S01.E06: The Wilderness

[maraleia]

 

As they struggle to come to terms with Maura, Josh looks for answers from a rabbi named Raquel (Kathryn Hahn), and Ali looks for answers in a Gender Studies class with Syd. Sarah is left to answer questions from her own kids, who meet Maura for the first time.

 

[kieyra]

This episode has been a high note for me so far in the series. Not sure why, exactly, but everything sort of jelled. I complained in the all episode thread about not enough focus on Maura early in the season (and too much Gaby Hoffman for my taste), but this episode and the one before it struck a very nice balance.

Unspoiled: this episode's flashback to Bradley Whitford's character gave me a bad feeling. I'll spoiler tag my spec, although I assure you it's just spec.

We've only seen the character in flashback, so I'm wondering if we will find out she killed herself, and perhaps that was part of what motivated Maura to transition and accept herself.

Overall, this is the best "indie" show going since Rectify. Very pleasantly surprised.

[Portia]

I was really moved by how simply and openly the grandchildren accepted Grandpa as Maura. Would that it were always so easy for us adults.

I kept expecting a quick cut to Josh and the rabbi having hot 'n' nasty sex. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm relieved that didn't happen even though it seems to be Josh's M.O.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I thought it was very sweet and realistic for the grandkids to accept Maura easily while their dad was the one who had a problem with it.

[bybrandy]

Best part of the so by far and rang true to based on experience.

I don't love all the members of that family and every Pfefferman is Pflawed but I really believe Maura won't be alone in five years.

[Primetimer]

Maura's S01E06 dinner monologue is pretty much the greatest.

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[Fisher King]

Best episode so far, hands down.

 

Maura: I'm a person, you're a person, and here we are. You either get in this whirlpool....or you get out.

 

I thought Bradley Whitford was Betty White for a second.

 

I think kieyra is spot-on in the speculation.

[paramitch]

The final scene at the dinner table was so well done, and Jeffrey Tambor was sensational in that monologue Maura gives to Sarah's ex. There is such intrinsic kindness to Maura a lot of the time, and I loved the palpable affection and sympathy she showed for the husband in this moment, that she recognizes that she should have spoken to him about this directly before now.

 

Melora Hardin, who plays Tammy, was also really wonderful there -- you could see Tammy wanting so badly to support Maura, and to speak up to defuse the situation, but also realizing that her role in the breakup would mean that she would only be adding to the tension.

 

There is something touching to me about the scenes of Marcy and Maura so shyly testing their femininity, and it makes me think a lot about female beauty in U.S. culture and how much we attach to the outside trappings of female beauty.

 

Yet here we have these two men yearning simply to be female -- for them the trappings are beautiful in themselves, so that they are simply delighting in the colors and fabrics, in the makeup and hair and dresses. While they are kind of awkward and graceless as women, their delight in simply donning those butterfly wings fills them with joy. I also love the way Whitford and Tambor's faces change in their female transformations -- the softness of age gives a poignancy and gentleness to their appearances as Maura and Marcy.

 

I've found myself wondering if Jeffrey Tambor has the same yearning that Maura were prettier, much as Dustin Hoffman used to talk about wishing his Dorothy was prettier in "Tootsie," simply because he felt she deserved to be.

[OceanicFlight818]

This is the scene that led me to award the Emmy to Jeffrey Tambor for Most Times Making Scott Cry in a Public Place. The people at Which Wich probably think I'm a crazy person.

[April Bloodgate]

I completely agree with the rest of you who have said that this is the best episode of the series so far.