A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 19 Review: 'Til Death Do Us Part
Jasmine Blu
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Hopefully, everyone is doing OK after that emotionally wrought finale.
Happiness eluded most by the end of A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 19, and it makes you wonder if this family can ever catch a single break.
And now we'll spend the hiatus hoping for a series renewal and also wondering if Eddie Saville has survived being run down by a drunk driver.
What do you think the odds are here? Can the group afford to lose another close member of their family?
Eddie had one of the better arcs during A Million Little Things Season 2, growing and maturing and getting his life together, so when Lindsay came back into his life with that secret from the past, there was no doubt it would derail things.
The lake house mystery had to lead to something climactic. From his flashbacks, dreams, and everything we've had for the brief time this mystery has been around, it seemed clear-cut.
They were a bunch of drunken teenagers on a boat, Alex fell into the water and drowned, Eddie tried to save her, and that was it.
But the mere introduction of it in the first place gave the impression that there would be more to the story. It was hard to determine what more there could be, but why bring it up at all, you know?
And the series loves to give us some mysteries, but they're increasingly half-baked at best, so nothing has topped the early days of A Million Little Things Season 1 where we were trying to decipher what each clue meant.
All I want is to renew our vows surrounded by the people who got us here.
Katherine
The lake house mystery wasn't so much an enigmatic event as it was an excuse to test Eddie's sobriety and allow him to choose to be sober and cement him as the fully redeemed family man, only for a tragic event to happen.
But it made the lake house mystery unnecessary. Colleen came back and told him to drop it. She didn't want her family to relive the loss of Alex.
The shunning of Eddie was most likely grief, blame, and anger directed at the person who was alive. They can't be mad at Alex for drinking and getting in that boat. And if Eddie was the troubled teen who drank too much, then that's the answer to that.
Eddie feeling guilty about all of it isn't unexpected, of course. He's remembering and putting pieces together, but it's also a chapter of his past that wasn't bright, and he knows it.
Eddie: I found my clothes, and the bracelet I got her, it was in my pocket. I remember now. It slipped off her hand when I tried to grab her.
Lindsay: That doesn't mean you did anything.
Eddie: I took Alex on the boat that night. I was with her when she drowned, that's why my clothes were wet. If it weren't for me, she would be alive right now.
Lindsay: We were all drinking that night. You won't know that what happened was your fault. Eddie, what are you right now? Are you at a bar?
Eddie: I gotta go.
He couldn't save Alex, and they shouldn't have been in that boat. What good is beating himself up over it all this time later to the point of risking all of the things he has done to become a better person by taking a drink again?
It's the drinking that was the issue in the first place. But these are the times when you wish Eddie so much as mentioned going to AA or having a sponsor.
His moment at the bar was intense. The fear that he would slip up was real, and what an excellent music choice of Michael Kiwanuka's Solid Ground. But it was also maddening that he almost left Katherine and Theo hanging again -- disapponted again because of him not being honest.
Lindsay has battles of her own, and while it became harder along the way, it's not that she's wrong for bringing it all into her brother's life the first time she sees him after a decade.
Katherine: Eddie, thank God! Where are you? Are you OK?
Eddie: Yeah. I'm OK.
Katherine: Tell me you're not at a bar. Are you drinking?
Eddie: No. I was going to, but I didn't. I'm going to come home. I'm going to tell you everything. I am so sorry, and tonight I want to do the vows even if it's just us. I love you.
Katherine: I love you too.
But we don't get a feel for who Lindsay is as a person now. They didn't dive into the Saville's familial background or explore why both of them ended up being addicts, or why their parents are nowhere around.
Lindsay blew in like a contrived plot device to dump the lake house mystery on us. Then the contrivance increased by the second as she fumbled her way through lying to Katherine about Eddie's whereabouts, including when she knew her brother was at a bar about to take a drink.
She dumped all of that on him, but then halfheartedly told him to drop it. If she wanted him to let it go, then why did she open the door in the first place?
By the time Katherine had to tear into her for acting squirrely and lying, it had reached peak frustration. Lindsay's introduction was promising, but by now, you wanted to flick her out of the way.
Stop with the lies, Lindsay! What the hell is going on?
Katherine
Even if she didn't have any ill-intentions, she was basically a harbinger of doom brought in to test her brother's sobriety and family, and she deserved a better storyline than that.
