S03.E14: United Front

[Cosmocrush]

13 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Katherine is plotting to get full custody of Theo and run away with Alan. 

I'm okay with that.  I think Katherine should take Theo far far away from my TV screen.  

 

7 hours ago, circumvent said:

I was thinking the same thing. It would not be so hard for the writers to insert a mention of Charlie here and there. Or maybe they are also trying to figure out how old she is, thinking that they can bring her back as an adult who will be her dad's roommate. 

Hahahaha!  Love it. 

[CarpeFelis]

1 hour ago, cardigirl said:

And, no, I never did any of the things you mention your mother did, or even Regina's mom seems to do. I don't describe people by the worst thing they have ever done. 😄 But I could tell that Regina really resists her mother and her mother wishes they could be closer and since that's my situation I felt for her a little.

I sympathize with you there as I’m in much the same boat. I regarded my mother as the perfect example of what not to do, but my daughter and I aren’t very close either. It’s just really hard for me to sympathize with Regina’s mom because her behavior is similar enough to my mother’s that I view it more from the daughter’s perspective.

[izabella]

1 hour ago, historylover820 said:

And I don't get why this relapse is the last straw, but I get that it is. I personally think cheating and having a baby with another woman would be more of a betrayal than a drug relapse after a serious accident. So, yeah, I feel that she's punishing Eddie--she's been having an emotional affair and almost had a physical affair in the same place that Eddie had his affair. But, she thinks she's a martyr and put upon, so, yeah, I see her using all the legal workings that she can come up with in order to punish him.  

For Katherine, I think the effort to forgive him for the cheating and betrayal and baby with another women was so monumental that she was already at the end of her rope with Eddie.  He had burned through every last chance possible, and the only way she could forgive and move on was if she could feel secure and safe that he wouldn't do that again and especially that he wouldn't betray her again with more lies.   It was a big deal to her that he NEVER lie to her again because he was making a fool of her every time.  Yet, he did, repeatedly, even with Dakota, and after. 

I don't blame her for being done now, and for not being able to trust him anymore.  She swallowed a lot to try again, and he shit all over it.  And for NO REASON!  No one told him not to take his pain meds or to hide it from her.  Lying, hiding, and sneaking around appears to be his go-to behavior, which is what Katherine is reacting to.  Eddie seems just as addicted to lying to her as he is to alcohol and drugs.

Edited May 21, 2021 by izabella

[cardigirl]

6 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

I sympathize with you there as I’m in much the same boat. I regarded my mother as the perfect example of what not to do, but my daughter and I aren’t very close either. It’s just really hard for me to sympathize with Regina’s mom because her behavior is similar enough to my mother’s that I view it more from the daughter’s perspective.

I hear you.  My daughter sees me as "annoying" and for the life of me I try not to be. 😆 But I make missteps all the time, unwittingly. Nothing on the par of Regina's mother, but sometimes just breathing is enough to set her off.

Believe me, my therapist has been trying to help me unsnarl this tangle for a long time. Sigh.

[Sandman]

On 5/20/2021 at 4:00 AM, Brian Cronin said:

I believe Nash, back in Season 1, even made a comment about wanting to constantly "flip" characters, so that if we think one way about a character for too long, he wants to flip the other way.

Sometime I think Nash has never met any actual people.

Having said that, I do wonder if Regina's mom is supposed be, in some degree, a truly narcissistic personality; she very consistently makes almost everything about her. I believe she genuinely loves Regina and wants her to be healthy, happy and safe -- but I really hope this most recent conversation helps them turn some sort of corner.

1 hour ago, historylover820 said:

Finally, obviously, my knee-jerk reaction was that Katherine is punishing Eddie. And I still think so.

Aside from feeling like a completely plot-driven twist (see above snark) Katherine's being "unsure" about shared custody strikes me as both vindictive and short-sighted. If she doesn't want to be the one to break Theo's heart, what in the galloping hell does she think a custody battle is going to do?

[Leeds]

On 5/20/2021 at 6:54 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't put any of the blame for what happened on Liam. The fault lies squarely with the adults in this situation. I loathe when parents and adults act like children who are physically present in the same house/apartment are rendered completely incapable of hearing human voices if they are more than 12" away from said adults. It's not Liam's fault that he heard what Gary and Darcy were discussing at a regular volume.

