Michael: Every Day Season 1 Episodes

Episode 1

Small Talk

Sat, Sep 10, 2022

Michael has been seeing his therapist, David, for fifteen years. This week, they head to a shopping mall to tackle Michael's fear of small talk. Michael's mental well-being is not David's only concern. He is writing a self-help book about phobias. Michael is totally unaware that he is the central character. The composed and self-contained David is involved with in a wild and passionate relationship with the book's editor, Samantha 'Sammy' Dunbar. At the office, Michael's colleague Carlos ramps up his anxiety level just for the sport of it.

Episode 2

Unscripted Conversation

As part of the therapeutic process, David sends Michael off to a department store to talk to strangers. But a jealous lover misreads Michael's intentions and a shoving match breaks out. In the commotion, Michael loses his cell phone. Panic. Back at the office, Carlos continues to taunt Michael who somehow finds the courage to ask Claire for a date. Things are so complicated with Sammy that David asks his publisher for a new editor. Not a wise move.

Episode 3

Vomiting

David is openly irritated that Michael is dating his receptionist Claire, especially since she knows all about David's book. Will Claire keep his secret? Sammy and David have fabulous sex everywhere including his office. Could this possibly a "relationship?" Claire invites Michael home to meet her baby daughter. After an argument between Claire and her mother, Michael is left alone, in charge of the baby. She vomits on him. Vomiting is one of Michael's biggest phobias.

Episode 4

Sleeping with People

Confused about his relations with women, David seeks the counsel of his own therapist - the eccentric and cantankerous Dr. Wasserman. Michael is terrified by the idea of spending a night with Claire. What if he snores? He's never had a 'sleep-over.' To calm Michael's nerves, David spends a night sitting at Michael's bedside, watching him sleep. Dr. Wasserman is outraged by this lack of professionalism. Sammy also thinks David has gone way over the line. Persuaded by their arguments, David suggests to Michael that he is too dependent on their therapeutic relationship. David's ex-wife wants to meet.

Episode 5

Bridges

Having a fear of bridges and living in Ottawa is a serious handicap which David attempts to help Michael overcome. Michael is seriously not ready for this exposure. As part of the divorce settlement, David's ex-wife, Stacia, offers him the country house. Before selling it, he takes Sammy there for an idyllic getaway. Heavenly turns hellish when Sammy finds out David still hasn't told Michael about the book. In their own ways, both Dr. Wasserman and Sammy worry about David's dependency on his patient and push him to tell Michael about the book.

Episode 6

Trust

Michael can't face Claire, who has transcribed every word of David's book. Because David lied to him by withholding the truth, trust issues arise, which David attributes to Michael's deeply rooted father issues. As an exercise, Michael writes a letter to his father who abandoned the family. David and Claire strike a deal to get Michael in and out of the office without his having to face her. In return, Claire demands that David provide free couples therapy for her and her baby's daddy, Roger. Roger begs for Claire to come back to him, but she's falling in love with Michael. Michael and Claire kiss and make up, but nothing is that simple. Michael has yet to sign a release for David's book. He hasn't even read it. Michael's co-worker, Carlos finds Michael's father.

Episode 7

Heights

Sammy withholds sex until David gets the release signed by Michael/Miguel. Publisher Jasmina Hart dispatches Sammy to track down 'Miguel' and get the signature. Mistaking Carlos for Michael, Sammy tries scotch and seduction to get the release signed. Michael is totally unprepared to explore his fear of heights or talk about David's book. High up in the steep bleachers of Lansdowne Park stadium, Michael is crippled by the memory of a fight between his parents. Athletes come to his rescue. David sees that the book is interfering with Michael's therapy and offers to stop the process, but their relationship is already terribly strained. Lurking in David's office, Sammy realizes she's got the wrong Miguel. At last, Michael forces himself to read the book.

Episode 8

Being Alone

After finally reading David's book, Michael disappears. Frantic, David asks for Claire's help. David must face letting go and being alone. Eventually Claire finds Michael holed up in the basement of the father who abandoned him, Stanley Peter Dyer. Their relationship is awkward, to say the least. David busies himself with Mrs. Bronfman and her dead cat issues. Sammy tries to cheer David up - the book is finished! Michael returns to therapy to say goodbye to David. He's going to see Judy Song, a well-being coach recommended by his father.

Episode 9

Ridicule

Michael embarks on a new course of therapy with Judy, a well-being coach. The stress of typos in his book, the strain of modern publicity cause David to break out in a nasty rash. Judy recommends David and Michael have a joint session to repair their relationship. Michael's inability to concentrate at work upsets his colleague Carlos who threatens to unmask Michael as 'Miguel'. David's rash gets much worse and much more obvious as the date of the book launch party nears. Will Michael come to the celebration? Will he return to therapy with David?

Episode 10

Sweating

Now that Michael has acknowledged he is David's 'Miguel', doctor and patient do media interviews together. During a radio interview, Michael sweats noticeably and must learn from David that this is completely ordinary and not at all disgusting. Unaware of his unflattering portrait in the book, Carlos buys copies for everyone in the office. David's ex-wife Stacia wants a cut of David's royalties. But nothing is quite as shocking as the scathing review in an influential Ottawa paper. On Wendy Slade's talk show, it's David who sweats uncontrollably. Will this review ruin everything?

Episode 11

Failure

The review hurts - a lot. Is it an attack on the writing or on the relationship between David and Michael? David is successful in desensitizing Michael to the criticism by having him read it out loud, over and over again. The repetition has the opposite effect on David. He is convinced the book has failed, his relationship with Sammy has failed, and he has failed. Michael is confident and even happy. At work, Michael and Carlos produce a highly successful ad campaign. Things are great with Claire. David is in deep despair.

Episode 12

Endings

David wakes up in the emergency ward. While Claire frantically searches for her missing boss, David bonds with Nathan, a chatty patient in the last stages of sexual reassignment surgery. For Michael, the successful elder abuse ad campaign means a promotion, more responsibility and more anxiety. David emerges from the hospital inspired to change his life, but Sammy is reluctant to go along for the ride. At least he can finally tell Michael what their relationship really means to him. Or can he? Michael has some news that changes everything.