S02.E08: Last Drink

[chitowngirl]

Jimmy faces Alice's secret; Liz and Derek are at a crossroads; Paul worries about his health.
 

Streaming on Apple+ beginning November 26, 2024.

Edited November 27 by chitowngirl

[juno]

That was so good. Harrison Ford is incredible.

Just a perfect blend of humour and intense emotion.

Amazing episode.

[luna1122again]

I thought this was the best episode of the series, so far. Just ridiculously funny and gut punch sad in equal measure. The opening scenes of 3 years ago were devastating, and I loved seeing Meredith Hagner as Roy Kent's (I can't remember his name on this show!) girlfriend. I hope we see her later. I was so sad for him when Jimmy told him he forgave him but to stay away from his family and friends. I think they've become his lifeline. 

[Good Queen Jane]

I can’t make up my mind about whether casting Brett Goldstein as Louis is good or not. It’s easy to forgive Roy Fucking Kent where Louis really hasn’t earned it yet. On the other hand, the casting of Brett does make it easier to see Louis not as a villain but someone who made a mistake. Regardless, my heart broke at Louis’ face when he promised to stay away from Alice and Brian. 

[aghst]

Thing is, this extended flashback is from Jimmy's POV.  HE sees his wife and a younger Alice first -- the rejuvenation is really impressive with Jimmy and even  Alice, who looks even younger, thinner than the current one.

Then they show NotRoy Kent with his girlfriend.  How would Jimmy know what their life was like?  It's also weird, NotRoy Kent always smiling and grinning before the accident.  Even when Roy Kent was getting it on with Keely, he never broadcast that happy face.

In any event, why did NotRoy Kent send the girlfriend away?  They didn't exposit that part.  Are they seriously saying that when things get tough, he didn't want support from the supposed love of his life?

In one of the flashback scenes, Jimmy is telling a patient about boundaries.  Imagine that!

Who knows if he really tried, because his coworkers, Brian and Liz appear about the same, getting all up in each other's business even back then.

 

By the end of the episode, obviously Jimmy still is trying to cope.  He "forgives" NRK but he demands that he stay away from his friends, Alice and probably everyone else in his circle.  See, he's not okay because he's actually imposing boundaries.

The title of the show is nominally about Jimmy, Gaby and Paul's profession.  But it really could be about the need to reduce this social/professional/family circle of characters, who all blithely violate each other's boundaries.

They try to show that nosy Liz is emotionally supporting Alice, right after her mother's death.

But how are these other characters helping Jimmy to cope?  How does it help that they all make unsolicited comments on what Jimmy should do?

 

[juno]

32 minutes ago, aghst said:

In any event, why did NotRoy Kent send the girlfriend away?  They didn't exposit that part.

she mentioned after sentencing that she would show up every weekend and then he broke up with her, and told her that she reminded him of the worst thing he had ever done.

[buttersister]

Clean-shaven, smiling Brett Goldstein. I don’t know what to do with that.

Felt really sad for him, being “forgiven” with terrible conditions. Is it odd that at that moment, he was far more likable than Jimmy? But then, Jimmy is my least favorite character. He and Liz. Everyone else is why I watch. 

And one again, Harrison Ford shows up as a wonderful actor. 

[shipmate]

So do you think that this means Brett Goldstein‘s character is really done? I hope not because I think he’s a great actor, but I don’t know where his character would fit in overall going forward.

[juno]

I think that at some point Jimmy is going to help him get his life back together. It will probably a way for Jimmy to really heal as well.

[Domestic Assassin]

I love this show and I loved this episode. I've mostly resigned myself to accepting that the depiction of therapy and ethical treatment is absurd. But seriously, how absurd is it for Paul to take Sean to his neurology appointment? Paul took over Sean's therapy because his involvement in Jimmy's life made him hesitant to discuss his real issues with him. Now Sean is sitting in on his new therapist's appointment with his doctor dealing with his own health and mortality?  Not enough for me to stop watching, but it does annoy me.

Edited November 28 by Domestic Assassin

[Harvey]

Hey people! I have not watched this yet as I will watch the entire season in one go, but I have a question. How was Liz this season? Did she have good scenes, did she have a lot of screen time? Was her presence meaningful? She / the actress is the only reason I watch this show so I'd like to know what to expect.

[buttersister]

Dear Bill,

Way too much of your wife.

Love,

Fans of the other characters 

[aghst]

It feels like Liz is being force-fed on viewers.

She started out in the background but her scenes have just increased over time.

I thought she was going to be this little annoyance that Jimmy and Alice had to deal with.

But they're trying to turn her into a main supporting character, probably equal or even more prominent than Paul and Alice.

It's more of an ensemble show so Jimmy's role has receded a bit, no longer about him and his patients, him trying to cope.

[juno]

2 hours ago, aghst said:

It feels like Liz is being force-fed on viewers.

She started out in the background but her scenes have just increased over time.

I thought she was going to be this little annoyance that Jimmy and Alice had to deal with.

But they're trying to turn her into a main supporting character, probably equal or even more prominent than Paul and Alice.

It's more of an ensemble show so Jimmy's role has receded a bit, no longer about him and his patients, him trying to cope.

Sadly, this is a part of the great Bill Lawrence shows. The shows are always very good, but he seems to feel the need to absolutely choke viewers with his wife in every one.

[Harvey]

Sounds like the season was made specifically for me then 🥰. I LOVE Christa Miller.

[Blakeston]

On 11/30/2024 at 5:49 AM, Harvey said:

Hey people! I have not watched this yet as I will watch the entire season in one go, but I have a question. How was Liz this season? Did she have good scenes, did she have a lot of screen time? Was her presence meaningful? She / the actress is the only reason I watch this show so I'd like to know what to expect.

There's easily as much of her as there was in the previous season, and she has a pretty juicy storyline. If you liked the actress in season one, I think you'd like her in season two.

I have to agree with the criticism that Paul would never bring a patient with him to the doctor. That's such an intensely personal thing - and Paul had an extremely difficult time just having drinks with Neil Flynn's character.

I have to wonder if there was any point to that scene (like Sean becoming involved with Paul's doctor), or if it was just to give Sean something to do this episode.

Another thing that strikes me as unlikely is that neither Jimmy nor Tia apparently had any family who could step in to help take care of Alice when Jimmy was floundering.

Edited December 2 by Blakeston