Ugh, Gina's mom is such a pill. She was getting pissy because Regina already had plans for the afternoon. Just because you have nothing to do doesn't mean you should expect other people to have wide open schedules so you can hang out. My parents have a similar attitude about calling/texting me.

I was married (yes, "was" married) to a guy who got angry because I didn't answer his phone calls immediately.

On 5/20/2021 at 2:09 PM, General Days said:

I get it, if it's just the last straw for her. What I don't get is why it is the last straw now. They were in a pretty good place prior to the accident, and now she doesn't have any empathy for him with the pain meds. 

I mean, overall, Eddie has not been a keeper. I guess I don't understand her booting him now when she has put up with worse crap.

 

But that's exactly what a last straw is.  It weighs practically nothing, yet is just enough to tip the scales.

 

23 hours ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

Liam my man, thank you for making me laugh! 😆 Katherine and Eddie are being dramatic in finding the best possible way to break the news to Theo, treating him like he is made of glass. Liam did it in a “hey I survive, you will too” way, no drama. At this point, I really hope Charlie stays with Delilah so she can be normal like Sophie and Danny. Gary shouldn’t risk his spines and his health for the best friend of the year award, it’s not worth it dude! The show is trying to shift all the sympathy to Eddie by making Katherine the bitter soon-to-be ex wife. Can’t wait to see how this storyline will be played out. Eddie will be moving to Delilah’s house in 3, 2, 1.

 

What are Gary's spines?

 

 

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

What are Gary's spines?

I thought that last 's' was a typo. Gary's gonna kill his back lugging Eddie up and down the stairs like that.

[Snazzy Daisy]

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

What are Gary's spines?

 

 

Chill, it’s a typo, edited. ✌️

29 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I thought that last 's' was a typo. Gary's gonna kill his back lugging Eddie up and down the stairs like that.

Thanks babe! 

[geauxaway]

Maggie is at her best with Sophie.  I love this arc.  Sophie as a musician?  Not so much.  She played chopsticks for the theme song.  Anyone going into music school should know more than guitar and chop sticks.

Regina and her mom.  It’s sad.  Regina mom will never be black enough for Regina.  What exactly is she supposed to do about that? Even if she is a judgmental Karen, Regina has clearly made up her mind that her mom will never ever be good enough because she (her mom) is white.  It’s true.  I do not blame her mom for being hurt in that moment.  Regina could really handle it better.  Florence saw it miles always and Regina just doesn’t care.

Theo needs to stop being the “star” of this show.  Bye.

[Rootbeer]

22 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

It’s not the wheelchair, it’s the very short-term (so far) recovery from addiction. There’s a reason people in recovery are advised not to get into new relationships for at least a year, and by the same token Eddie is not really stable enough just yet. What if he relapsed, got high and burned the house down or was passed out and unresponsive when Theo had an emergency or even just needed to be picked up from somewhere? I was annoyed but not surprised that he was making a big deal of Katherine’s comment because he really should know better than to think he’s ready.

But, hasn't Eddie, even since his most recent stint in rehab, been Theo's primary caregiver after school and while Katherine is out and about flirting with Alan?  If she is ok with Eddie being alone with him and managing homework and dinner and bedtime now, what would change if he got joint custody?  She cannot trust Eddie to spend hours of time alone with his son only when it is convenient for her. She has also shown no concerns about sharing parenting decisions with Eddie, she clearly trusts that he has Theo's best interests at heart; he has willingly sat down with her to ensure that they put their child's well-being first.  I think she'd have a long row to hoe in court if she tried to claim that Eddie was unable to care for the child.  Courts allow people who are addicts in recovery to have custody of their kids most of the time.

The one thing that I dread Katherine dragging the recent issues with ethnicity that they've faced; the neighbor making racist comments to Theo, a stranger not realizing Eddie is Theo's father.  I don't trust this show to handle this issue with any sensitivity whatsoever, and, if Katherine goes to court demanding full custody because Theo would suffer if not with his Korean parent at all times, I will scream.  And, unfortunately, due to the heavy-handed, not terribly nuanced, way they are handling the BLM protests, I think they could easily head there with Katherine insisting that she and her Asian soon-to-be boyfriend are better able to provide care for Theo based on their heritage.  

