I somehow missed that there was an episode of TLMOE last week even though I distinctly remember checking. Unless that was the week before. I don’t doubt that the last two weeks may have just blurred together in my memory. The promo for next week’s episode has me worried about Melissa (still), and at this point I wouldn’t be shocked if the show were just going to continue down a very bad road for her, but I also really hope it doesn’t. I think some part of me wants Melissa and Phil to have a heart to heart or something. I remember back when I kind of wanted Phil to never be in a scene with Melissa just so she’d not have to deal with him, but we’re not in Tuscon any more. Season 1 was 2 whole seasons ago. If there’s any chance in Phil helping Melissa in any, small, minuscule way, I’d kind of like to see that.
The promo also has me excited that they’re apparently going to continue Carol and Gail’s mother-daughter dynamic. In the grand pantheon of Found Family Narratives, there’s a treasure trove of father-son bonds that are forged in the Heightened Drama of Whichever Plot Is Happening, It Depends On The Story, Really, and I’m always thankful to see the Parent-Child connection happening between two women (also, one of my Wishes for the show going ahead since season 2 was Carol’s dynamic with Gail and Erica improving and being devoid of any misogyny on her part (am I misremembering or did she at one point last season slut shame them both at the same time? ANYWAY. Less of whatever it is I’m potentially misremembering. There was definitely Something. I should rewatch season 2 at some point), so bonus. I wouldn’t have guessed they’d go down this route but now they have! And it’s hilarious and slightly tragic and very sweet.)
Speaking of Erica, I’d like to see just about anything for her. Two failed romances in the midst of the apocalypse and the rest of the time she’s just sort of there. Also, speaking of Erica and Gail, they had a tiny moment before Carol showed up in that one scene. I wish the show would focus on their relationship, I mean, they were all they had up until they met Phil. Surely there’s a bond there worth exploring? In the grand pantheon of Best Bud Relationships, there’s a treasure trove of bromances. Phil and Todd have had their (pretty extreme) issues in the past, but are sort of effortless buds now, secretly feasting on secret food and showering together, and we’e got Gail and Erica, who from what I can tell probably never abandoned one another in the middle of the desert at any point (just for example, not calling anyone out or anything). I want more of them! Also Melissa and Carol. Yikes. That’s two female friendships with pretty darn solid foundations that feel like they’ve just been forgotten. I love you, show! Like your female characters love eachother, show! Don’t forget that like I forgot last week apparently, please, show.
Actually, as much as I’d like to see Phil (or anyone, really) help Melissa, having Carol be the one to do that would be pretty great. They’re friends. Melissa instantly like Carol. Carol made Melissa Ridiculous (and great) Boots.
Anyway. I guess the general gist of all this is More Lady Interaction?
Oh, also Lewis. And Lewis and Phil. And Lewis pouring the wine aggressively. And Lewis crying. That was unnecessary. We Get It, show, you’re Good At Emotion, you have Good Actors, you know how to make Feelings Happen. You can stop it ow. You’re a comedy. It’s unseemly. Quit it etc., etc. Lewis leaving a note was a lot. Kenneth Choi did a really good job of selling Lewis’ refusal to hope, lest it hurt more, and how he’d resigned himself to just believing there’s no chance Mark is alive, and darn it I’m glad he was able to work through some of the Negative Stuff and find it in himself to say that maybe there’s a chance. And if there’s not, at least he tried. He’ll never have to say he didn’t try.
Ah Carol. She’s so misogynist towards other women in Series One, it’s kinda weird. She mentions offhandedly at one point that she went to Catholic school, so maybe religion has something to do with it? I was told once by a reliable source that Catholicism is not big on people having sex out of wedlock, or women having sex at all really, so maybe that explains it. But she’s come such a long way and she loves Gail!! She loves Melissa!! She still seems a little iffy with Erica and vice versa but maybe that will change!!!!
Literally my only major quibble with this series so far is that Erica has been COMPLETELY overlooked when she has the most interesting backstory out of everyone AND Cleo Coleman is really beautiful AND she has the connection to Mike. Like I really want there to be a scene where she asks Phil if he’s really dead and he doesn’t know what to say? I don’t wanna get my hopes up though
god the stuff with Phil and Lewis and Mike and Mark (whose name is surely not similar to Mike’s by coincidence) broke my heart. I looked at those photos to see if Mark was being played by an actor we already know (I thought it might be Zachary Quinto?) but I don’t think it was. God Lewis breaking down like that was tough to watch. Kenneth Choi really is a hugely underrated actor, I’ve realised, the MCU better start using him A LOT (he’s in the new spider-man as the presumable-son of his captain america character!) I really love Lewis already and he’s only been in six episodes. I love how his constant Done-ness is concealing absolute hurt
for all Mike Miller’s flaws, and I’ve only really just began to appreciate them, I miss him almost as much as Phil does. I do sort of think that, unless the writers pull out some magnificent twist, bringing him back now after that episode would kinda cheapen things a bit. Mike is dead and Mark is dead and Carol’s mother is dead and Gail’s son is dead and the world is dead but people are alive as long as their loved ones remember them.