American Woman Season 1 Episode 7 Review: The Agreement
Carissa Pavlica
at
.
It wasn't time for the gal pals to hang together during American Woman Season 1 Episode 7.
Bonnie was focused on her children and the men in her life, Diana was starting to spiral out of control, and Kathleen agonizingly discovered Greg's secret.
Only Bonnie came out of "The Agreement" better than she entered it, and it's time to worry about Diana and Kathleen.
It feels good to have a bar you frequent, and where you know you can receive attention, especially when you don't need to put out much effort to get it.
Diana has found that in the place she visited after the dinner party on American Woman Season 1 Episode 6, and she doesn't seem ready to give up that woman's choice environment yet.
That's fair, but it's also a small place where it's easy to get a reputation fairly quickly. Men talk, and the way Diana is behaving will have men talking in no time. If I believed Diana genuinely didn't care what men thought about her, I'd give her a pat on the back.
Dude: Can I have your number?
Diana: Why do you want my number?
Dude: Because I want to see you again.
Diana: [kisses him passionately] Get out of my car.
We've witnessed Diana go to great extremes to get attention, though, and the attention she craves is for more than sex. While she's digging the idea of having her cake and eating it too right now, she is looking for more in the long run.
It's also concerning when her nighttime proclivities begin affecting her job, something of which she has always been very proud.
Yes, she has an asshole boss who deserves the behavior Diana is showing him at the office, but Diana deserves to move up in the company without having Mr. Bishop holding against her anything she does while she's sowing her wild oats.
Mr. Bishop: You came in late today. Again. And now you're dozing off in meetings?
Diana: I haven't been getting much sleep at night.
Mr. Bishop: Is this conversation amusing you?
Diana: No sir. I'm just happy to be here.
Does she deserve to be "judged" in this way? No. But it's 1975, and that's the way the cookie crumbled.
Thankfully, Diana had her head on straight when Kathleen was suffering. She could have handled the situation with her friend much differently, but it's not what Kathleen needed.
Diana: You think I could have fixed this for you?
Kathleen: Yes! You could have told me.
Diana: You wouldn't have believed me because you already knew it was true.
Kathleen: What? I didn't know!
Diana: Yes, you did. How many times did you complain that the sex was disappointing? How many times did he have a last minute meeting that kept him out half the night? You knew. You just didn't do anything about it.
Seeing Greg kissing Alan was a terrible way for Kathleen to find out about Greg's sexuality, but Greg wasn't going to tell her, and Kathleen wasn't ready to face the truth. Even though Diana knew, it wasn't up to her to wreck their friendship to point out something to which Kathleen was turning a blind eye.
That didn't make Kathleen's situation any less heartbreaking.
It's uncool of Alan to continue harping on Greg for the same reason as it would have been for Diana to step into Kathleen's relationship. Greg is a grown man. It was up to him to make his own mistake. Alan seemed like a decent guy upon our introduction, but pushing the issue with Greg proves otherwise.
Another person doesn't get to set the agenda for anyone whether it be sexual or otherwise. Greg was allowed to lead on Kathleen for as long as he liked. If they eventually found happiness together after he told her his truth, then so be it. It wasn't Alan's battle to wage.
A lot of couples in the 1970s decided to continue even after the truth was revealed. As we don't know what the future holds, it will be interesting to see where this goes.
I was crushed when Adam told Bonnie he wasn't into a relationship with her that included her kids, but her response to it was so genuinely groovy it was hard to feel pain for long.
She thought he'd get along great with her kids. He wasn't interested. She was willing to leave it at that. After everything she had been through with Steve, Bonnie has found some strength in the aftermath.
Bonnie needs strength to get through days with Becca and Jessica. Becca is pushing the envelope when it comes to her mom, and she even tried to hijack her sister's birthday.
She not only tried to sabotage the day by revealing that her mother was dating someone else, again blaming dad's absence on Bonnie, but that she wants dad to attend Jessica's party via Jessica's sweet little voice.
Bonnie was never going to let her daughters be unhappy, especially during a birthday.
What she didn't know what that the timing would finally allow Steve to shove his foot in his mouth and prove to the girls that all the fault in their separation didn't lay at the feet of their mother.