I think it is terrific that the show is trying to address these issues that are so important and relevant today, but, the storylines are getting more and more black and white (pun not intended) and heavy-handed.  No subtlety whatsoever.

I also dread seeing the terrible lines being written for the child who plays Theo. His presence onscreen is like nails on a chalkboard anymore.  How about a nice boarding school on the West Coast for him?  Or maybe Delilah and her dad have some room in France.

[Leeds]

13 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I thought that last 's' was a typo. Gary's gonna kill his back lugging Eddie up and down the stairs like that.

Thanks!  I thought it was maybe some new hipster slang I hadn't heard yet!

[Maurina]

Okay can someone clear something up for me?  How old is (or more importantly, was) Sophie when the assault occurred?  Because here's the thing:  from what I know, if she was a minor, the MINUTE Maggie knew about it, she was legally bound to report it to the police.  Maggie is a licensed therapist and in pretty much any state, that makes her a Mandatory Reporter - she HAS to inform the police of any child abuse or neglect as soon as she is aware of it.

While I really, really respect the aspect of this story that Sophie, as the victim, has to have autonomy over how she deals with this (no Gary running over to beat the shit about of that child molesting scumbag, no insisting that Sophie tell the police or anyone else until she feels okay to do so), this part really bugs me.  Was she 18 when this shit went down?  Because if not, Maggie absolutely broke the law by not reporting it.

[historylover820]

I think Sophie is 18 or about 18. She's college freshman age. 

And according to Google, age of consent in Massachusetts is 16. So even if Sophie is 17, she wouldn't be considered a minor. Therefore, Maggie didn't break any laws.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

39 minutes ago, historylover820 said:

I think Sophie is 18 or about 18. She's college freshman age. 

I'm pretty sure she's a high school senior which is why she was auditioning to get into that music school (and her friend just called to say that she got accepted at Harvard). It's the very end of the school year so she should be 18 though.

[ams1001]

5 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm pretty sure she's a high school senior which is why she was auditioning to get into that music school (and her friend just called to say that she got accepted at Harvard). It's the very end of the school year so she should be 18 though.

Do we know when her birthday is? I was at college for a over month before I turned 18.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

12 hours ago, geauxaway said:

Regina and her mom.  It’s sad.  Regina mom will never be black enough for Regina.  What exactly is she supposed to do about that? Even if she is a judgmental Karen, Regina has clearly made up her mind that her mom will never ever be good enough because she (her mom) is white.  It’s true.  I do not blame her mom for being hurt in that moment.  Regina could really handle it better.  Florence saw it miles always and Regina just doesn’t care.

From what I recall seeing of Regina and her mom interact over three seasons, 95% of Regina's issues with her mom are non race related. Gina gets annoyed because her mother is always nagging, nitpicking, complaining, being judgmental, and ignoring what Gina wants (like when she was telling the contractors to make changes to the restaurant in S1). She doesn't respect Gina's boundaries (coming over after being told Gina is busy). She insists that she is right and Gina is wrong. She's pushy and demanding (like getting mad because her daughter, who is trying to run a business during a pandemic, doesn't have time to have a same day picnic at the park with her so she just showed up at the restaurant). She treats her adult daughter like she's a not so bright child (telling her she should get a job selling closets). She either can't or won't read the room (when you can tell your kid is annoyed with you, that's not a sign for you to continue steamrolling her). Regina bites her tongue A LOT when she's around her mother. If anything, Shelly could handle things a lot better but she chooses not to.

2 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Do we know when her birthday is? I was at college for a over month before I turned 18.

I don't recall them mentioning Sophie's birthday, just that Delilah gave her Jon's car after she got her license. Schools are a lot stricter now about birthday cut offs when enrolling kids in pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade than they used to be. My nephew's birthday is a week after the cut off and they would not let him enroll for first grade.

[ams1001]

11 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't recall them mentioning Sophie's birthday, just that Delilah gave her Jon's car after she got her license. Schools are a lot stricter now about birthday cut offs when enrolling kids in pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade than they used to be. My nephew's birthday is a week after the cut off and they would not let him enroll for first grade.

I don't know how strict they were when I was a kid, but I was born on the cutoff date and I was still four when I started kindergarten. When I was in middle school I had a friend whose little neighbor shared my birthday but was not allowed to start kindergarten the year she turned 5 (they were in a different county; I don't know if the rules vary between districts). 