As for the Savilles, they are always going to have issues where they can't simply be happy for more than a few moments.
Katherine couldn't have her vow renewal ceremony that she more than earned without it getting eclipsed by babies being born, Eddie's last-minute quest to ease his conscience, and him getting hit by a car while she's on the phone with him.
Good grief. An anxiety-ridden Theo will never want to drive after both his parents ended up in some form of a car accident.
All I want is to renew our vows surrounded by the people who got us here.
Katherine
She did all of that work to have a ceremony, downsized it to a smaller gathering in the chapel at the hospital to accommodate Rome and Gina's baby being born, then was game for Eddie doing it as soon as he got him.
She listened to her husband make these promises and have a huge moment of choosing her and their family over alcohol after not knowing what the hell was going on all of this time. Then she heard him get hit by a car.
I don't think Eddie will be killed. But it's a heck of a move to give him a relatively fulfilling arc and end it like that. It would be bold and something.
It was the most jarring cliffhanger for the finale of the series. It was something unexpected up until the flowery phone conversation that had alarm bells blaring.
It's been a year since Jon's death, almost to the day, my God, if they off Eddie too, it would be too damn much, even for this series, and the weird Eddie-Jon parallels they spent all season drawing would leave a bad taste in the mouth.
Eve's reneging on the adoption was not as surprising. Most of us figured one of two things would happen. Either Eve and/or the baby would have complications, or she would change her mind.
They teased us with the former before hitting us with the latter. Eve went into labor, but she had preeclampsia, so it was touch and go.
Gina: Rome, what is going on?
Rome: Eve wants to talk to us, babe. She changed her mind.
The Howards have been so good to Eve, that it never crossed their minds how it could backfire on them. They met a young mother on the run from an abusive ex. She didn't have help and resources.
They gave her a family and stability, showed her love, and they got Derek out of her life. She received help from her the women's shelter.
She had a fresh start, and with all of these things that would've kept her from raising her baby resolved, giving the baby up didn't seem necessary.
It's such a nerve-racking process, and Eve isn't a terrible person for changing her mind, but your heart breaks for Gina and Rome.
I'm so sorry. You two have been nothing but kind but that's just it. Everything that you've done and all that support from the shelter, I realized for the first time I can do this on my own.
Eve
They allowed themselves to hope. They invested so much time, energy, and love into the process and the baby. Gosh, they planned on naming him Jon.
They're good people with so much love to give, and they got their hearts broken. Rome handled it well -- better than you'd imagine, but Gina is not going to bounce back from it easy.
She's the one who was the most reluctant about having kids to begin with, and she couldn't look at baby Charlie without getting upset.
It's going to take some time before Gina can press on with the process. It wouldn't be a shock if she called it quits and changed HER mind too. It'll be hell on their marriage as they both have different responses to such a devastating situation.
You made me want this!
Gina
Rome and Gina have been through the wringer.
But so has Maggie and Gary's relationship. Kudos to Gary for saying many of the things that we were thinking.
It's not fair that the second Gary looks happy, Maggie comes in like a battering ram and confesses her feelings to him. He spent months holding on to her, and she had to do other things.
She waited too late to tell him the truth, and that's on her. Maggie confessing all of that to him at the hospital with Darcy in the next room was insensitive.
Maggie: I spent so much time now trying to figure out what my life is without cancer, and I thought I had to do that on my own, but what I realized is I don't want my life without you. I know that you're with someone, and she seems great, but we're us, and the other night at D's, I felt that maybe we still could be. You were going to come with me to Oxford before, I would love it if you would still that. So j just had to tell you how I feel. I just had to tell you that I love you.
Gary: Do you have any idea how many times I wanted you to say that to me? Like at Elena's remission party, or the first time you went to a screening without me, or the wine. Maggie, I sent the wine because you should never have to sit at a table and wait for your future to show up, and the other night, every night I go to bed, I wonder why you aren't lying next to me, and then I wake up in the morning to you not being there, but you know what? This morning, for the first time since we broke up, I opened my eyes, and I didn't think about you. So of course, of course ,you do this now, right?
What did she expect? A happily ever after? Was he supposed to say "screw, Darcy" and agree to run away with her at that moment?
