesn't?

Huh?

That hourglass figure, I sure would like to play in that sand. He's just, like, really trying, you know? But it, like, almost just sounds like the way we regularly write a man on the show. Yeah. Ah. And. But, like, Charlene would have been like, oh, my hero.

Right. Yeah.

So that one made me a little wincy.

I get that.

What about the most socially or culturally important or relevant plot? So this is where things get interesting

What about the most socially or culturally important or relevant plot?

So this is where things might get interesting, Salina. So I think the easy answer Here is episode 18, a scene from a mall. but I think you and I had a really good discussion about that one in the first episode, so I don't want to belabor that. Long story short, racism, bad, being an ally sometimes means listening. We agree on that.

Totally.

So the episode, the one I'm going to pick instead, is one of your least favorite episodes, Real Scary Men.

Okay.

And I'm going to do this because I think the episode is layered.

Okay.

so on the one hand, we kind of get a peek at a little bit of an uphill battle that Anthony is facing, proving himself worthy at Sugar Bakers. So he's become partner in the business, he's trying to bring in new business, but he's having trouble. And he really latched onto this opportunity because he says he wants a chance to contribute to the business. And he feels like this is it. This is. This is a gap that he fills in their. In their business roster, and he can be the one to fill it. So I think on the one hand, there's a conversation about, like, how some industries are genderized, and Anthony has found himself in a women predominant industry, and he's trying to carve a place out for himself. So I think there's a little bit there. he was willing to sacrifice his whole, like himself and his weekend to spend a weekend with these whack jobs just to get business for the company, which I think is something. the other thing Is this obvious runner about a men's weekend and what that does or does not mean about men and their role in society. So this one would have been the 1992 version of it. but the whole reason that those men are there in that cabin is because they feel like they've been forced to be a certain type of man, and they almost need an emotional outlet with other men to kind of talk about those issues. And this weekend becomes that for them, which, as it turns out, the founder of the men's club, that's not what he intended at all. but they get into this issue of what it means to be a real man. I think for me, it gets a little mixed up at the end for Anthony, because Anthony. Anthony's whole explanation is, I'm surrounded by women. I'll never get away from them. Instead of, like, women add something to my life or they allow me to be a real man. It's just like, they're everywhere, and I can't get away from them. There's no point in fighting it. It gets a little mixed up, but I think there is something there. there was a little bit of a conversation about what it means to be a man in society, and I think that episode gave us at least that entree to talk about that.

Yeah, it's complicated. I think this is, like. It's just. It's. This happens every time in this series when they do something about gender and, like, again, thinking about it just being a little challenging for us to look back at it from, like, with a 20, 24 lens or whatever. I think just. It's the same reason that some people really love that first episode where they go on a group trip together and.

You and I just couldn't do it.

Love it. which is funny, too, because I listened to another podcast, the 80s Ladies, and they had, like, a panel of people to talk about their favorite episodes, and they showed it to, like, maybe there was a couple of Gen Z people. Maybe there were a couple of millennial people, like, whatever. And they all watched it. And anyone who was younger hated that episode.

Oh, interesting.

And Gen X and above that episode. So I do think it is very much so, like, where you were in the world when you may have seen it.

Yeah.

and so, like. And I think we ought to say it again, because we always try and be really fair to this. We try and look at it through both the lens of then and now, because we're not. We're not trying to apply today's standards to it. We're just saying that for us it makes it sometimes a difficult watch for sure. Or a weird watch.

A weird watch.

What? so I, do think maybe where they lost out a little bit is like they're trying to do this like me, man. But then also like my daddy made me cry when I was little. I'm like, which is it?

Which is it? Yeah.

What are you not accessing? But that's not okay. I'm also going to counterpoint on my point. Who am I to tell someone all the things that they are feeling on in a given day? I have a wide range of emotions.

And I think that's why I counted it as culturally relevant because I think that what that in and of itself tells you is that it's also complicated to be a man. I think it's just. It speaks to. I think for some people being a man is black and white. And I think that kind of points a little bit to. It's a little more complicated than that. Yeah.

