American Woman Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Obstacles and Assets
Carissa Pavlica
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The ladies were in top form on American Woman Season 1 Episode 10.
They're at their best when Bonnie is just shy of a mommy meltdown, Diana is preaching on behalf of all working women, and Kathleen isn't leaning on someone else to find her happiness.
"Obstacles and Assets" delivered all of that.
It's no surprise at all that the sheen is wearing off between Bonnie and Adam.
Bonnie: You get to eat mushrooms all day and paint in your underwear!
Adam: That's not fair.
Bonnie: A lot of things aren't fair.
They have a lot of fun together, and he is sweet as hell, but he's a kid without real responsibilities who only just experiencing the adult world for the first time through Bonnie.
It's a lot like the romance between Liza and Josh on Younger. For each time Josh did something to sweep Liza off of her feet and make her feel like the most special woman in the world, she would also find herself at a festival in the rain more miserable than not trying very hard to have fun.
Bonnie: Please! I really need this job.
Mister: And brides need white wedding dresses, and thanks to you, ours went elsewhere to get hers.
Losing her job as a result of one of those times when she allowed herself to let go isn't going to make Bonnie's time with Adam any shinier, that's for sure.
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It scared the crap out of Bonnie and plopped her right back into the real world, the world where her soon to be ex-husband is back among those making a living. They're getting along better, but he still isn't contributing to the life Bonnie's trying to continue for the girls.
Tracking down Steve is something Bonnie does very well, and this time she faced Steve and demanded something. We know how well they were living by using the inflation calculator. The $975 Bonnie owed on the mortgage adjusts to $4,567 in 2018. Imagine trying to pull that together on a sales clerk's salary.
That led to more comedic moments for Alicia Silverstone who nails every line.
Jessica: Mom! You're walking too quick. I can't keep up!
Bonnie: That's why I'm pulling you.
That line reminded me of those from the premiere when the kids were scooting around the backseat of the car as Bonnie was in hot pursuit of Steve and his fling as well as the kids' suggesting biscuits at Kentucky Fried Chicken meant they were celebrating something special.
Bonnie: What are you casting for right now?
Kathleen: It's for a teen hooker on Police Woman.
Bonnie: She can play that!
Bonnie crashed directly into Kathleen's trial by fire when she suggested her young daughter could play a teenage prostitute, and as friends do, Kathleen willingly allowed Jessica to read for the role only because she could read the distress on Bonnie's face.
Sharing that later with Steven, though, only allowed them to reminisce together about good times and what they meant to each other.
It's natural for two people to find their way back to each other if they managed to have a cordial breakup. Bonnie and Steve never hated each other, and it never seemed either of them understood what happened between them.
Related: American Woman Season 1 Episode 9 Review: The Breakthrough
Steve sure saw a lot more in the woman he lost than he did when he had her near, and hearing that at a time she's falling apart had to turn on Bonnie at a time she really needed it. They may have ended up in bed together giggling, but I don't think they'll be getting back together any time soon.
The same goes for Kathleen and Greg. Does anyone else think that maybe Bonnie will go into business with Kathleen? She lost her job at the same time Kathleen needs someone she can trust to work beside her.
Neither Kathleen nor Bonnie had ever worked before. Bonnie quickly became the best salesperson, and Kathleen just found herself casting the rest of the season of Police Woman, one of the top hits on television.
Kathleen had no experience in casting before going into business with Greg, and while he may come back to the business, he's not going to get closer to her heart. By having a large account to cast, they could hire Bonnie for more help who would also act as a buffer should Kathleen ever feel the urge to fall back on old habits.
That would be an amazing opportunity for the friends to work together. They could also continue working with Diana for business loans as she's just been promoted to Senior Loan Officer.
One of my pet peeves (and I was even on a 20/20 panel once as an HR expert about the subject) is single people getting the shaft at work over people with families. This once, getting shafted worked out in Diana's favor.
Because Mr. Bishop let his newly promoted bro, Jeff, slide for his shoddy work over the weekend in lieu of family plans, Diana learned she and Bishop had something in common -- ailing parents.
Taking the opportunity to comfort him with what she knew about her mom's recent health scare turned into a bit of a nightmare when Mr. Bishop made a pass at Diana.
Mr. Bishop: I thought we were having a moment.
Diana: Yes, we were. It's called compassion. It's when one person in nice to another person. Maybe you have trouble seeing that because I'm a woman.
Mr. Bishop: I'm sorry, but you are a woman, and I'm a man.
Diana: Yes, and?
Mr. Bishop: It's confusing. Do you want to be treated as our equals or do you want us to hold open the doors for you? Which one?
Diana: How about both? Is that so impossible?
Mr. Bishop: So how are we supposed to know what you want at any goddamned moment?
While Mr. Bishop leaning in and trying to kiss Diana seems strange, in the present day, so does popping out a bottle of scotch. You'd never do either and get away with it now.
But who knows how it might have played out if Diana was interested in Mr. Bishop? Maybe they'd get married and live happily ever after. But she wasn't, so the conversation took a definite turn.
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I always wondered, though, even today, the same kind of thing as Mr. Bishop. What if two people were interested in each other. Is there conduct you can pursue? How does one go about it in this era, and will it be flipped on its head if the relationship goes wrong? Is office romance completely off the table?
The other half of the conversation after Mr. Bishop's pass was sticking his poor hiring decision in his face.
Mr. Bishop: You have no idea how hard it is to be a man these days.
Diana: How hard it is to be a man. Are you serious? Try being a woman. Try working twice as hard for half the recognition and a quarter of the pay. Or see how it feels to be called a bitch for speaking up for what you believe in. Or being told that because you have a career, you're never going to have a family. [packs up to leave]
Mr. Bishop: Wait, what is it? Where are you going?
Diana: You promoted Jeff, so you can clean up his mistakes.
What worked about that and what followed is that we've never had a clear line on Mr. Bishop.
He could have gone either way, but for the first time we learned a bit about his home life, and as a result of making a stunted pass at Diana, we also discovered he's a stand-up guy.
He heard Diana when she spoke to him, and he realized he should have chosen Diana a long time ago. There was easy laughter from Mr. Bishop as he left her front stoop after welcoming her to the next chapter of her career, and you could tell he and Diana would have a successful working partnership going forward.
That's a much more admirable way for situations to end than in litigation. Shit happens, but you learn from it, build on it, and do better the next time. I wonder if we'll ever arrive at a time like that again.
You have some time to watch American Woman online and prepare for the finale! That's what's coming next. Drop a comment below to share your predictions of what you expect to go down.
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.