I agree with you on Regina's mom. She just picks at her no matter what the topic, and then gets offended when Regina gets upset.

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm pretty sure she's a high school senior which is why she was auditioning to get into that music school (and her friend just called to say that she got accepted at Harvard). It's the very end of the school year so she should be 18 though.

Once again, the age of consent is the issue, not whether Sophie is a minor legally.  The age of consent in Massachusetts is 16.  We know Sophie is older than that because she has a driver's license.  Also, even if she were under 16 and statutory rape laws were in play, Sophie didn't have sexual intercourse with the guy. He did masturbate in front of her which could be considered indecent exposure, but she would have to be willing to press charges and, considering the nature of their prior interactions, it would be tough to prove in court that she wouldn't have realized where he was going with her.

Also, Maggie is not Sophie's therapist, she is her friend.  Her duty as a mandated reported would be to notify authorities in order that no further harm came to Sophie.  In this instance, Sophie herself had already ended the relationship with her mentor, told others what had happened and there was little danger to her of further manipulation from the creep.  Maggie knew this and supported her in all of it; she also knew that Sophie's mother knew what had happened and was in agreement and even sent Sophie to spend time with her mother processing what had happened.  Even if one of the friends reported Maggie for not calling authorities (fat chance), it is unlikely she'd face disciplinary action since she already knew that Sophie was safe and her parent was involved and supportive.

As a mandated reporter myself, I don't see anything here that Maggie would be required to report to Child Protective Services.  If she were under 16, whether she gave consent or not wouldn't matter.  Over 16, it's not reportable since she is considered an adult when it comes to sexual relationships.  Even if she told Maggie that he had raped her, all Maggie could do was encourage Sophie to report it and seek appropriate medical care and a forensic exam to press charges.  Also, MA defines statutory rape as sexual intercourse.  Unlike a lot of states, MA doesn't have a 'Romeo and Juliet' clause which de-criminalizes intercourse between partners under 16 if they are within a certain age range, often 4 years.  In many states, it is perfectly legal for a 14 year old to have intercourse with an 18 year old, even if most of us would feel that it was morally wrong or at least, potentially not entirely consensual.  In MA, that would still be statutory rape.  Even if Sophie had been under 16, it would not have been statutory rape unless they had intercourse, although child sexual abuse charges could be considered.

The state where I work does have a 'Romeo and Juliet' clause.  If I speak with a client who is under 16 and sexually active, I am required to ask her the age of her partner.  If it is more than 4 years, I have to call CPS and they would take it from there.  If she is 16, I cannot even ask; she is considered emancipated when it comes to her sexuality.  I've had 16 year olds who were dating guys in their mid 20's or higher whose mothers brought them to me wanting me to do something about it; there is no law against it.  Once a person is 16, it is up to them.  Do I think some under 16's have lied to me about the age of their partner(s)?  Sure.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Rootbeer

[CrystalBlue]

16 hours ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

Chill, it’s a typo, edited. ✌️

Thanks babe! 

Gary's got his spine, he has his orange crush.

[KaveDweller]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't recall them mentioning Sophie's birthday, just that Delilah gave her Jon's car after she got her license. Schools are a lot stricter now about birthday cut offs when enrolling kids in pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade than they used to be. My nephew's birthday is a week after the cut off and they would not let him enroll for first grade.

They did celebrate Sophie's 16th birthday at one point, wasn't that why she got the car? That was after John died, and they just said recently it was a year and a half since he died. So she couldn't be 18 yet unless time on this show is even weirder than we think. But I guess it doesn't matter if the age of consent is 16. 

I agree school's are strict about the cut off, but the cut off can be pretty late. I have a friend whose daughter was born around Thanksgiving and she is one of those people who just missed the deadline for starting kindergarten.

[bybrandy]

11 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I don't know how strict they were when I was a kid, but I was born on the cutoff date and I was still four when I started kindergarten. When I was in middle school I had a friend whose little neighbor shared my birthday but was not allowed to start kindergarten the year she turned 5 (they were in a different county; I don't know if the rules vary between districts). 

