A Million Little Things Season 5 Episode 3 Review: In the Room
Jasmine Blu
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We're no longer in the room with Maggie Bloom.
The Maggie and Jessica conflict peaked on A Million Little Things Season 5 Episode 3, while the guys reached some resolutions in their lives after missing a Bruins game.
Also, the Dixon children both took some significant steps in their life.
The kids have always been important in this series, namely the Dixon children, and it's been great to see them evolve over the years.
But sometimes, the contrast between where they are and Theo is so glaring that it feels off. Doesn't Theo seem stunted at his age?
The actor has grown throughout the series, but sometimes it feels like the age gap between Theo and Danny, who weren't initially that far apart, has expanded, and it's obvious.
We had Danny invited to the Bruins game shenanigans with the guys, finally added into the club and holding the spot that his father used to have. He got to open up about the next phase in his life, a massive step for him on many levels, openly and honestly, and it was among some of the most gratifying and progressive scenes of the hour.
But it also made you wonder why Theo has never been a factor in that equation. At some point, someone even inquired about him and what they would do with him as if he requires a childcare sitter like someone who is pre-pubescent.
The Dixon children's journey has been some of the most rewarding of the series over time, and now, in its final season, one can't help but lament the lack of that for Theo Saville.
His innocence has a certain beauty, but it hasn't allowed him to ever evolve as a character despite having such a prominent role in the series.
Nevertheless, it was an emotional ordeal to see Danny donning a Bruins jersey and being invited to game day with the Band of Dads. They've been his father figures since Jon died, his life coaches, and the people he turns to most for advice.
He's developed such a conformable relationship with them that he could openly sit down with these heterosexual men in sports jerseys and have some of the most sensitive, vulnerable conversations about his love life with Milo and his plans to have sex for the first time.
Well, I think the point here, Dan Dixon, is that your first time never goes as planned, and that's okay. It's not about perfection. It's about learning how to be vulnerable with someone, in your case, with someone you love, which is awesome.
Gary
You rarely see something like that displayed on network, so you can appreciate it when you do.
And the guys handled the situation with a dose of humor to make it more comfortable, but honestly and openly, without immediately jumping to some proclamations about abstinences or why he shouldn't go through with this experience at his age.
Seeing the ease with which they had this conversation before sending Danny on his way without other practical advice about the situation was jarring.
It makes you think of how rare it is to see healthy discussions about sex on television when it involves a teenager confiding in adults because everyone seemed so okay with Danny's plans and even wished him luck.
It was also a different choice to have Danny's reservations not be about his not being ready or nervous, but his fear that it wouldn't be as perfect as Milo helped it would be.
Gary's advice about vulnerability and such was sound and hopelessly romantic. It seemed to do the trick for him, and young Danny was on his way to make sweet love to his boyfriend with his father figures' blessing.
It's a scene I can appreciate in many ways. It also requires me to process it because it feels so foreign to accept that level of progressive thinking about encouraging teenagers to have sex and not going into details with a series of warnings.
Eddie's inability to share his first experience with Danny was such a gut punch that it added some heaviness to the moment. One can appreciate how much they depict in the subtlest of ways how his addiction has impacted his life and his regrets.
Meanwhile, Sophie was fortunate enough to have Gina there, yet again, as the maternal figure that has stepped up better than Delilah ever did and someone who is a sexual assault survivor who understands the stages that Sophie goes through.
Again, it's nice how they remember to tie in how these dramatic storylines are still interwoven into the series and affect the characters. They weren't there just for plots and entertainment.
Sophie going from hot to cold with Lars seemed so weird until she explained to Gina how she felt. Unfortunately, thanks to Peter, she has difficulty trusting men who are nice to her. She can't figure out what's real and isn't and if there are ulterior motives.
It's an understandable position for her after what she endured, but it can get lonely if she's unable to take chances on new people or potential love.
Sophie: He was so nice, too nice. I don't know if I can trust that.
Gina: Because of...
Sophie: You know, when I first started working with Peter, he made me feel like the most amazing person in the world. He always said things to manipulate me.
The truth is Sophie will likely spend the rest of her life trying to work through all the damage Peter caused her with his grooming. It's so much trauma for her to unpack regularly, and she'll always carry it.
But I'm happy that with Regina's urging, she asked Lars out in a safe way to do something she feels comfortable with, and she's open to the possibility of dating again.
Gina reaching out to homeless shelters to return Joseph's harmonica was odd to incorporate into the hour, so I'm wondering what will come from that storyline. Hopefully, it's nothing tragic.
I don't think my heart can bare anything tragic when we already have Gary's health lingering over us and the upsetting news about Walter.
We'll continue down this path of an Alzheimer's storyline with Walter, and I don't know if many of us are emotionally prepared for this one.
The results upset Rome, but he did his best to keep it together for most of the day. But once he got to open up about it, fittingly, in their seats in the empty Bruins stadium, he felt better about facing it and helping Walter through everything.