Things could have gone terribly when Adam showed up with the gift for Jessica, but Bonnie and the kids handled it much better than expected. Becca wasn't a brat because it was time for Steve to step into the shadows.
In real life, she would have rebelled and shouted and made quite the spectacle. Frankly, we didn't have time for that. What played out instead was necessary and more fun to watch (for me, so hopefully for you, too!).
Steve: What's that?
Adam: It's a gift. For Jessica.
Bonnie: Adam, you didn't have to do that.
Steve: A present? You don't even look like you could afford a present.
Bonnie: Steven, that's enough.
Steve: What? I'm not the only one in the room thinking that right now. Jessica, does Adam give nice presents?
Jessica: I don't know. This is my first one.
Steve tried to make everything nightmarish from the moment Adam walked into the room, and who could blame him? They've made James Tupper look like a goofball in hair and makeup. Next to Adam, Steve seems like a buffoon!
He's also forgotten that he was the idiot who let a woman like Bonnie get away. Seeing someone else with his wife would start to sting at that point.
Adam: I want Jessica to open it.
Steve: Angus, what you want in this house doesn't really matter, does it? Besides, the suspense is killing me. [holds up painting and snickers]
Jessica: Wow! Is that me?
Adam: Your mom told me that you like stars. Do you like it?
Jessica: Yes, I do. I like it a lot!
Steve: Don't be stupid, honey. It doesn't even look like you.
Becca: Don't talk to her like that, Dad.
Steve: Don't sass back to me like that; do you understand?
Becca: She's just a kid.
Steve: And so are you!
Yelling at the kids set things into motion, and in their hearts, Becca and Jessica knew their mother wouldn't date someone who would treat them poorly.
Jessica was genuinely excited about the gift, and it was quite lovely.
Jealousy on their father was something new, and it was also frightening. The way he kept disrespecting Adam by calling him Angus and calling him talentless while Jessica loved the painting of her didn't help matters.
There's nothing worse than the guy your wife is dating being more insightful about your kid on her birthday, though.
Bonnie: What the hell are you doing?
Steve: I'm just expressing my opinion. I think this looks like shit.
Adam: I just paint what I feel, man. I painted Jessica's innocence and, and her wonder because that's what's beautiful about her, alright? The rest isn't important.
Steve: That's just a bunch of bullshit covering up an even bigger lack of talent.
And the worst of it came when he said what it might not have dawned on Steve while he was running around with other women. It couldn't last forever. He couldn't cheat on his wife and keep her.
Life doesn't work that way.
Steve: I won't be asking you to paint me, Angus, no offense.
Adam: That's cool. I'd probably paint a lot of things you wouldn't like.
Steve: Like what?
Adam: I'd paint you melting into the background, Steve. That fading man. I'd make you a ghost.
Steve: You're gonna take my place, are ya?
Adam: I don't know, but somebody will.
Those lines were soft, yet some of the most painful Adam could have delivered to Steve. It's hard to imagine, but it's entirely possible their disagreement may change things between Steve and Bonnie going forward.
Steve finally admitted he's afraid of looking bad in front of his kids (too late) and going to prison.
Who wouldn't be afraid of that? And why hasn't he shared that with her before now? They were together long enough that being truthful would have done a lot more for them from every standpoint going forward than the behavior he's continued after being outed for his affair.
Parenting would have been easier, and Bonnie might have been willing to work with him when it came to his trial if Steve lent a hand with the house and kids.
Instead, they've been dancing around because Steve was too afraid to be honest.
And in his wake, Bonnie found a man like Adam who is fresh and free, honest about everything (that we know). The stark contract must be shocking to Bonnie.
I love the final scenes of Bonnie on the bed with her kids. They should do that more often. It's a nice way to end episodes, by remembering that first and foremost she's a mother and their lives come first.
She could have taken a victory lap when she was finally off the hook for the breakup with their dad, but instead, she wanted to make sure her daughters would forgive Steve and maintain a good relationship with him. He's their dad, and nobody will ever take his place. He's all they have.
Diana and Kathleen can use a little of that strength. Maybe she'll share with them on the next episode!
Be sure to watch American Woman online if you're not caught up. OK? OK.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