It was a selfish move on her part. It was distasteful and irritating. It's also bothersome that Delilah and Gina kept encouraging it when it was reaching a point where it wasn't going to benefit her or Gary in the end.
Even the flashbacks Maggie had of their relationship were about how caring and considerate Gary is of her. The egg salad fiasco was him knowing her well and looking out for her, and he still did as much at the hospital giving her half of his sandwich.
It made Gary more likable and endearing than ever and Maggie more frustrating when you thought about their relationship and the things that drove them apart.
Gary: You see me happy, and now is the moment, now is the moment you choose to tell me we're us? We're us? Now you want me back in your life?
Maggie: Gary --
Gary: No. No. I'm sorry, Maggie. You're too late.
It was confirmation that Maggie needs this time apart. She needs Oxford, and a fresh start there, and Maggie holding onto Gary is counterproductive to what she intended.
Maggie still needs Oxford, by herself, for herself.
We know Maggie and Gary's story probably isn't over, but it was a relief when Gary went to see her off as a friend, and let her know he loves her, but he wouldn't be going to Oxford with her.
Maggie will always be an important part of his life, but she doesn't need to be his whole life. He is happy with Darcy right now.
I like you, Gary. I like you a lot. I really do. But I'm a single mom. I don't have time. I don't have time for games. I don't have time for you to figure out how you feel about your ex. I don't have time. So decide what you want, and let me know.
Darcy
Darcy handled everything well. She knew something was going on between Maggie and Gary, and she didn't judge him for it or hold it against him.
She told him that she doesn't have time for him not being to be all-in or hung up on his ex, so she sent him to figure things out. She wasn't mean or upset about it, she laid things out for him and was upfront.
Darcy is such a refreshing character, and she's good for Gary right now. She gave him his space, and he came back to her. She's mature and straightforward, but also fun, and it's the best of the new relationships the show has introduced.
Delilah and Miles are whatever they are. Miles is handsome, and he was such a sweetheart at the hospital.
Delilah: Why me? You're so funny and handsome. Apparently, you have two cars. I'm ten years older than you. You can be with anyone. Why are you hanging out with me?
Miles: Because you spent the whole day taking care of everyone else, making sure that they were okay. I think that's someone worth my spending time with. Plus you're French.
Both of the kids had a crush on him, but they seem to be fine with him dating their mother. He told Delilah that he's attracted to her because she is a selfless person who is always taking care of other people or something.
I won't touch any of that, but Delilah and Miles are going strong. The gang seems to like her young, hot, new boy scout of a boyfriend. It is what it is.
Delilah joins Gary with being in a happier place.
The friends can't all have highs at the same time. Some of them are facing some lows. The sheer amount of lows and drama that one group can face in under a year is insane, but it's what we signed up for when we chose to watch.
Bartender: You OK, man?
Eddie: I think I just saved my life.
Eddie getting hit is the big cliffhanger leading us into a potential new season. But is anyone else starting to wonder what a new season would entail?
The season had some good moments; the first half was strong, but it also meandered a lot, too. It has a habit of leaving dangling threads and storylines that never made sense to introduce by the time they concluded.
They wrapped up storylines that could've been substantial and more interesting, like Gary's reunion with his mother being crammed in a single episode. Sometimes it felt as if the series was spinning on wheels, aimless.
I'm curious; the PJ plot weighed down the first half of the season, and it was a mystery that shouldn't have been on in the first place.
Gary: May I ask how young your boy toy is?
Delilah: You may not.
Gary: May I guess?
Delilah: That's worse.
Do you miss that aspect of the series? How about the mental illness arcs? Do you think they've done a good job keeping steady with them or have they taken a backseat to other dramas?
Does the series need that enigmatic element to it, or are you content with the daily life struggles that are exacerbated?
AMLT is one of those series with a lovely cast with the occasional relatable storyline, and we hold it dear to our hearts. But I'm curious where the stories can go from here.
I'll tune in regardless, but after a couple of storylines that ended up being contrived in hindsight or led nowhere, I wonder how they'll tighten up their storytelling.
Over to you, AMLT Fanatics. It's been a pleasure reviewing the series again this season, and I cannot wait to hear all of your thoughts. Hit the comments below!
You can watch A Million Little Things online here via TV Fanatic.
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.
