The Unicorn Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Moving On
Lisa Babick
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Losing a spouse is devastating. While many people think it's similar to divorce, it's not. By a longshot.
Believe me, i know. My husband dropped dead of a heart attack at 42 leaving me with a young son to raise.
That's why The Unicorn is so relatable.
And on The Unicorn Season 1 Episode 1 we get a glimpse into Wade's (Walton Gogg[ns) life and how he maneuvers through his loss and tries to keep his family on track.
Not only that, he begins to delve into the world of dating -- a difficult thing after a loss.
What makes this show so effecitve it how it balances comedy with the delicate nature of the subject.
There are plenty of poingnant moments such as when he gets to the bottom of the stockpile of food people gave to him after his wife died.
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There is that moment when something (in my case it was having to put my dog down -- our first child together) makes the reality of what happened finally real.
Even though you know it's real, it doesn't hit home right away. And yes, it can take a year or longer to reach that point.
In Wade's case, that last pan of lasagna was the final connection between him and his wife. In a weird way, the food in that freezer kept the grief at bay so to speak.
It's hard to explain, but up until that point he had been busy trying to keep things together for his family. Going to work and taking care of his kids kept him busy -- a necessary distraction.
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And the dogs on the counter? Hilarious as hell. Everything changes including perspectives.
Letting dogs on the counter and doing things you never did before when your spouse was around is the new normal because it doesn't matter.
Michelle: You are a unicorn.
Wade: A what?
Michelle: A unicorn. You know that elusive creature that all single women are looking for? See, most of the men on these dating sites are having midlife crisis, they're getting divorced, buying Porches. They're hooking up with 25-year-olds.
Delia: You're a devoted father, you are a devoted husband, and not for nothing but you haven't had sex with anybody besides Jill in over 20 years. So, you're factory fresh, buddy.
The goal is not to disrupt anything. So you let it go. Simple as that.
You think about the loss, you know your spouse isn't there, but it's still more like a dream than a reality.
When that moment finally hits, it's almost like a door has opened.
You realize that there's life out there but it's a scary prospect. And that's what that last tray of lasagna represented for Wade.
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The one thing that used to annoy me the most is when people would tell me it's been a year or it's been a month. It annoyed me when it came up in The Unicorn, too.
In fact, my mother, suggested to me a month after my husband's death that I should get back into the dating game. I was, to say the least, truly offended.
It doesn't work that way. Not only are you trying to deal with the death, when you have kids, you're trying to make sure they're coping as well.
Dating seems like such a selfish thing, and it doesn't even enter your mind.
Stop judging me. You have one kid and compared to four kids, one kid is like having no kids.
Michelle
That's why when Tracy made a move on Wade at the soccer game, he had no idea what was happening.
It wasn't because he was a clueless dolt. The idea of letting another woman in his life just didn't exist in his world.
However, with gentle prodding from his circle of friends, he does decide to take the plunge via a dating app.
He doesn't understand all the attention, either. But the whole experience is like starting over.
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Everything Wade did from involving his children in the decision to his enthusiastic dive into dating was on on point. Even his reaction to going home with Danielle was on point.
The idea of reentering the world of sex is appealing, but when it actually comes down to it, it's also intimidating.
We know it's a punch in the gut, but maybe it's time to move on with your life.
Forrest
And a huge step, even bigger than jumping into the dating scene.
So, I'm glad that it didn't happen. Not yet anyway.
Walton Goggins is briliant in this. The kind of personality I imagine him to have in real life (yes, I follow him on Instagram) is the kind of person he creates with Wade.
Wade is kind, down to earth, funny, and humble. He's not the perfect unicorn as Michelle describes (maybe for single women), but he's pretty close.
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Dating isn't going to be easy. He's going to have lots of baggage, but it's going to be fun watching him navigate through those waters.
And with the support of his great group of friends, he's going to do just fine.
What did you think of The Unicorn?
Do you think this is a good fit for Walton Goggins?
What was your favorite part of this new show?
Will you be tuning in again?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts! If you want to catch it again, you can watch The Unicorn online right here via TV Fanatic!