I agree with you on Regina's mom. She just picks at her no matter what the topic, and then gets offended when Regina gets upset.

because of moving and cut off dates my sisters who are 11 months and 2 wees apart were almost put in the same grade.  my mom said no.  and then they moved to a different cut off date state and were almost put 2 grades apart despite not being a full year apart, again my mom intervened.  

I don't think Katherine's plan not to give joint custody to Eddie is even a little bit feasible.  The courts are unlikely to side against him but even if they did all the reasons Eddie was the primary care giver still exist.  Katherine has a busy job starting a new law practice and she will have things in her work that absolutely cannot be rearranged.  Either she pays a fortune for child care or Eddie is child care.   That said I would be cool if Eddie took Theo to France to spend time with Charlie and he got trapped their because of/Covid/ a broken hip or whatever.  Team that.   I'd be cool with Katherine and Alan (is that his name?) taking over as Eddie.

[marceline]

I have to confess that the theme song Sophie wrote for Maggie's podcast has been stuck in my head ever since watching this episode. Maybe it's the fact that I'm recovering from oral surgery and rocking the vicodin but I just keep waking up with that song in my head.

[Clanstarling]

On 5/21/2021 at 5:20 PM, Leeds said:

But that's exactly what a last straw is.  It weighs practically nothing, yet is just enough to tip the scales.

Beautifully said. My "last straw" in my first marriage was something completely trivial (looking back).

On 5/22/2021 at 9:51 AM, ams1001 said:

I don't know how strict they were when I was a kid, but I was born on the cutoff date and I was still four when I started kindergarten. When I was in middle school I had a friend whose little neighbor shared my birthday but was not allowed to start kindergarten the year she turned 5 (they were in a different county; I don't know if the rules vary between districts).

I'd bet I'm a bit older. I was also born on the cutoff date and was always the youngest kid in the class.

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I'd bet I'm a bit older. I was also born on the cutoff date and was always the youngest kid in the class.

Definitely the youngest the first couple years. There were a few kids younger than me later in elementary school, but they moved from places with later cutoffs. (I was also the smallest until 4th grade and didn't really catch up until middle school.)

2 hours ago, marceline said:

I have to confess that the theme song Sophie wrote for Maggie's podcast has been stuck in my head ever since watching this episode. Maybe it's the fact that I'm recovering from oral surgery and rocking the vicodin but I just keep waking up with that song in my head.

Thankfully I don't remember it because I'm sure it would totally get stuck if I did.

[Clanstarling]

26 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Definitely the youngest the first couple years. There were a few kids younger than me later in elementary school, but they moved from places with later cutoffs. (I was also the smallest until 4th grade and didn't really catch up until middle school.

I never caught up. But that was genetics, not cutoff dates. 😆

[ams1001]

54 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I never caught up. But that was genetics, not cutoff dates. 😆

lol...being the smallest was definitely more genetics than age (maybe in pre-K/kindergarten age was more of a factor but probably not much past that). My big adolescent growth spurt was a whole two inches over about four years. But my mom is tiny and my dad is about an inch below average so I consider "average height for a American Caucasian woman" to be an achievement.

Thinking about that...I feel like maybe I should be able to relate to Theo a bit more, being on the "young" end of the spectrum...but the character just annoys me so much.

[smartymarty]

On 5/20/2021 at 5:09 PM, General Days said:

I guess I don't understand her booting him now when she has put up with worse crap.

That's a "sunk costs" argument. "I've put so much in, I have to go on." Is not a good basis for a decision.

In custody, the primary factor courts consider is "the best interest of the child." Since Katherine has a full time job and Eddie does not, the best interest could be Eddie being full time parent in the house while Katherine pays alimony and child support while living somewhere else.

[smartymarty]

Quote

Sometime I think Nash has never met any actual people.

Thank you. I really like Katherine, always have (except for the pilot), and don't want the show to ruin her.

 

Quote

Having said that, I do wonder if Regina's mom is supposed be, in some degree, a truly narcissistic personality; she very consistently makes almost everything about her. I believe she genuinely loves Regina and wants her to be healthy, happy and safe -- but I really hope this most recent conversation helps them turn some sort of corner.

I appreciated her mom pointing out that she did marry a black man and raise an interracial child -- she's has some liberal bona fides.

I want to joke that neither parent should want custody of Theo, but I had a friend who that happened to. He ended up working his way through college and became a wonderful parent. So awful what happened to him when he was young.

