A Million Little Things Round Table: Who Is Jason Ritter's "Mystery Man?"
Jasmine Blu
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Welcome to the ALMT Family, Jason Ritter!
The TV Fanatic favorite appeared at the end of A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 2, and he left viewers and our Round Table theorizing as to how he relates to Patricia.
Join TV Fanatics Christine Orlando, Meaghan Frey, and Jack Ori as they discuss Jason Ritter's mysterious character, Katherine and Eddie's love story, and more.
After Katherine and Eddie's talk, do you think they can successfully move forward in their relationship?
Christine: It’s going to be darn difficult. Every time Katherine sees that baby, she’ll be reminded of Eddie betraying her, and his and Delilah’s giant secret. Also, I wonder if Katherine ever wanted a second child and if that might play into feelings of resentment.
That’s not to say they can’t move forward, but it sure won’t be easy. I give Katherine a huge amount of credit for even considering it as an option.
Meaghan: Absolutely. The biggest step towards them being able to move forward was Katherine being willing to. Yes, it is going to be difficult.
As Christine pointed out, Katherine is going to be constantly reminded of his betrayal when she sees the baby. Eddie is committed to fixing his family, though, and I believe that he is going to do everything he can to prove how committed he is to Katherine.
Related: A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Grand Canyon
Jack: I think it's possible, but I agree with everyone else that it's going to take a lot of work. One night reading a story with Theo isn't the end of the problems. There's still major issues to be worked out, and not just the betrayal.
Katherine never shared with Eddie that she overheard those other mothers at Garden Day whispering about her, and that's not the only example of poor communication between her and Eddie. IMO, given all the issues, these two need a marriage counselor.
Does it strike you as odd how the narrative has shifted from Eddie and Delilah being so in love to Eddie being devoted and in love with Katherine? Why do you think it changed?
Christine: I don’t think Delilah’s feelings for Eddie were nearly as strong as his feelings for her, and I doubt she would have really left Jon for Eddie.
I also think for years Katherine felt as though she had to be the responsible one in the family as Eddie had proven he couldn’t be trusted, and it caused her to emotionally shut down. In turn, that made it easier for Eddie to believe she didn’t love him anymore.
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Now that they are communicating and being honest with each other, there’s a chance for this marriage to work, and I’m glad to see that Eddie wants to save this relationship rather than riding off to rescue Delilah.
Meaghan: I feel like so much of their relationship was fueled by the forbidden aspect of the affair. I genuinely feel like once Jon died, Delilah didn't see the appeal of their relationship as much anymore because she was no longer a married woman.
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It would be impossible for Eddie not to pick up on that shift. I do also think that the affair was a cry for attention from Eddie, like a child who wasn't getting enough attention from their parents, so they break something.
Delilah was the way for him to get that attention. Maybe Eddie wanted to believe his feelings were more real at the time so that he could feel less guilty about what did, but now that everything is out in the open, he sees things for how they really are.
Jack: I think the affair snowballed out of control. There were problems between Eddie and Katherine, and the affair temporarily distracted Eddie from those problems. But at some point, he realized that he had thrown away his relationship with Katherine and that Delilah was as much an addiction as alcohol.
It may have started as wanting to be a better dad for Theo than he had been during the affair, but at some point, his head cleared and he realized Katherine was who he loved and wanted to be with.
Did Patricia move to Boston for Maggie or this mysterious new man? Who do you think he is in relation to Patricia?
Christine: I have no idea! I was completely blindsided by Patricia and this much younger man. I did think Patricia’s reasons for the breakup of her marriage were rather vague. It was obvious that there was a lot she wasn’t saying, and now I’m even more curious about the rest of her story.
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Meaghan: I don't think that she is in a relationship with Jason Ritter. If she was going to have an illicit affair, I don't think she would use Gary for a restaurant recommendation. With all the talk about Maggie's brother, I bet there is some connection to him with this new character.
Jack: I was surprised to see Patricia with the new man! He was borderline flirting with Maggie, and I was wondering what the heck Maggie was doing, and then all of a sudden, he was with Patricia.
But I keep thinking about how the psychic said: "a part of him lives on". I wonder if this guy was the beneficiary of Chad's organs or is connected to him in some other way.
Does Gina overreact to Andrew's criticism, or does he exclude her too much? Do you think their work relationship (and Someday) can last?
Christine: Both! Gina is sensitive to his criticisms, and in response to that and probably because he’s used to being the one in charge, he doesn’t bring his concerns or plans to her. It’s frustrating!
