He's basically a <potato>.

[JuriTerreni]

From TV series <The Exorcist>,
They're having dinner. They invite the priest. The priest asks the father how's the boat. But he seems to not understand the question. So the daughter Kat says:
Kat - You're wasting your time. He's basically a potato.
Mom -Kat!

What does potato mean here? Thank you.

 

[Barque]

Some more context please - is the father unwell in any way? Or is he a lazy person who rarely engages in outdoor activity?

 

[JuriTerreni]

Some more context please - is the father unwell in any way? Or is he a lazy person who rarely engages in outdoor activity?

He seems unwell, but I don't know what happened to him. He seems slow, or maybe he has amnesia...

 

[Skatinginbc]

My immediate interpretation is: brainless, clueless, unresponsive, unaware of anything...

 

[Barque]

She means that he's a vegetable, which means in this context (WR dictionary): a person who is severely impaired mentally or physically. Her mother exclaimed "Kat!" to express displeasure.

 

[Skatinginbc]

He is basically dead weight.

 

[london calling]

She means that he's a vegetable, which means in this context (WR dictionary): a person who is severely impaired mentally or physically. Her mother exclaimed "Kat!" to express displeasure.

That's exactly how I understand it. It's an insult.