Casual - General Discussion

[ganesh]

That's one way to fix the table problem. 

[Rinaldo]

As Rob Lowe said the first episode of The West Wing, "Wow, this is bad on... so many levels!" (The things happening say bad things about the characters, I'm not calling them badly written or anything.) Laura has sold a bunch of her stuff plus her mother's new table, lied big time to her father, all in order to travel to be with a woman who barely thinks about her and will be appalled to see her show up. Val has ditched a guy who likes her (and has already put up with a lot from her) in the middle of a party they attended together, to fuck someone else. And Alex can't function if he's not the center of attention, and even having "accepted" that he isn't, still doesn't get it.

Leon and Leia are paragons of good adjustment by comparison, or even in pretty absolute terms. And nice fake-out with the text messages saying "I want to play / When??" during dinner. I thought for sure she was being insufferably rude and was about to walk out on Leon during their date, to see someone else, and it was all the serenaders for her proposal. Cleverly done.

[ganesh]

I really don't blame Val. Joe is kind of a bag. She kind of did have a point when she said, "it's only when you want." She didn't want to go in the first place. 

[ruby24]

I'm starting to despise Laura. She's not a warm or likable presence at ALL, and she desperately needs a character around who is, in order to soften her to the point where she's barely tolerable. Right now I kinda want someone to slap her in the face in every scene she has.

[yourmomiseasy]

8 hours ago, ganesh said:

I really don't blame Val. Joe is kind of a bag. She kind of did have a point when she said, "it's only when you want." She didn't want to go in the first place. 

I don't think she's really mad at Jack though.  She's lashing out at him because she isn't getting the attention she wants from Alex.

[ganesh]

Probably. I just don't see why she is with him. 

[possibilities]

Val is used to playing the martyr role. She had a husband who betrayed her. She was the long-suffering older sibling for Alex, who was the perpetual child. She "lets Laura do whatever she wants". And she has "been understanding of Jack's issues".

The bargain, though, was that Laura is supposed to not need any parenting, supervision, guidance, or attention. Alex is supposed to need her and be constantly there to feed her ego. She gets to hate her ex. And she gets to feel deprived and unappreciated with Jack.

Right now, everyone is subverting her agenda.

Laura is actually in love with and seeking guidance from a woman she hardly knows, just because that person is willing to pay minimal attention, give advice, and seems to have an awareness of the world outside of her own navel.

Alex tried to take a leadership role in their relationship by seeking her biodad without asking her, rejected her criticism of him for doing so, and is also implementing boundaries and being happy and employed and sort of functional without her help-- he even made friends with his roommate and solved his financial problem on his own.

Her ex regrets his behavior and apologized to her, says he misses her, is unhappy, and she also fucked him, so hating him got harder for her to use as fuel for her self-pity.

And Jack, while not perfect, is also not wrong; they took it slow but not THAT slow, he's been there for her maybe not 100% of how she wanted but a decent percentage, and even if he's not perfect, he's not really a villain. She doesn't even try to discuss her wants and needs with him in a rational way, and just pouts or is sarcastic or ditches him?

Oh, and Leo, who she rejected, is now in love with HER ASSISTANT. She was enjoying thinking he was in love with her, and was thinking of him as a puppy dog she could mock, use, kick, and rely on for favors and frisson, and it turns out he's actually in love with her ASSISTANT. BWAH!

I do think getting engaged after 7 weeks of a relationship is a bit much. There's still a very good chance Leo and his fiancee are just needy and desperate like the rest of them, and are both doing what they're doing to get to Val. But at least they've set a date far enough in the future that they'll be able to figure that out before they actually have the wedding.

[Rinaldo]

Beautifully put, @possibilities. I think I agree with all of that (except, dare I say, Leon's name -- sorry!).

It's Leon and Leia.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Rinaldo
Might as well mention them both.

[possibilities]

Oops! Thanks for the correction! You probably also noticed I couldn't remember the assistant's actual name and was too lazy to look it up. In my head, it starts with the letter A, but that's all I could come up with.

