Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Higher Parent
Laura Nowak
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As Sam celebrated her sobriety, two of her friends relapsed.
Sam celebrated her one-year sober, but Brit and James struggled with all the successes in their lives in Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 9.
First, let's discuss how much Sam has evolved over the series.
Sam has come so far in her sobriety journey that Olivia and her friends threw her a party at her one-year sober milestone.
By now, Sam had grown self-awareness and thanked her friends for standing by her the last year, as she knew she had been difficult at times.
Felicia, thank you for not giving up on me, even though you definitely should have.
Sam
Lately, Sam has mentioned her dad frequently. She wished that he was there to see her change her life.
Sam's regret made it so apparent that Carol wasn't there, especially when everyone else was hugging Sam. Why wasn't she there supporting her daughter?
Mother and daughter relationships are never easy. Even the best ones are often complicated, but it's challenging to understand Carol missing such an important milestone.
Even Olivia questioned it. When Sam said that her mom didn't understand her alcoholism and recovery, Olivia wondered if Sam ever let her mom truly be a part of it.
Other television shows such as All American have tackled addiction, and often the family blames themselves for part of their child's addiction or not knowing sooner. However, to truly heal, they need to come together.
Sam's amends to her mom is one of her final ones, and she's nervous about getting it right so that they can repair their relationship.
Olivia: It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just list all of the ways you’ve done her harm and synthesize it in a bite-size piece that she can swallow.
Sam: Right. I’ll just fit 13 years of being a total asshole into 30 minutes.
Sam and Carol's relationship was so complicated and fraught that they couldn't even have a simple conversation. They had to set up an appointment to talk since Carol wasn't in the correct zone.
That meant Sam had to work her nerve up again, only to get shot down again because Carol wanted to scatter her husband and Sam's dad's ashes in the lake.
Sam's dad loved nature, and it was so emotional seeing the two women bond their love for him. They both loved him deeply, and Sam says her dad understood her better than anyone.
Sam and her dad's closeness may have hit a nerve for Carol since she never related to her daughter well.
You knew me better than anybody. You definitely knew I was an alcoholic before I did. I’m sorry for a lot of stuff. I miss you a lot.
Sam
Since the beginning of the series, this was the first honest and heartfelt conversation Carol and Sam had. It usually turned to sarcastic barbs or yelling at each other.
Sam apologized poignantly for missing her dad's funeral and causing a scene at his Shiva. It showed how far Sam has grown when she wouldn't let her mom make excuses for her.
While it was important for Sam to make amends to her mom, it was equally important that Carol recognized her faults in their relationship.
Sam: It’s my blame. This is my moment.
Carol: You have some. I get some. Don’t be a blame hog. I’m so grateful for this Samantha. I want to freeze her in time for as long as I can.
We've called Carol out for not being there for her daughter, and it was rewarding to see her pride in Sam.
They're finally starting to enjoy each other's company, and Carol invited Sam to stay at the house longer but told her Bob was moving in.
While Sam appreciated the invite, She decided to move out. Carol's mom radar was working, and she realized Sam was having sex again. It was refreshing to see them interacting casually and teasing each other.
Now that Sam had reached her one-year sobriety milestone, she and James could officially sleep together. Instead of making out in a bar, this time, they made out in a utility closet before moving to James's house.
While it was sexy, James pulled away the following day, claiming he had a meeting. He was so distracted he said he was glad they waited, making Sam wonder what was wrong.
Did anyone guess that James might relapse, or were you all shocked to see James drinking a beer with Joel at Ronnie's bar?
James admitted he doesn't do well with change. For many addicts, there is comfort in consistency, even if that's a failure, because you know what to expect.
Suddenly, James marketed a sobriety app and got together with the girl he wanted. It was too good to be true for him.
We are unsure how long James has been drinking again. Hopefully, this doesn't set Sam back, and they can still work through it.
Even though Brit has an anxious and OCD personality, it still surprised me that she wanted drugs. I can relate to wanting a career plan and not liking surprises.
Some women prefer schedules and having their ducks in a row. Buying a house should be a joint decision, not a surprise. Joel probably wasted lots of money if Brit calls off the wedding or selects an out-of-state residency.
Brit: We don’t have kids.
Joel: Yeah, but we talked about it.
Brit: And we talked about building a house, but it was just conversation.
When Brit visited Felicia at work, Felicia looked as shocked as we felt. These two only tolerated each other because Sam and they were from two different worlds.
Brit wanted drugs to provide clarity about her upcoming marriage. She was so out of her element as she listed studies on how it would work.
Brit: Can you help me or not?
Felicia: Why would I help you?
Brit: I don’t know. I thought you might know somebody. I remember that party in high school you had weed.
Felicia must have really needed a night out since she decided to introduce Brit to her drug dealer friend, Val.
She didn't want to miss seeing Brit high on hallucinogenics since Brit never screwed up.
Seeing the three ladies high on the playground was so entertaining. Brit never lets loose like that.
Hopefully, if Sam finds out two of her friends got high the same day she celebrated her one-year sobriety, it won't cause a setback.
Over to you, Single Drunk Female Fanatics. How long do you think James has been drinking again? Will Felicia and Brit getting high affect Sam's recovery?
Do you think Carol and Sam have made genuine amends? Chime in the comments below.
Remember, if you missed an episode, you can watch Single Drunk Female online via TV Fanatic.
Single Drunk Female airs at 10:30/9:30c on Thursdays on Freeform.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on X.
