S05.E13: One Big Thing

[Whimsy]

Quote

A tight-knit circle of friends is reminded that friendship is a million little things.

Series finale

Original airdate 5/3/23

[Snazzy Daisy]

A Million Little Things | 5x13 Promo "One Big Thing" (Series Finale)

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by SnazzyDaisy

[TVForever]

Not sure I'm ready for this...😢

[ams1001]

At the point where Gary can apparently no longer speak, it seems like he should be a lot less alert than he appears to be.

 

[ams1001]

Rome and Eddie are idiots.

Do they really expect Kevin to say out loud in the clinic that he's giving them what they're asking for?

LOOK IN THE BAG!

[JayDub1987]

18 minutes ago, TVForever said:

Not sure I'm ready for this...😢

I know I’m not. Already in tears. 

[ams1001]

Oh, look, wise-beyond-his-years Theo is back.

I'm sorry. I know it's supposed to make me all sad and whatnot, but I just can't with him.

[JayDub1987]

17 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Oh, look, wise-beyond-his-years Theo is back.

I'm sorry. I know it's supposed to make me all sad and whatnot, but I just can't with him.

Same. I know I’m in the minority here as I’ve liked Gary the whole time, but I just told my wife that if they were gonna kill off another character to end this, I wish it was Theo. 

[luna1122again]

Okay, Colin just did me in. 

[ams1001]

Okay, I might have been using snark as a defense mechanism. I broke about 15 minutes before the end, when the goodbyes started.

Aw, Colin. That finished me off.

The flash-forward was sweet.

Good to know K and D still have terrible hair in 16 15 years.

Was Danny's future hair in honor of Gary's frosted tips?

Edited May 6, 2023 by ams1001

[JayDub1987]

I’m sure there will be plenty of snark, and hell, maybe some of it’s warranted. But that was absolutely beautiful to me. Absolutely beautiful. I’m gonna go pretend that I’m not sobbing uncontrollably in the bathroom now. 

[nexxie]

Would rather they had not killed off Gary (and his dad earlier) - but did really love that last five minutes!

[SunnyBeBe]

It sort of went weird with the assisted suicide, but recovered.  It was touching. I thought it was pretty good.  I can’t recall, but did they explain why they didn’t go with Hospice?  

[Madding crowd]

They did a great job with the finale. It was very sad but I liked the flash forward and everyone sharing their memories of Gary. 

[historylover820]

My immediate thought:

Colin laying on Gary's bed whining while Gary died KILLED me. I mean, I sobbed. I'm still tearing up just thinking about that.

(And, yes, Rome and Eddie were idiots just waltzing into the clinic, "Hey Kevin! Got anything to assist in Gary's death? What? Illegal! How dare you want to keep your job!")

[TVForever]

Okay, who was that doing the cameo at the hockey game? He's obviously someone important to the production, but I didn't recognize him.

[Madding crowd]

I think that was the show producer.

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, Madding crowd said:

I think that was the show producer.

DJ Nash. I just had to google because I had no idea what he looks like.

[TravelingLady]

I haven't sobbed this much in a very, very long time. Well done. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by TravelingLady

[luna1122again]

It was the creator/show runner DJ Nash

So Sophie married Tyrell and was having a baby, and apparently Katherine and swoopy hair/can't remember her name had a daughter? Did we see a grown up Charlie?

Aw, Daisy the dog

Edited May 4, 2023 by luna1122again

[JayDub1987]

1 minute ago, TravelingLady said:

I haven's sobbed this much in a very, very long time. Well done. 

My wife legit asked me if I was OK. I really really lost it during that one. Whew. 

[Winston Wolfe]

Damn, Nash.  You did it. My eyes welled up.  Well done finale with the best use of time jumps I've seen in a long time.

[LizDC]

12 minutes ago, luna1122again said:

Did we see a grown up Charlie?

I think we did - girl with long blond hair and wearing a blue or grey shirt.

[TravelingLady]

10 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

My wife legit asked me if I was OK. I really really lost it during that one. Whew. 