That stadium has been healing for this group, so it's no wonder Gary was okay with selling his father's car so they could have another season of this tradition.
It was a relief when they panned away as Rome told Walter about his test results. Something tells me this storyline will be one of the most devastating of the season.
One of the most potentially exciting ones is Eddie finding his new path. We knew he was interested in returning to Sanborn to finish his degree.
And it sucks that they made him feel so awkward for being older while doing it. Colleges are filled with students who are beyond the typical age, so it's nothing that should warrant any surprise.
But I couldn't feel more proud of Eddie when he announced that he wanted to become a licensed addiction counselor. It suits him and where he is in his life these days. He's grown tremendously as a character since we first met him, and I want to see him succeed in this.
Eddie, this version of Eddie he's become, will be a fantastic counselor. He's easygoing and relatable; he manages to put people at ease and knows how to talk to them. He has quite a story.
He gets to use all of his pain and his stories, his bad experiences, and the lessons he learned, and put them to great use and make them worth it, and I couldn't think of a better field for him.
Unfortunately, it still feels like Katherine gets the short stick with storytelling. Greta came across as most insecure during this installment. It was offputting.
She has a significant hangup about Katherine not being open enough for her about her sexuality, and that will always be a problem from there.
It feels like I'm still that teenager at the beach asking you to homecoming, and you're laughing at me. That the idea of us together is a joke.
Greta
And as Greta admitted, a part of her will always be that teenage girl who felt rejected and slighted by Katherine, and I don't know if they'll ever get over that if that affected Greta so much.
With both of their respective issues with their marriages, it's not outlandish that at this point in her life, Katherine would laugh off the idea of remarrying again. It's not as if she's saying she doesn't want to, but she's not interested in that right now.
And people don't have to be married to be in a serious, committed relationship with one another. Marriage itself doesn't mean their relationship is a joke or not serious.
Katherine has always been a reserved and private person, and she's also had to work through some things to embrace herself as a bisexual Korean-American woman who grew up in a conservative, traditional household.
She's never been one to blast her business or personal life everywhere, even with Eddie. Greta must stop assuming that when Katherine isn't using a bullhorn to announce that they're together, it means she's hiding in the closet, ashamed of Greta, or not serious about their relationship.
Katherine should be able to be her whole self with Greta without Greta taking what is essentially Katherine's personality as a slight.
It felt like we were beyond this, but this has routinely been an issue for them, specifically Greta.
And Maggie was just as dramatic with this Jessica situation.
Obviously, this feels like it's more than just Jessica and the job. Maggie has gone through a lot, and this is where she chooses to focus her attention when she's scared and worried about becoming a new mom, Gary's health, her own health, and so much more.
Gary: Brace yourself; I'm going to attempt to be earnest. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you.
Dr. Jessica: Actually, Gary, there's something I need to talk to you about. I can't say too much until it's for sure, but I'm up for a new career opportunity which means I might have to take a sabbatical.
But Maggie also keeps making a situation that on paper isn't that bad worse than it is by jumping to so many conclusions and flying off the handle.
Nothing about this situation warrants the response Maggie has had, and it's hard to sympathize with her here.
The sad thing about this is that Maggie's behavior may be why she'll lose out on her job permanently. In this case, it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
We learned from the therapy sessions that Dr. Jessica didn't know that this job was connected to her patient's girlfriend. She merely responded to someone reaching out about a career opportunity that could change things for her.
She even told Gary upfront that she'd be going on a sabbatical. Instead of Maggie immediately jumping to Dr. Jessica plotting against her, she should've talked to Gary first to get a feel for everything.
Now, she looks like a mad woman and unprofessional, and there may be no saving Maggie after her behavior.
It wasn't great when Jessica pieced everything together and learned of the connection, and still went forward with things. She came across as awkward, not knowing how to respond to the situation, which is messier than anyone would like.
But she also must want this job opportunity, so she's not willing to step down or say no to it despite the ethical messiness of it.
Does that make you feel some way about Dr. Jessica? Maybe, but she's still not the bad person, nor does she warrant the villain status that both Maggie and Gary have ascribed to her.
Gary's showing up at his therapy session to tell Jessica she would never be like Maggie was childish.
She doesn't have to be like Maggie. It's arguably why they're seeking her out in the first place. This woman and what she offers, and we've seen that she's damn great at her job, isn't bad because she's not Maggie.
And frankly, even with some of Maggie's best days as a therapist, why are we supposed to believe that she's the pinnacle of the field that others can't hold a candle to anyway?
We are only as good as our weakest link. Don't let that be you.
Katherine
Comparison is a thief of joy, and the painful lesson Maggie may learn here is that when making those comparisons, she might not come out on top as she'd hoped.
Over to you, AMLT Fanatics.
Did you agree with Maggie and Gary's reactions to Jessica?
Is Greta too insecure?
Sound off below!
You can watch A Million Little Things online here via TV Fanatic, and stay tuned for our A Million Little Things Round Table.
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.