And I don't know, we should be seeing each other a little bit more.

Yeah.

And other shades.

All the shades.

All the shades. So all the form a beautiful rainbow.

But what was your most sultry? Sultry.

Culturally most relevant shades of Vanessa was my most sultry one. no, no, I actually, mine was. I was just gonna. Scenes of them all. And we're. I'm not gonna go through it again either. So.

It's a good episode.

There's. I think this is something that we're gonna.

Now that we're in episode five, can you believe how fast this season went

Now that we're in episode five. Yeah, that's what you told us. Where are we?

You said it was five.

Are we at my apartment?

It's five.

so now that we're here and we all. We're, you know. Can you believe we're about to wind down?

It's crazy.

It's crazy. It's crazy how fast seven episodes go compared to 75.

Technically it's 14 if you count the extra sugars.

I do.

I do too.

I count it. I, I think, now that we're starting to wind down, we clearly have some favorites out of the season. And there's. Those are just gonna bubble back up.

I think we might have made a mistake putting Anthony toward the end because I feel like I was a little bit afraid as I was putting my notes together. I was short shifting him because I didn't want to repeat things I'd already said before. But I also don't want to make people like, listen to my long winded, sometimes half baked explanation of why something's good or bad.

that's my role on this show, and I'll be damned if you try.

To take it from me. But Anthony deserves his moment in the sun.

Yeah.

He was also delightful this season.

Agreed.

So are you ready for our new segment? I am. I had to play with the pitch for a while to get it right

So are you ready for our new segment?

I am.

Technology take down.

Is that you?

It is.

Okay.

I had to play with the pitch for a while to get it to where you could still understand it.

I can still hear you.

Okay. Oh, good.

It's like that would be your robot voice, you know, Just give it time, Salina.

Just give it time.

well, when we record, like, six episodes on a day, that is my.

Voice by the end, that's how it turns out. So I like to think of this segment as our ever evolving interpretive segment.

Yep.

We're never really going to stick to the original idea, which was to imagine plot lines and how they would have had to have changed.

Well, speaking of half baked, like I said, 5:00am everything seems reasonable and.

Smart, but, the half Bakeness is allowing us to interpret it differently as the need arises. So I think it was just forward thinking, not half baked.

Thank you.

So for Anthony, for some of these episodes, how would his character have approached the plots or the storylines in the digital age? That's how we're going to think about this one. So I can get us started. And I think you have one as well.

Yes.

Anthony Reed used social media post release to advocate for prison reform

All right, so let's take the last tango. this is the T. Tommy Reed prison break episode. So we know Anthony's time in prison and his unfortunate incarceration affected his life in a lot of ways. So what if he had had access to social media and the Internet? Post release. So he's at Sugar Baker's and now he's got, like, social media, he's got his smartphone, whatever. Would that have changed the way he leveraged that experience? So he did it in a very low tech way in the show. He turned it into, like, going and giving speeches at the prison or being an instant inspirational person. But could his platform have expanded? My answer is obviously, duh.

Yes.

Yes. What?

if it was just.

No, I know. Not at all. Carry on. so I could imagine him using social media. I'm thinking like, Instagram and X. Are we really calling it that? Or X, formerly known as Twitter.

That's what I usually say.

Whatever it is.

That's pretty long, I guess. But.

But he would use it to share his experiences and advocate for prison reform. He'd explore things like live streams and viral hashtags and online petitions to Amplify his voice and rally public support. So, in one of my true crime podcasts this week, literally, as I was preparing this episode, I listened to the story of Cyntoia Brown. The very short version is that she was convicted of murdering someone who was probably using her for sex work. When she was 16 years old, she was convicted of murdering him and put in prison for, like, a very long time. At 16, she was put in prison and probably couldn't get out until she was, like, 70 or 80. So the, her whole story, an important part of her story, is that, like, Rihanna amplified her story on social media, which got so much more attention to it, and ended up. They commuted her sentence significantly. That's where I think Anthony could. He could be part and parcel to that. I don't know that he would have that platform because he's Anthony, an interior design partner in Atlanta. But I do think he could use his platform as, as like an advocate to amplify Rihanna's, tweet or something like that. You know what I mean? Okay, so I could see that. I, think that I could also see him using his social media support to support things like the Innocence Project. I, think he'd crowdsource legal fees for wrongfully convicted people, and I think he would use sources like Reddit to garner additional. Additional support, I think.