[ruby24]

I thought this was a great episode! It really took your understanding of the Alex/Valerie relationship to another level. At first I wasn't sure if they should have been the ones playing their younger selves, especially since Drew, Val's roommate and Alex's girlfriends were all young actors, but then they occasionally did those fade outs to glimpses of younger actors playing them and I thought it worked. Very poignant.

I almost thought they were going to have it so that Drew didn't even come back until Laura was a toddler or something.

Edited July 26, 2017 by ruby24

[Corgi-ears]

It was a little bit hilarious that Zak Orth was the only one deemed unfit to play a younger version of Drew. Though, had he done so, it would have uncontrollably tipped the show over the line into being Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.

[ruby24]

Well, but the other people they interacted with were obviously younger people too. I think there was some kind of statement they were making by having only Alex and Valerie as themselves, but then occasionally had them fade into younger people in glimpses.

I think this has been a great season overall. The show's best. At least three really great episodes- the one with Alex/Valerie disposing of their dad's ashes, the one in the house searching for the rat, and this one.

[Dminches]

Poor Alex.  I am not sure that he realizes that Judy broke up with him.  He is finally gaining some self-understanding and trying to be a good guy and things still don't go his way.  Valerie is so messed up and is intent on dragging Alex down with her.

[ganesh]

I don't miss those inane maudlin late 90s songs. 

That was a short trip to Sacramento. I'm actually glad that happened and Laura wised up fast, though I don't think it's going to help her emotional state. 

I don't think Val is that messed up, though she's been checked out as a parent. She's 40, good looking and wants to go out and have sex. Jack is *boring* and it was a mistake to get back with him. Ok yeah, she went out and had sex with the guy from the class as a way to lash out and get a response from Jack. That's not really egregious to me. 

I have to give Alex credit for stepping up and wanting to help with the baby. Also learning how to make waffles. 

I think Judy was a little weak. If she's not into Alex, she needs to say so and break it off. 

[Rinaldo]

14 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Ok yeah, she went out and had sex with the guy from the class as a way to lash out and get a response from Jack. That's not really egregious to me. 

It is to me, inasmuch as it happened while they were on a date together. If you're out with someone, to me it's reasonable to expect that they won't have sex with someone else in the middle of it leaving you stranded. If the other person's not into you, fine -- but they should say so, so there are no false expectations.

[sweetcookieface]

Quote

It was a little bit hilarious that Zak Orth was the only one deemed unfit to play a younger version of Drew. Though, had he done so, it would have uncontrollably tipped the show over the line into being Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.

It's interesting because I just couldn't buy Michaela Watkins as a 23-year old version of Valerie. The actress looks like she's in her 40s (not a knock - I'm assuming that's her actual age). I could buy Tommy Dewey as a younger Alex because he doesn't read as old as Michaela - and, perhaps more importantly, the adjustments to his look and demeanor (e.g., the shaggy hair, baggy clothes, and sweetness mixed with immaturity and naivete) helped him "pass." No, he didn't look 19, but he came across as a younger version of himself. I guess with Valerie it's a little trickier to convey youth because the character was always a bit of a cynic/old soul. (I need to go back and rewatch the glimpses we got of young actors playing Alex and Valerie - I thought I noticed something, but since it was only for a split second, I assumed I imagined it.)

That said, this was probably my favorite episode of the season. It really endeared Alex to me, and provided more insight into the bond he and Valerie share.

By the way, fans of the show may be interested in the interview Michaela Watkins did with Todd Van Der Werff on the "I Think You're Interesting Podcast" (today's episode). I haven't listened to the whole thing yet, but it was interesting to hear her talk about the challenges of playing someone she finds so unlikable. 

By the way, is that the consensus? That Valerie is really unlikable? I for one have never warmed to her character, but find her particularly unlikable this season. She's selfish, dour, annoying, not particularly charismatic, etc. But there's also something real about her, so I appreciate the characterization.