[CrystalBlue]

5 hours ago, smartymarty said:

That's a "sunk costs" argument. "I've put so much in, I have to go on." Is not a good basis for a decision.

In custody, the primary factor courts consider is "the best interest of the child." Since Katherine has a full time job and Eddie does not, the best interest could be Eddie being full time parent in the house while Katherine pays alimony and child support while living somewhere else.

Katherine is going to go full throttle on Eddie's *Addiction* though.  She'll tell the Court he's a bona fide alcoholic to boot.  Theo may have to be raised by a court-appointed nanny because Eddie is an imminent danger to the child and career Mom has to keep working to support the broken family and the nanny.  (Just kidding about the court-appointed nanny.)  Maybe the court will award custody to Delilah Dixon, Theo's sort of bio stepmother.  Perhaps Delilah and Eddie should marry after all!

[General Days]

On 5/20/2021 at 5:09 PM, General Days said:

Katherine's response ever since Eddie confessed he was using and wanted to go to rehab has really puzzled me. She was all gung-ho about renewing their vows, after he fathered a baby with Delilah, then he gets hit by a literal truck, is crippled, and uses and ends up abusing pain meds, but he came clean to her on his own and got himself help.

I get it, if it's just the last straw for her. What I don't get is why it is the last straw now. They were in a pretty good place prior to the accident, and now she doesn't have any empathy for him with the pain meds. 

I mean, overall, Eddie has not been a keeper. I guess I don't understand her booting him now when she has put up with worse crap.

 

On 6/4/2021 at 8:28 AM, smartymarty said:

That's a "sunk costs" argument. "I've put so much in, I have to go on." Is not a good basis for a decision.

In custody, the primary factor courts consider is "the best interest of the child." Since Katherine has a full time job and Eddie does not, the best interest could be Eddie being full time parent in the house while Katherine pays alimony and child support while living somewhere else.

 

I've included more of my own post above my quote of yours, to provide context. I am not saying it is a bad decision.

I am saying the show hasn't given me what I need as a viewer.

Eddie did all sorts of previous b.s. and Katherine forgave him. They were set to renew their vows before Eddie was run over. They did renew them in the season 3 premiere, which (for us) was in November, and by March she was done with him. She hasn't shown a lick of empathy. I think the writing short-changed her character in this arc.

 

[historylover820]

4 hours ago, General Days said:

I am saying the show hasn't given me what I need as a viewer.

Eddie did all sorts of previous b.s. and Katherine forgave him. They were set to renew their vows before Eddie was run over. They did renew them in the season 3 premiere, which (for us) was in November, and by March she was done with him. She hasn't shown a lick of empathy. I think the writing short-changed her character in this arc.

 

I think that's my problem as well when I say that I don't get why it's the last straw. And the writing has most definitely short-changed her. Because she went from wanting to renew the wedding vows to starting to have an emotional affair with Alan before Eddie's confession of abusing his pain killers. It happened within just a couple of episodes.

Plus, don't forget, there were about three months of no episodes this season. 

And in the timeline of the show, which you can see by the progressing of Covid, Eddie got out of the hospital around February or March 2020 (Fauci was speaking on a TV). We're now around June 2020, judging by the George Floyd content....

Man, this timeline makes absolutely NO sense.

And this is why I don't like the including of real world events. Because we know when they happened. While we can guess a little bit about where the show is taking place now (June 2020? July 2020?), we can place the real world events as markers. And they don't make sense!

While getting my master's in history, I was a teaching assistant for the basic American history courses. Students would complain to me during my office hours that they hated the fact that we would give them essay tests, not multiple choice. I explained that if we gave them multiple choice questions, there is a right answer and wrong answers, and we could get all over them for not knowing the info. I explained that with essay tests, if they don't know the exact date of something specific but know the answers to the question (like the popular question "Why did the North win the Civil War?") they wouldn't necessarily need to put in dates of events. They can work around the dates and still answer the question.

But for this show, we can see these dates because we remember these dates. They were only a year ago! And because the show is highlighting them, when you put this into perspective, this timeline for this show is absolutely BS. Katherine went from renewing her vows with Eddie in, let's say March 2020, to Eddie becoming a full-blown relapse by April 2020 and having Katherine decide to divorce him by mid-May 2020. Two, max of three months, since they decided to use real world events as background.