Yeah. He's whip smart.

He is. And he's a lawyer. He's gonna be a lawyer. Hopefully. Maybe. I don't know. I haven't seen seven yet. An esquire. Not an escort. An esquire.

Do you know off the top of your head what an esquire is? Because I just learned it the other day.

I thought it was a lawyer.

It means you've passed the bar.

Okay.

Is before you pass the bar. I think.

Oh, oh, Barrister.

Myself.

I do like barrister. That's cool.

The British, they've got all the cool terms.

Cool terms, but not America. they don't get us. What was your plot line?

That took me a minute. I was like, what? Oh, right, right, right. Yeah. Ah, can't have us.

Revolution.

You want us, but you can't have us. I mean, but do they now? They're like, dodged a bullet. It's hard to say.

It's hard to say.

what's that now? What's mine?

Do you have one?

I do.

Social media would certainly be in the mix if this situation did blow up

So I was thinking about a scene from a mall and how that would be drastically different today. So for, for one, if that situation did blow up, then because it was kind of weird that like all. It's just all over the news, you know, then social media would certainly be in the mix. And this, in this encounter as well. And likely driving the situation versus the nightly news in a local newspaper.

Sure.

You know, Julia would have been live streaming the sit in on. I think we decided Facebook was her demo.

Yeah.

Allison would create a dueling live stream on, oh, I don't know, parlor or whatever.

Oh.

showcasing the mall side of things. You know, who's. Who's helping the businessman.

Yeah, right.

I mean, who's helping them?

They're getting the short end of the stick here.

Right. And that's how the show would have filmed that part where it was like we were watching from the live stream. So you'd see all the emojis and stuff floating up and I hate when they do that. Yes.

It's so distracting.

It is. And instead of us, hearing clips from the nightly news, we'd hear talking head commentaries on the background the next day. Like Rachel Maddow. Yeah. You know, it wouldn't be like Tom Brokaw. I really need to update my news reference. David Muir. I don't watch the news, guys. I read it. I don't watch it. so that's mine.

I was thinking about one other one, and that was his engagement to Vanessa. So this one, I think is a lot more light hearted than the first one.

Oh, they need a not website. Oh, you didn't think that mine was thousand. You didn't think mine was light hearted?

Super, super light hearted. yeah, I think they definitely have a knot website, but I think Vanessa seems pretty influential. Like, they sort of framed her as like, she's super, well, wealthy.

Okay. Right. So what's the, what's the rich version of the knot? Because she's like, oh, I, you make your own.

I think she would have. She would have a. They would have a URL and a customized website. They're not relying on the knot.

Right.

but I was also thinking she probably has a strong social media presence. Like, I just feel like being rich, you get invited to a lot of parties and stuff. And then I feel like people who get invited to parties have to have Instagram handles.

So.

So, I was wondering if she would create like a standalone handle for them. So like an at Vanessa and Anthony and Holy matrimony or something. Or would she just use her Instagram page and post like, really aesthetic wedding content? I couldn't decide.

I think maybe that one.

That one. Because people aren't creating a lot of Standalone stuff because they want to create like a brand identity on their own page. So Vanessa would probably do that. I think you're right. They would definitely have a hashtag either way. I think it would be, I'm thinking maybe a little more highbrow. Like hashtag Anthony and Vanessa say I do, but it's also possible.

Sure.

Good call. Good call. It could also be like happily ever AV or AV's I do crew. Something like catchy like that. But I think it's. They're probably gonna have something more highbrow.

Yeah, I agree. I was wanting to come up with a QZ name real fast, but one, it was hard. And two, I do agree that. That she probably would. That's like, too kitschy.

I think so.