[ganesh]

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

It is to me, inasmuch as it happened while they were on a date together. If you're out with someone, to me it's reasonable to expect that they won't have sex with someone else in the middle of it leaving you stranded. If the other person's not into you, fine -- but they should say so, so there are no false expectations.

I've been saying she shouldn't have gotten together with him in the first place. 

11 minutes ago, sweetcookieface said:

It's interesting because I just couldn't buy Michaela Watkins as a 23-year old version of Valerie.

I don't think we were supposed to though. I think the point was that Val was always like that. Flashback Alex made a crack about her raising him. It ties with her lashing out at Jack. 

[ruby24]

14 hours ago, sweetcookieface said:

It's interesting because I just couldn't buy Michaela Watkins as a 23-year old version of Valerie. The actress looks like she's in her 40s (not a knock - I'm assuming that's her actual age). I could buy Tommy Dewey as a younger Alex because he doesn't read as old as Michaela - and, perhaps more importantly, the adjustments to his look and demeanor (e.g., the shaggy hair, baggy clothes, and sweetness mixed with immaturity and naivete) helped him "pass." No, he didn't look 19, but he came across as a younger version of himself. I guess with Valerie it's a little trickier to convey youth because the character was always a bit of a cynic/old soul. (I need to go back and rewatch the glimpses we got of young actors playing Alex and Valerie - I thought I noticed something, but since it was only for a split second, I assumed I imagined it.)

 

I did too! I think that was the intention with that.

[possibilities]

I agree this is the best season so far. It's much more interesting than the previous, I think, because we are getting to look at motivations.

I thought Judy breaking up came out of nowhere. She seemed to be happy with him up until the moment she cut it off.

I love that Val's a therapist, who has absolutely zero self-awareness or relationship insight. I have known lots of people who do therapy for a living and are just as utterly fucked up. It's distressing, but I appreciate the show not sugar-coating it.

I thought it was very amusing that the guy bought the table but left the chairs. I had assumed it was a set.

I don't mind Laura getting her eyes opened, but I don't know if I think she will learn anything from this or not.

I think it's pretty insulting to be told someone got together with you hoping to be brought down as low as she could go. I actually respect the idea of making your own rules, figuring out what works, and not just sticking to some culturally dictated script. But it seemed really sad and un-self-respecting that he was not even slightly bothered by Val acting out and dumping on him the way she was. I guess he feels guilty and undeserving because of his past issues, and that makes people put up with shit from other people sort of as a penance or something. But seriously-- Val's behavior to me was extremely shitty. You can see where Laura gets her personality, because actually she's pretty much Val without the pretending to be someone else the way Val likes to pretend.

I thought the actor they got to play Young Drew looked astonishingly like the actor who plays Middle Aged Drew. Are they father/son? It was an uncanny resemblance.

I wish Hulu would release an entire season at once, like Netflix does, because I keep forgetting what days this show is released, or how many episodes there are, and so I keep forgetting to watch.

[7-Zark-7]

Laura's been here before: trying to force a sexual relationship on an older mentor who doesn't want her. 

[Dminches]

I don't see how anyone can't view Valerie as being both messed up and completely self-focused.  She uses Alex when she needs him, never thinking about what's in his best interest. Even Alex realizes this and he isn't the therapist.  She has acted as though she wants to be with Jack for the long haul, understanding his issues and attempt to recover from his addiction, but the minute she doesn't get what she wants that all goes away.

I hope Judy's break up with Alex doesn't send him into a tail spin but I have a feeling that all 3 of them (Alex, Valerie and Laura) being recently rejected, will end up back together into their sad, lonely world.

[possibilities]

It's here:

forums.previously.tv/topic/58050-season-3-talk-still-keeping-it-cazh/

[ganesh]

I really don't think she's that messed up. The flashback episode to me showed that Val is more mother than sister to Alex, and yes, she needs to let go. Given what we know about the parents, I think they turned out better than they could have. With Jack, I thought it was a mistake to get back with him. I think she just did it because he was there, in a sense. He's just so boring. And if he really has issues then he needs to be on his own to work them out. Being all like, 'oh we can hold hands instead' and then doing it when he feels it's ok for him to isn't fair to her. 

