Episode 9 Recap: "Separation Anxiety"
The couples we've been following so closely went through some changes this week, mostly by their own choosing.
Rita is separating from Dan, and it upsets Katie's world. Katie is freaked out that this could be the answer to her marital problems. Even though she is surprised that Katie is surprised at her actions, Rita has proven that having a baby is not a good solution to save a marriage.
Unsatisfied with redoing the patio every year, Katie makes changes by seeking a job interview, going clothes shopping and getting a makeup makeover (with "Love Crush" blush). It not only shows Katie asserting herself and elevating her self-esteem but using avoidance tactics and being somewhat irresponsible by dropping her family responsibilities and ditching therapy.
Dave, now stranded, goes mano a mano with Dr. May, which was probably the most open and in touch we've seen him yet. He loves Katie but resents her and wants to know if their feelings can come back. We later learn that Dr. May was stumped by Dave's sentiments but told him that something better can come by sticking it out. When relating the situation to Arthur, his calm reaction seems all knowing and says: "You just can't grasp what we have from his point of view." I'm wondering if May is second-guessing her own reasoning, which I hope doesn't cause her to rethink her feelings for John.
Jamie is probably the one who is most aware of her complex problems, but she can't avoid repeating mistakes. She wants to run when she's with a guy but is afraid to be alone, so she stays in relationships not knowing whether it's the right move. Jamie knows changes have to be made and tells Dr. May that she is breaking her pattern of not saying "I love you" when Nick says it to her. Dr. May gives her three options on handling her situation. When Jamie tells Nick the truth that she wants to slow things down, he splits.
Carolyn is hoping to share their good news with Lauren (
Kate Trotter), Palek's mother, and though initially discouraged, she gets her moment. As Lauren goes on and on complaining that the "movement" of people expressing their feelings is rude, it provokes Palek to blurt out that they are expecting. Carolyn is happily surprised. And though this is the only moment Palek appears to be a proud father, it's really to shut up his mother.
Early on, Carolyn assures Palek she will be strong enough to get them through any worries of having a child. But walking out on her job isn't the way to do it. (Palek asked, "Well, are you going to walk back in?") Adding on the pressure of an unwanted baby plus learning their house needs $50,000 worth of mold removal, it's no wonder Palek has a panic attack. Carolyn offers him no comfort when she begins talking about herself while he's lying in a hospital bed. Perhaps Carolyn's manner is much like his mother's, which could be what attracted him to her in the first place.
When visiting Dr. May, they now sit at opposite ends of the sofa where they had previously been seen seated next to each other. Carolyn explains she needed Palek when she quit her job but he went and had a panic attack. With an admission like that, it's no wonder the guy wants out of his marriage.
Random thoughts:
" Carolyn to Palek, when looking at the sonogram: "No one expects you to fall in love with a grain of rice."
" Carolyn was looking in the wrong place for a motherly connection with Lauren, so why admit to her that Palek was unhappy?
" Does a house full of mold do more than symbolically suggest a bad-breeding environment?
" Mason to Jamie: Anya "sounds like industrial cleaner."
" Did Dave really mean he would have liked another baby?
" Next week is the season finale. Without looking at the previews, what are your predictions for the couples? (Will Palek split? Can Katie and Dave work things out? Is Jamie capable of living alone and breaking her pattern of serial dating? Does Dr. May have the answers to keep her own marriage a happy one?)
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