Before we get into this week's episode, let's say cheers to the fact that ABC ordered three more scripts for A Million Little Things this week.  With any luck, an order for a full season will follow.  Now, our group of friends is working through the issues and secrets that they were hit with right out of the gate.  This week gives Katherine the spotlight while the other stories advance at a reasonable speed.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

Observations:

• We find out that Gary has a dog, which immediately makes him the frontrunner for our favorite character.

• This week's episode is designed to show us more about Katherine and the sacrifices she's made for her family.   Grace Park shows great warmth with Theo, and we feel sympathetic as she tries to find a way to make it to his play.  It also increases the pain about Eddie and Delilah's betrayal, because she's not the distant ice queen she was made out to be in the opening episodes.  This is also the first time she doesn't mention how much only Jon understood her, which was starting to creep us out a bit.

• Glad to see that Rome is finally talking to Doctor Heller.  First, we had a little concern that his therapy sessions with Maggie were going to get into some weird territory.  Second, this is where this drama can also be educational.  Rome's lament that he thought quitting his job to pursue his dreams would make him feel better, but it doesn't, is an important lesson about depression.  A person's life may be going great on the outside, but that doesn't change the internal health issue.  That's why it's also important for Doctor Heller to tell him that he has a right to be depressed.  You can also add the value of talking about how many families don't talk about mental health.  This show can do a lot of good here besides just entertaining people.

• We're trusting that the show won't portray everything has hunky-dory for Rome now that he's started taking anti-depressants.

• Gary's trying to trick Maggie into telling him what Tom already told him about her health?  What could possibly go wrong?

• Where would you come down on a quality vs. quantity of life debate?

• There's a flock of birds flying by Maggie at one point.  We're trying to remember what that meant in The Sopranos.  Was it death?  On a related note, do you think Maggie will be on this show for more than a season (assuming it lasts that long?)

• We're sympathetic to Sophie punching her classmate Chloe for saying her dad is in hell for committing the "sin of suicide."  Not that it was right, but we can see where she was coming from.   Religion and suicide is a toxic combination, and an argument over it can easily have someone seeing red.

• Also, it appears that Sophie has a mean right.  Do not get into a fight with this girl.

• We all knew that 3'2" Maggie was going to be an outstanding basketball player, right?  

• You can see how Eddie and Katherine were once a good team, but she deserves better and she knows it.

• Oh, we almost made it out of the episode without another new secret being added to the pile, but here comes the pregnancy test.  It was obvious that it wouldn't be as straight-forward as it first seemed, but how do you think it will eventually play out?  Presumably we've got at least a couple of weeks to debate who the father is first, but what after that?

• James Roday is clearly better at the comedy than the drama, but he holds his own there.  Katherine is right, and it's easy to see that at the end of the day, Gary comes through when everything falls apart.

Maggie and Gary play a high-stakes basketball game.  (pic via tvline.com)

Final Thoughts:

There's a lot going on, but the show's pacing continues to improve, which gives us a better chance to become more emotionally invested in this group.  Jon wasn't seen at all this week, and this episode demonstrated that the other characters can hold their own without his presence hanging over them.  ABC was right to order the additional episodes and allow this story to continue to unfold.

Also, it looks like Ashley finally gives Delilah Jon's suicide note in the next episode (unless that trailer was grossly misleading.)  We're dying to know what the note says and why Ashley's been holding onto it for so long, so we'll see you back here to discuss all of that next week!