Anthony and Vanessa are the oldest established, richest black family in Atlanta

Yeah, I kind of think that.

And she's like, probably an influencer.

I definitely think that.

And she does like a lot of so. Well, she's probably too rich to do this. Well, I don't know if you get a good enough endorsement deal. She's like slipping in some advertisements along.

The way, you know, So I have that. There would be a lot of collabs. Oh, like a lot of wedding collapse. Well, not anything super fancy, but I was thinking like, just thinking about the fact that they're. What did they say? Like the oldest established, richest black family in Atlanta. Those aren't all the right caveats, but somehow they're. They're rich and they've been rich a long time. So I was thinking they would definitely support black owned business and probably like historic Atlanta business as well. So it got me thinking about the Busy Bee Cafe, which we talked about in season five, episode five, the Extra Sugar, about, tea rooms in Atlanta. And I could just envision like a post wedding brunch photo op situation happening with the Busy Bee Cafe.

Okay.

and then the other thing I was thinking about is that they would probably go live on Instagram like a couple of times. And I think it would be like, it would start out really sweet, like they're taste testing their cakes or something. But then I think like the conversation about whether it should be chocolate or vanilla might accidentally stray into like, speaking of food, why doesn't Anthony tell everyone how he's gonna like, go about meal prepping and planning for Vanessa? And Anthony's like, wait a minute, I have a full time job. I'm not planning your food and cooking for you. And Vanessa's like, no, you are. And Anthony's like, we didn't talk about this.

I thought you had a Personal chef. And that's why I'm with you in the first place.

But she'd be like, no, no. You're gonna be my stay at home husband. and then I. Yeah, I think that's it. I think there'd be lots of aesthetic date.

Oh, oh.

Post wedding.

Do they create a combined social media handle after the wedding

This was the other thing I went. Wanted to mention. So she's keeping her own Instagram handle through the wedding. Do they create a, like, combined social media handle after the wedding? See, sometimes you see couples do this where it's sort of like a vanthony situation at Vanthony, and then they post about their lives together. Like pictures of their golden doodle or like, their outings to Piedmont Park.

maybe. Yeah.

She doesn't seem like a vanthony type, but he does. And so I wonder if he would.

Anthony energy.

Yes. He's like golden retriever sort of stuff.

He does seem kind of under a spell.

Yes. Given they just haven't known each other long enough, which maybe is what will come through in the show. But that's what I was thinking about for their.

Well, good. Then they can have a divorce handle too. You don't see enough of those really.

Anthony no longer.

So that's it.

Anthony went undercover a couple times this season, which I forgot

All right, well, on a scale from 1 to 5, how much do you want to rate this? And let me see how badly I can screw this segment up.

So I think I'm going to go with alter egos as the rating scale, because Anthony went undercover a couple times this season, which I forgot. So it was Nigel Betancourt, in the one about Julia and Mary Jo getting stuck under the bed. but he also was. And I didn't write the name of this doctor down, but he played a doctor who was with Carleen in Dwayne's world. When Dwayne Daubert comes. Comes to town. So he had an alter ego there. So, that's my rating scale.

I forgot about that. That was good.

It was way back early in the season. but this was just a really great Anthony season. We got a lot more screen time from him. Like, several plot lines focused on Anthony. You know what I mean? Like, we haven't had that many. So I give this one a solid five. Like, I said it before. Anthony is just unproblematic.

Well, don't worry if you came to watch Salina and Nikki disagree.

Today's the day.

Today is the day.

I'm ready for it.

We've been on the same page for too long.

Same page city.

Anthony is having the best season of anyone on "Sugar Baker"

All right. You're giving them a 1.5.

Well, okay, so let me start. This is a little nuanced, because if I'm just answering the question.

Let me buckle up here.

Okay.

Nuance. I don't do that anymore. We have a black and white opinion on things. It's the way of the world.

So if I'm just answering, like, on his trajectory alone, like, is he up or is he down? He's clearly up. He's probably having the best season of anyone. He's fully embodied his role as sugar Baker partner. He's in law school. and I've lost my place, so that's great. Hold on, I'll get there. So, And it is hard, but he's like, he's doing it.

