2x06 Moira vs. Town Council

[7.5/10] Let’s start with Alexis’s story, which was, to my shock and surprise, my favorite one in the episode. For a while it felt like her passive aggressive suggestion to Mutt about them talking more and...listening less, was going to be more broad romcom tomfoolery. The bit about Mutt shaving his beard seemed even more like a random thing for them to argue about for no good reason, and Alexis was pretty annoying through a lot of it.

But then the episode took a weird, more human turn that it’s hard to put my finger on. The moment where they stop talking, just look at one another, and are kind of forced to acknowledge their basic incompatibility was unexpectedly compelling. It’s not quite The Wire expressing seventeen different emotions with just the word “fuck” but it’s almost the inverse of that, forcing the characters to confront these things with expressions alone. Color me pleased with it.

I particularly like the follow-up scene with Alexis and David. Alexis’s statement that she feels something after this break-up, in a way she hasn’t before, shows some more genuine growth from her. The statement that Mutt changed her, knew her, and that she let him know her, are a little on the nose, but somehow feel natural in conversation. Her asking David for a hug and the two siblings embracing as a form of solace is markedly human and sweet -- an unexpected triumph from the least successful corner of the show.

Ironically, David’s portion, which is usually the most reliable, was the most slight here. The idea that he doesn't understand what a tax write off is and so buys a bunch of crap for himself as a “business expense” is a pretty sitcom-y idea. There’s some laughs from the scene where Johnny reacts in disbelief and talks him through what a write-off really is in all his incredulousness, but it’s pretty thin broth.

I liked the Moira story though. Her being entitled, but also enough of a pain in the ass to get the Town Council to do things that need to be done is a nice direction for the character. Her mannered crusade for more greenery is low-stakes enough to be amusing given the big deal she makes of it. And the kids not even noticing what she accomplished and mistaking it for things that were already there was a hearty laugh.

Overall, this one leads the way with a great Alexis story, and that alone is cause for a boost!