I deliberately watch it alone (well, husband was sleeping next to me). I wanted to ugly cry without being judged. 

[KaveDweller]

I don't normally cry at TV shows, but I cried at this. It was well done. I don't know how they got Colin to lay on Gary and moan like that, but nice touch. All the Gary stories everyone shared seemed very in character, so I think that shows he was actually a well written character. Then ending with "Mijo, have a beautiful life" really got to me.

It was a really satisfying finale overall.

However, as others how clueless were Rome and Eddie when trying to get the pills for Gary? Even if it wasn't illegal, that guy clearly wouldn't have been authorized to give those pills out. If it was totally legit, Gary could have gotten a prescription.

It also bugged me that we didn't see Gary hugging baby Javier goodbye before he ended his life. I mean, I feel like that's a thing you would do?

The scene of the next generation of guys at the hockey game was nice, but they needed to do a better job of aging up Tyrell and Danny to match the new actors for Theo and Javi.

[JeanJean]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Rome and Eddie are idiots.

Do they really expect Kevin to say out loud in the clinic that he's giving them what they're asking for?

LOOK IN THE BAG!

Seriously. Full disclosure, this is the first time I watched this show. (It came on after Not Dead Yet.) But I was like, how dumb are these guys? They're trying to talk to Kevin about this AT WORK?????

[historylover820]

I'm wondering what parts James Roday Rodriguez wrote, because he co-wrote it with DJ Nash. I've always been fascinated by how two writers write together. Do they come up with everything, sitting in an office, bouncing ideas and dialogue together? Does JRR go to Nash and say "I have an idea of how to end Gary's story?" and the two run with that? Does Nash write one part and JRR write another part and they edit each other's work? 

I find that fascinating.

[ams1001]

Just now, JeanJean said:

Seriously. Full disclosure, this is the first time I watched this show. (It came on after Not Dead Yet.) But I was like, how dumb are these guys? They're trying to talk to Kevin about this AT WORK?????

Well, you got the best episode, at least.

[SunnyBeBe]

I didn’t fully understand the scene with the sales lady who was talking to Sophie and there was a flashback that she was the airline rep who kept John off the 9/11 flight.  Did she realize who they were or was that scene just for the benefit of the viewers?   

Edited May 4, 2023 by SunnyBeBe

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Rome and Eddie are idiots.

Do they really expect Kevin to say out loud in the clinic that he's giving them what they're asking for?

A thousand times this.  Gary really should have just told Katherine, because she at least appears to be relatively competent and probably could have done it without half the drama Eddie and Rome brought to the task.  

The coffin saleswoman being the ticket agent who kept John from getting on the plane on 9/11 was just weird and unnecessary.  In fact, I could have done without the whole scene of Sophie and Danny coffin shopping.

I'm not really a big fan of maudlin death scenes, but I did lose it a little when Colin started whining.  There's just something about pets knowing that messes me up.        

[cardigirl]

😭😭😭

Not sure why I watched this as now I'm so sad. I need a comedy. But it was well done for a finale.

Back to watching Psych reruns for my James Roday Rodrigues fix. 

[Sandman]

This show relies on suicide too much, I have to say it. But I couldn’t help but be moved by how everyone responded in a way that seemed true to their characters. I liked Gina’s goodbye in particular. And Danny’s Gary story made me weep — a great callback to the first season and the foundation of the bond Gary had with Dan Dixon.

53 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

It also bugged me that we didn't see Gary hugging baby Javier goodbye before he ended his life. I mean, I feel like that's a thing you would do?

He kind of did, I think, when Maggie was watching the video.

I didn’t realize James Roday Rodriguez co-wrote the episode. I wonder if it was he who came up with the idea to have Gary largely silent. I mostly liked the flash-forward, except for Danny’s dye job, and in spite of the fact that a time-jump epilogue is a bit over-used as a device for series finales — but it worked with the nature of this show.

I thought Alison Miller did a brilliant job with the final goodbye; that scene wrecked me (partly because both of my parents died of cancer) and it seemed like one of the more truthful scenes of this series. And James Roday Rodriguez was the heart of the episode, again. A moving and surprisingly satisfying finale. 