Sure.

He's met Vanessa, who is not only beautiful, but she's wealthy and sounds like she could catapult him into a whole new social stratified fear with unlimited funds. That seems nice.

Yeah. Yeah.

However, if you're asking me how good or a bad of bad of a season this was for Anthony, my answer is a little different. So I'd have to probably give it a 2.5 out of 5. Yo, mamas, hear me out.

I think Designing Women muddled up Anthony's character this season

Okay.

I've gotten on my soapbox many times when it comes to Meshach Taylor and Annie Potter. It doesn't feel like Designing Women always knows how to use them best. So here we are at season six. He's more involved than ever in the show, but I look at his episodes, and I just don't know that most of these rise to what I think he can do. and with the exception of Last Tango and a scene from Amal, I think those are really good. And I. But otherwise, I think, don't forget that.

Great performance with Julia in Maimed.

That's true.

Also very good.

That's true. And I think. I think you've brought me around a little bit on the episode.

A lot of pointing happening right now.

Yeah. We're not on video, so you don't know what's happening in here, but things are happening. I also. Honestly, this is my biggest beef. I think they muddled up his character a little bit this season. First with the things that happened with Carleen and tells out of school, and then in the finale with shades of Vanessa, so I couldn't make heads or tails of what they wanted us to believe about his relationship. So this is with Vanessa. In parts, he seemed like he was under some kind of a weird love love spell. And in other parts, it seemed like he was kind of being seduced by her wealth a little bit. That was my reading anyways, so with the exception of that one random episode about, Leta back in season four, I just didn't feel like this. Felt in line with his character, that the show at least had built up to this point. So. I love Anthony. Love him very dearly. yes, always and forever. But I just. There was some things this season that I just didn't really feel like made sense. And out of those episodes, he isn't a lot more than he was in previous seasons, and I'm glad for that. But, like, you know, there was. It's like, maybe, like, five and then two of them. He's acting, like, not really himself. And so for me, I just, it wasn't. It wasn't the high heights I would have hoped for him.

So what was the score you gave him?

2.5.

You already hear, folks, she hates Anthony.

Love Anthony.

I hear what you're saying. I do. I feel like Lita was wealthy, too, right?

I think she was more of a yuppie. Okay, so there are wealthy yuppies. So that's not to say there's not.

Because I feel like she drove a, BMW. BMW or something. Like there was some element of wealth to it. I think he's a little bit seduced by wealth. I do hear what you're saying about Vanessa. I think a couple things can be true at the same time. And they had only known each other, like, two weeks.

I think maybe even if they had tweaked the scenes a little bit, like, I just. I couldn't. It just. I don't know. I couldn't tell. Or maybe I needed a little bit more time with her, but it just seemed like he was more excited about, like, the private jets or like, him at the end, too. Like, for someone as astute as him to just be like, yeah, absolutely, you're a partner now, too. Like, that was so weird. I'm like, that's not how. That you don't marry someone and then get to take over their business.

I thought there were some really funny. Like, again, I said this, in the technology takedown segment, like, funny parts where he, like, almost glimpses of regular Anthony would poke through, where you'd be like, wait a minute. What? Like that he's so blinded by love and impending wealth. For someone coming from Anthony's background, I'm sure that's very appealing and healing to me. It feels like when you laid out the season for him, it feels like that. It feels like endgame for him. Like, this is where this is all supposed to be leading. But then you get these minor glimpses where he's like, wait a minute. The veil almost slips, and he goes, oh, crap, this isn't right. So I appreciated that. It's an interesting perspective about that very end bit, of Vanessa being partner as well. I might need to sit on that a little longer.

Salina says she doesn't hate Anthony, but she does owe him

And I'm not going to. I didn't. But talk.

I didn't talk that much about the Carleen piece. But that also was just like. Like. Like him using her like, that was. I just don't think he would. The Anthony that we've known for the last five seasons would never do that.

Hey, I don't think he would have dressed her up like that.

that's the thing. That's so weird.

