[7.0/10] This is a sort of strange episode, where each of the storylines is pretty good (or good enough), but each feels like it needs an extra beat or something more.
Let’s start with the Moira/Jocelyn storyline. There’s meat to the idea that Jocelyn is a harried mother to a new baby, and so gets rightly miffed when her Jazzagal friends are essentially moving on without her and not accommodating her needs. Except, that’s not really where the subplot goes. Instead, it becomes about Jocelyn expressing herself more frankly? Telling Ronnie and Twyla to sing softer/louder and Moira to stop talking about Bosnia?
And her situation is in no way resolved and none of the Jazzagals have promised to be more considerate of her new life or anything? It just plays as weird, with the central problem introduced going unsolved and instead pivoting to something seemingly random.
The David/Patrick storyline is much better. I like the idea that David and Patrick are having trouble maintaining their privacy between David sharing a room with Alexis and Patrick having to deal with Ray constantly poking his head in. There’s good emotional stakes to Patrick seemingly asking David to move-in. It represents something big for David, and him feeling so moved and overwhelmed at the prospect, only to bristle at the studio apartment that Patrick thinks is “cute,” only to then realize Patrick wasn’t actually asking him to move in is a good psychological journey for the character.
It just needed some kind of end beat, or more with the two of them dealing with David’s misconception. Maybe they’ll tackle it in a later episode or something, but it feels like a dangling emotional point that the show just kind of brushed over in thirty seconds. I hope they follow it up somehow.
The same goes for the Stevie/Amir storyline. I really like the setup that Stevie is intended to be a plant to help puff up the Rosebud Motel to a travel blogger, only to realize that she really likes the guy and confess. Their dynamic together is really cute, and while the broad comedy of Alexis/Johnny/Roland trying to impress the guy doesn’t do much for me, the more low key dating humor between Stevie and Amir is really cute. It just doesn’t really progress beyond “He still likes Stevie after the confession” and “He gives it a good review” when it feels like we needed more of a period, or at least a semicolon, to be put on that storyline.
Overall, this is an episode of less-than-satisfying conclusions to solid storylines, which means it’s perfectly watchable and enjoyable for most of the episode, only to leave you scratching your head a little bit when the credits roll.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-02T17:56:24Z
[7.0/10] This is a sort of strange episode, where each of the storylines is pretty good (or good enough), but each feels like it needs an extra beat or something more.
Let’s start with the Moira/Jocelyn storyline. There’s meat to the idea that Jocelyn is a harried mother to a new baby, and so gets rightly miffed when her Jazzagal friends are essentially moving on without her and not accommodating her needs. Except, that’s not really where the subplot goes. Instead, it becomes about Jocelyn expressing herself more frankly? Telling Ronnie and Twyla to sing softer/louder and Moira to stop talking about Bosnia?
And her situation is in no way resolved and none of the Jazzagals have promised to be more considerate of her new life or anything? It just plays as weird, with the central problem introduced going unsolved and instead pivoting to something seemingly random.
The David/Patrick storyline is much better. I like the idea that David and Patrick are having trouble maintaining their privacy between David sharing a room with Alexis and Patrick having to deal with Ray constantly poking his head in. There’s good emotional stakes to Patrick seemingly asking David to move-in. It represents something big for David, and him feeling so moved and overwhelmed at the prospect, only to bristle at the studio apartment that Patrick thinks is “cute,” only to then realize Patrick wasn’t actually asking him to move in is a good psychological journey for the character.
It just needed some kind of end beat, or more with the two of them dealing with David’s misconception. Maybe they’ll tackle it in a later episode or something, but it feels like a dangling emotional point that the show just kind of brushed over in thirty seconds. I hope they follow it up somehow.
The same goes for the Stevie/Amir storyline. I really like the setup that Stevie is intended to be a plant to help puff up the Rosebud Motel to a travel blogger, only to realize that she really likes the guy and confess. Their dynamic together is really cute, and while the broad comedy of Alexis/Johnny/Roland trying to impress the guy doesn’t do much for me, the more low key dating humor between Stevie and Amir is really cute. It just doesn’t really progress beyond “He still likes Stevie after the confession” and “He gives it a good review” when it feels like we needed more of a period, or at least a semicolon, to be put on that storyline.
Overall, this is an episode of less-than-satisfying conclusions to solid storylines, which means it’s perfectly watchable and enjoyable for most of the episode, only to leave you scratching your head a little bit when the credits roll.