I do think this work relationship can be successful if they both realize that they want the same thing, start treating one another as partners, and find a way to communicate more clearly. I’m hoping that starts happening soon.
Andrew: I've opened six successful restaurants
Gina: Yet this is the only one you ever seem to be at.
Meaghan: They need to work on their partnership for sure. Communication is key to a successful partnership, and they aren't communicating enough. Maybe if he would spend less time focusing on Delilah and keeping her fed, and more time building a relationship with Gina, they would be in a better place.
Jack: I don't think Gina overreacted because Andrew mostly didn't bring any criticism to her. He talked to everyone BUT her, and I couldn't help wondering why.
He clearly has more of a bond with Delilah, but I wondered if there was some racism involved in him excluding Gina from these conversations.
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Also, if he really feels that he handled the conversation with Gina badly, he could start to repair things by apologizing to her instead of telling Delilah he felt bad. He and Gina need to communicate with each other (and not just when Gina confronts him) if this partnership is going to last.
What will Rome do now that he knows the truth about PJ?!
Christine: It would be easy enough to get a DNA test to find it if Patrick is Jon’s son, but he’d need to have a sample from one of Jon’s kids. If they decided to go that route, I’d hope that Rome would talk to Delilah first, although I’m sure he doesn’t want to add any more stress to her life right now.
Still, I think a DNA test should happen so that they can know the truth and deal with it from there because keeping this thing a secret won't be good for anyone.
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Meaghan: One of these days this group will learn that it is a terrible idea to try to keep secrets from each other. I don't think we are there yet. I'm sure Rome will run straight to Gary, and the two of them will go into detective mode trying to figure out the truth, and eventually, it will all blow up in their faces.
Jack: He probably is going to try to talk to PJ more to find out what he's thinking. After that, he'll confide in one of the other guys, and they'll try to handle things themselves instead of talking to either Delilah or Barbara.
Do you have any other thoughts about the episode that weren't covered with the questions?
Christine: Katherine continues to be my favorite. Her grief and her struggle seem so real. I like that she knew she needed some time to herself and then came back instead of letting her son watch her spiral. Katherine is smart, and she’s carrying around a lot of pain and dealing with it the best way she can.
Meaghan: Rome was adorable settling into his new role at the hotline. His concern that he would say the wrong thing was so genuine. I foresee him making a huge difference in people's lives and this leading to something even greater for him.
Jack: OMG, I loved the scenes with Rome at the hotline. I used to work on a suicide hotline, and this was pretty true to my experience. That first call is nervewracking, but where I worked, we were eased into it by first listening in on other people's calls. I'd love to see Rome's reaction to listening in on a few calls!
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This also was the first time that Delilah wasn't entirely self-centered and annoying to me. I hope that continues!
And I'm glad Katherine came home. Leaving Theo seemed so out of character for her, and I'd like to see more of a story around the other women who were whispering about her like perhaps Theo hearing rumors at school and asking questions.
What was your favorite scene or quote?
Christine: Katherine telling Eddie that they can’t get back what they had. “Maybe instead of trying to get back to what we were, we figure out what we're going to be. I'm not sure what that is right now.” She admits she doesn’t know what comes next, but she’s willing to try. After everything that’s happened, that’s really all you can ask for.
Eddie: How do we get back there? How do we become those people again?
Katherine: Well, that's just it Eddie. With this baby, we cant, but maybe we shouldn't. You know I was thinking about what Theo said about the Grand Canyon; how the erosion over time gave way to something beautiful. Maybe instead of trying to get back to what we were, we figure out what we're going to be. I'm not sure what that is right now. Don't go to Maggie's. I need you to stay and help me get through this.
Eddie: I'll do anything for you, Katie.
Meaghan: I agree with Christine. That scene was absolutely beautiful, and I loved the analogy of the Grand Canyon. A close second was Eddie, Katherine, and Theo under the tent reading together. It was a small moment, but a step towards their family healing.
Jack: I agree with the above! A close second for me was Gary telling Maggie that Patricia wanted to connect with her and convincing Maggie to go talk to her.
That was an emotional scene for me, and I was also curious to hear more about Gary's relationship with his parents after he mentioned that his mother would never take a flight to come see him.
Do you agree with our Round Table? Do you disagree?
Hit the comments below with your thoughts, answers, and speculation.
A Million Little Things airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