[Leeds]

When I watched last week's episode I was under the misapprehension that it was the finale.  It should have been.

[Brian Cronin]

1 hour ago, Sandman said:

I wonder if it was he who came up with the idea to have Gary largely silent.

Apparently, it was a medical consultant who told them that this was how it would go. 

[Frisky Wig]

Nice episode, very sweet. 
 

One nitpicky thing that bugged me is that, in the beginning, the original four friends, Rome, John, Eddie and Gary were all around the same age, but in the flash forward, we see Javi, Theo, Danny and Tyrell. While “the sons of the friends” thing was cool, Javi is so much younger than all of them, it reminded me of teen Sophie hanging with the adults and all of us talking about her needing friends her own age. 

[Brian Cronin]

35 minutes ago, Frisky Wig said:

Nice episode, very sweet. 
 

One nitpicky thing that bugged me is that, in the beginning, the original four friends, Rome, John, Eddie and Gary were all around the same age, but in the flash forward, we see Javi, Theo, Danny and Tyrell. While “the sons of the friends” thing was cool, Javi is so much younger than all of them, it reminded me of teen Sophie hanging with the adults and all of us talking about her needing friends her own age. 

Yeah, it clearly didn't make any sense that the buddy group was a 34/35 year old, a 36/37 year old, a 28/29 year old and a...16 year old.

[Brian Cronin]

It's kind of adorable that James Roday Rodriguez has been caring this show on his back this season and Nash was, like, "Oh, hey, thanks for caring the show all season. Uhm. do you think you could also WRITE the finale?" 

[Leeds]

2 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

It's kind of adorable that James Roday Rodriguez has been caring this show on his back this season and Nash was, like, "Oh, hey, thanks for caring the show all season. Uhm. do you think you could also WRITE the finale?" 

?

[Sandman]

4 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

Yeah, it clearly didn't make any sense that the buddy group was a 34/35 year old, a 36/37 year old, a 28/29 year old and a...16 year old.

I gave the show a bye on this. It was my impression that Javi would also be forming his own primary group of “friends who become your family,” as well as having the “cousins” established by the Band of Dads who brought them together. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Rest in Peace Gary Mendez. 🕊🕊🕊

Colin was there till the end…🐾

Gary died on 03.03.2023 - the last day filming of AMLT S5.

I promised myself not to cry this time but damn you, Colin!

😭😭😭 
 

[munchiewoman]

9 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

The coffin saleswoman being the ticket agent who kept John from getting on the plane on 9/11 was just weird and unnecessary.  In fact, I could have done without the whole scene of Sophie and Danny coffin shopping.

I didn't remember that he should have been on one of the flights.  I thought maybe that was it, but it didn't make sense because they're trying to tell me he missed a flight and was still there when it went down?  That makes NO sense whatsoever.  Plus, these people all have money based on their lifestyle and Danny is going to try to sob story a COFFIN SALESWOMAN?  Come ON!

And Rome and Eddie... Asking someone to do something illegal loudly, in front of everyone?  Seriously?  They're not that stupid.

Having said all that, I pretty much ugly cried all through this.  Unlike some, I've always loved Gary.  My cat was on my shoulder and I actually sobbed out loud when told Javi to have a beautiful life.  My cat looked at me kind of alarmed.

Poor Colin.

Sniff.

 

[txhorns79]

8 minutes ago, munchiewoman said:

I didn't remember that he should have been on one of the flights.  I thought maybe that was it, but it didn't make sense because they're trying to tell me he missed a flight and was still there when it went down?  That makes NO sense whatsoever.

My recollection was that he was kept from boarding, and was waiting for the next one when they heard about the plane hitting the tower.

[munchiewoman]

Ah, that makes more sense, I guess.  Thank you.

And I just realized Sophie was named after her because her refusal to let him on saved his life.