Yeah.

Even, like, if he was like, hey, just, like, go on a date with him or something, like, I could see that. But, like, you know, boosting up or boostier area, to be fair. Weird.

He had to sit across the table from Dwayne Dauber being slightly racist.

That's true.

And she owed him a little bit.

That's true. I'm gonna go ahead and bring it up to 3.2.

Well, maybe if we just talk long enough, I can bring you all the way up.

She did owe him, because that was super annoying.

They're just pimping each other out all the time.

That's true.

So,

That's true.

M.

He's a real thinker.

You got.

Yeah. 3.2. I'm changing it.

All right, well, she doesn't hate Anthony. She's fine with them. He's okay.

No, I love Anthony.

I'm just gonna see how many times I can get that recorded.

I love Anthony. You can make, like, a nice little something at the end because you'll have to remember to do it. You've already made an intro to a new segment. You know, doesn't it feel like you've done enough?

Well, this is my new one. It's just Salina going, I love Anthony. And we only talk about high points from Anthony. Oh, that would be great. Let's see how he shows up in season seven. If he's, like, great in season seven and he's just got a lot of quotable quotes. We may have a new segment of I Love Anthony where we just play.

His best quotes, I believe. You know, real quick, on season seven, I am, pretty sure that it just ends on a cliffhanger. The very last episode is called Something something. Part one.

Oh, my gosh.

Can you believe that?

So, you know what's really gonna suck is that I fully understand I'm the reason you're doing this right now. And you did not want to talk about seasons six or seven. And if it ends on a cliffhanger and I have to look you in the eyes, that fully unsatisfied feeling, I'm bringing you, like, a cake that day.

Do we. I always take cake. Do we, fanfic at them?

Oh, we do. What we did, where we use ChatGPT to protect.

That worked great.

It was funny in theory. It was an excellent thought.

I. It made me a little bit more hopeful for not the end of the world like tomorrow. Still ending.

It's still ending. That's for sure.

AI will be a part of it.

Our overlords, who are smart and wonderful and know everything, and I love them talking to all the overlords in this room right now.

They're all here.

Every time we get a new subscriber, we have 50 something now

All right, are you ready for our next episode?

Yeah, we're to new characters.

Yeah, we're to new characters. So next week.

That's new, not nude.

Yes, Elena.

Okay. Just in case it sounded like I.

Said, Carleen Frazier Dauber is who we're going to talk about in our next episode. As always, you can follow along with us and engage Instagram and Facebook @Sweet TNTV TikTok @ Sweet T. TV pod. We're on YouTube. Sweet Tea TV. You, can email us. I can never say that. Whole sweet tea TV. 7,000, 371.

It's ridiculous. Just look up sweet tea and TV. You're not going to do it anyway. Every time we get a new subscriber, I think we have, like, 50 something now. Blows my mind. I'm like, oh, yeah, YouTube. Just. I mean, we have full time jobs. If y'all would like to leave us a strong rating and review, this could be our full time job.

There you go. Or visit the Support us page and just pay us outright.

just an annual salary for each of us. We do like insurance and a pension, so, you know, just like every American has a pension, we'd like one, too.

Well, you covered one of my bullet points. Just the last thing I'll say. Email us. Email us sweet tvpod gmail.com or visit our website, sweet tea tv.com and then come back Thursday for extra sugar.

We're going to talk about weddings in Designing Women episodes

What you got?

Salina, we are going to be.

Sorry, did I put you on the spot?

No, no. So we're going to be talking about weddings or near weddings. In Designing Weapon.

Designing Weapons. Yep.

M in Designing Women episodes, which is going to allow us to talk about other TV wedding episodes that we love, hate, or otherwise.

So I'm excited. It's gonna be. You know, I love a good wedding.

It's gonna be whipped cream, fluffy Nicki Mays.

Love it. Right up my alley. Yep.

No, no serious episode for me this time, so. You're welcome.

All smiles here.

Well, you. You know what that means.

What does it mean, Salina?

Means we're gonna see you around the beginning.