5x13 The Hike

[8.2/10] This one went in a few directions that I wasn’t expecting, and I liked all of them heartily, so it gets a “great” from me!

The storyline I was least into was Alexis fretting over a tarot card reading from Twyla that predicts bad things happening on their Galapagos trip. Maybe it’s just that I’m not a superstitious person, but it seems like a silly source of conflict. That said, it’s totally legitimate if it’s just reinforcing Alexis’s preexisting concerns, and I like the notion that she’s grappling with the prospect of missing her family for the first time. It’s more emotional growth for her, to the point that even experiencing that sort of longing is a foreign feeling to her. Ted reassuring her that if it feels wrong, they can go back home is a nice tonic to it, as is Twyla reassuring her that she sees a “golden ring” around the Rose family.

That certainly bears out for Johnny. What everyone worries is a heart attack turns out to just be a bit of severe heartburn. There’s not a lot of actual jeopardy, since it seems unlikely that the show would kill off Johnny at this point. Still, what’s heartening is seeing the reaction from the rest of the cast.

Let’s get this out of the way. Roland continues to be terrible and why they haven’t written him off the show by this point is beyond me. That said, I love Moira’s reaction to the prospect of Johnny being in mortal peril. Her freaking out at the hotel, telling Johnny that he’s the most important thing in the world to her, and all-around caring about her husband’s well-being is a really nice note to play from a character who can often be pretty self-centered. Even when the show was shaggier than it is now, the caring relationship between Johnny and Moira was always a highlight.

Likewise, I really like how clearly affected the less-than-emotive Stevie is over the prospect of Johnny being in trouble. Her sense of panic and relief that this surrogate father figure is okay has an understated but very potent sweetness to it that I really liked.

Speaking of sweetness, I was absolutely not expecting Patrick’s proposal. He and David bickering over the prospect of a hike felt like one of the standard, broad sitcom-esque setups that the show does now and then. Instead, it’s a great tribute to the way that Patrick and David can be on different pages but look out for one another when it really matters. David is obviously not the hiking type, but when Patrick is in trouble, he pushes out of his comfort zone and takes care of the man he loves.

The actual proposal is exceedingly sweet, full of another heartfelt performance from Noah Reid, and a great emotional reaction from Daniel Levy. There’s enough humor throughout all the serious stuff here to keep it funny and light, but the emotions feel honest, which makes the whole thing work.

Overall, this one went to some more significant places than I was expecting, but in a good way!