Edited May 4, 2023 by munchiewoman

[Frisky Wig]

Also, kinda frustrating that we didn’t see anyone from outside the Codependent Band of Weirdos come and say good-bye to Gary. What about his aunt? And the friends they made at the baby class, the lady and painfully unfunny comedian? Not even a line about how “Auntie came by yesterday and cried a river.” Wow.

[ams1001]

Another thing I thought of on my way to work this morning - I liked that 16yo Javi speaks Spanish, and apparently Maggie does not, but she understands what he's saying. I wonder if Tia Inez spoke it with him when he was growing up.

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, munchiewoman said:

I didn't remember that he should have been on one of the flights.  I thought maybe that was it, but it didn't make sense because they're trying to tell me he missed a flight and was still there when it went down?  That makes NO sense whatsoever.  Plus, these people all have money based on their lifestyle and Danny is going to try to sob story a COFFIN SALESWOMAN?  Come ON!

 

I was trying to figure out why it was Danny and Sophie buying the casket and why they were doing it in advance of Gary's death.  It's not like there won't be any coffins for sale when he finally goes.  And, its not like that particular coffin had some sort of sentimental value.  Most of the time, it's part of the package with the funeral home.  I guess the writers wanted to tie in the former stewardess to Jon's kids who wouldn't have been there otherwise, but it was an awkward storyline.

 

5 hours ago, Brian Cronin said:

It's kind of adorable that James Roday Rodriguez has been caring this show on his back this season and Nash was, like, "Oh, hey, thanks for caring the show all season. Uhm. do you think you could also WRITE the finale?" 

JRR wrote a lot of episodes for Psych, often along with that show's producer, so I guess it's become a tradition for him.  He seems to be a very talented writer.  Psych was a completely different show, and, yet, he wrote well for that, too.

[ams1001]

14 minutes ago, Notabug said:

I was trying to figure out why it was Danny and Sophie buying the casket and why they were doing it in advance of Gary's death.  It's not like there won't be any coffins for sale when he finally goes.  And, its not like that particular coffin had some sort of sentimental value.  Most of the time, it's part of the package with the funeral home.  I guess the writers wanted to tie in the former stewardess to Jon's kids who wouldn't have been there otherwise, but it was an awkward storyline.

Seemed like they were trying to get it cheaper than what the funeral home charges. Maybe they thought sending the 'kids' would help the salesperson take pity and give them a better discount.

Though Danny's sympathy plea sounded totally fake to me and I'm surprised any salesperson would fall for it.

[Suzn]

I guess I'm all alone on this.  No tears. I found it excruciatingly slow and tedious.  They dragged out the death and spent time on the idiocy of Rome and Eddie openly asking for illegal drugs and the nonsense of Sophie and Danny buying a coffin.  Then they spent time on the ageless wisdom of Theo - amazingly both a baby and an old sage.

I would have liked to have the flash forward last longer.  I couldn't take it all in and will need to re-watch that part.

[circumvent]

4 hours ago, Sandman said:

It was my impression that Javi would also be forming his own primary group of “friends who become your family,” as well as having the “cousins” established by the Band of Dads who brought them together.

 

1 hour ago, Frisky Wig said:

Also, kinda frustrating that we didn’t see anyone from outside the Codependent Band of Weirdos

I added the bold just to say I have a shorter definition for these people: CULT

[Katie111]

Charlie looked like a 40 year old.  I stopped it multiple times and couldn’t figure out show she was until I read it here.  They didn’t age the other women at all.  Nor Tyrell or Danny.   Weird that Danny stayed with his boyfriend he had since he was 12 and that Tyrell and Sophie haven’t already had a kid considering they’ve been together for 16 years.  And Greta’s kid only looked about 8, which seems strange as they sounded like they were going to have a kid soon. The aging on everybody just seemed off.  And the hairstyles on everyone were awful. 
 

But overall I thought the last few episodes were really good.  Much less stupid plot lines that went nowhere and I was emotional by the end.  Only weird plot line was that Sophie was going to Haiti for the summer but then was going g to Mexico with Gary but it seemed like barely any time had passed.  Also, who goes to Haiti these days?  

Edited May 4, 2023 by Katie111