(Recap) A Million Little Things: Episode 3 "Save the Date"
10/11/2018
A Million Little Things threw a lot of secrets into the mix in the first two episodes, and now a big one has already become public knowledge, as Eddie and Delilah's affair is revealed. We're still in the immediate aftermath of Jon's suicide, so it's safe to say this group of friends is having a really bad stretch. How will they move forward from here?
Warning: Spoilers ahead
Observations:
- We sympathize with everyone who sees the alert about Gary's birthday party on their phones. It's a simple but devastating reminder of the loss they've just suffered.
- It's nice to see Grace Park finally get some attention after being largely absent from the first two episodes. Katherine Kim has been portrayed as a cold work-obsessed woman in her limited on-air time so far, and now we get to find out more about her and who her biggest ally was in the group. Park does a good job of making Katherine immediately feel sympathetic as she learns about Eddie's affair.
- Not to discount the damage done by an affair, but it feels like some part of the friends' outrage is amplified by the fact that Jon just died, and it's hard for any of them to understand how he could have a role in this. Both Gary and Delilah wonder if they're the reason why Jon killed himself. The not knowing why it happened is a far worse torture than anything their friends could say to them, which Katherine appears to acknowledge when she finally talks to Delilah.
- Maggie's clearly got secrets. Of course, everyone has secrets on this show, but what is she hiding about her former life in Chicago?
- Maggie's right to tell Rome she can't be his therapist and his friend, but it feels like this relationship will also head down a bad path. We're still pulling for Doctor Heller to eventually make an appearance.
- Ashley certainly seems to be the bad guy of the show. It's inexcusable to not give Delilah Jon's suicide note, and now it appears she's got something to do with the upcoming subway improvements. Was Jon also involved?
- We have a number of friends who would give anything to go to a Boston Bruins fantasy camp.
- The final scene between Gary and Delilah brings the episode in for a soft landing. Gary's got a reason for being so angry about the affair even though he wasn't one of the directly-involved parties, and Delilah has a realistic explanation of said affair. There doesn't have to be some tale of horrific behavior by either spouse. Loneliness can sneak up on anyone.
Final Thoughts
This show is still a mixed bag. We like the cast, and there are some interesting threads in all of the secrets, but the pacing still feels too frantic. It would be great if everything could just slow down a beat. Can you imagine keeping this kind of pace for an entire season? However, with steadily declining ratings, it's not clear how long the leash is for A Million Little Things.
This is not a good birthday. (pic via tvline.com)
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