I loved the scene in the finale with Laura, Val, and the mother, even though I wanted to smack Laura into next week, and I have no idea how Val didn't just blow up the house. Laura and the mother were so ridiculously condescending. I hate when people talk about another person like they aren't even there. But I was laughing because they were both doing the same thing with the tea. 

I get Val's pov. The table is gone, and Laura was technically missing. Some of that is on Val. She's well within her parental rights to demand an explanation and have a conversation about it. However, I think she should just leave Laura with the mother for a while and see how Laura deals after that. 

I laughed about the french toast, but then like uh oh.

Edited August 1, 2017 by ganesh

[ruby24]

Is it true that the show's in danger of being canceled? I hope not. This was their best season. And they can't leave it like that! That was much more of an open-ended ending than last year's. Hulu should at least give it one more season so they can finish it in a proper way.

I don't think it's a good idea at all for Alex to raise a baby with his roommate. I hope that doesn't actually happen.

[Corgi-ears]

So we're two years in the future, and in a world with driverless cars and an unhappy end for Scott Pruitt ("Remember that guy?" Yes, unfortunately we do, too much). So far I'm glad that Leia seems to have become -- perhaps unrealistically quickly -- a therapist, and happy with Leon. Valerie is of course stuck in a rut; I'm sure Laura coming home to roost won't set anything in motion, eh?

[ganesh]

I'm not so sure I'm going to like Val's visions. It's kind of over done. 

I loved the dad's line - out of the 10000 possible horrible outcomes, this isn't so bad. 

[ganesh]

So that's that. There didn't seem like a lot of time to develop much story. 

[Dminches]

I thought they did a very good job with the final season.  They stayed true to each character but had each of them move forward in their lives.

[ganesh]

They moved a little too fast for me with most of the plots except Alex. I suppose the conceit of jumping in time was an end around to that. 

[archer1267]

I agree that this season seemed rushed. It might explain some of the issues I had with character development. One thing I've really loved about the show is how plotlines, and relationships, develop over episodes, even seasons. Like, the relationship between Valerie and Jack. That felt organic to me, how a relationship might build (and decline) in real life. I get that it would have been a clunky narrative to fill in the gaps of what happened over the past couple of years, but the Laura-Valerie reunion puzzled me. Last we saw, Laura didn't want to live at home any more, and the two parted on not-good terms. I guess it's possible that Laura matured during her time away and got over everything, or maybe she and Val had worked things out over emails and letters during those two years. But when the two saw each other again and things became a warm, friendly relationship so easily, it just didn't ring true to me.

Other things that didn't really ring true to me (I think I should spoiler tag them):

Spoiler

- Val's relationship with John. He went from a nice, normal-seeming guy to a neurotic, self-obsessed weirdo in a few episodes.

- Rae's line of work is specific to working in TV and film. What is she going to do in Austin? She's really going to move for a guy's she's been dating a few months?

- Val's ditching everything to open a wine shop without seemingly doing any research.

 

I get why these things happened - they were plot devices to lead to a certain end - but they felt rushed and kind of random, almost as if there was a different set of writers on this season. And is it me or did Leon seem really grouchy all the way through this season, even before the tension between him and Leah? (I did like that he was still using his office at Alex's house.)

I almost cried at the end. I really bought the love between the actors and no more so than in that moment when Alex is struggling with his decision. I will really miss this show!

[ganesh]

To be fair by the end of the series, Rae had been with Jeff for over a year. I could buy that. The problem is a lot happened off screen to contribute to a lot of development. 

[ruby24]

Ok, the finale made me cry. Like seriously, I almost started bawling when Alex and Valerie started crying and he didn't want to be away from her.

To be honest, I'm surprised they had him go through with it. I don't think it makes much sense for him to just go live in Austin,  I mean what's he going to do there? Rae's with Jeff, so he's just going to tag along? 

I don't get that, it's like they thought he had to move away from Val in order to move on with his life or something, but frankly, I preferred the message at the end of last season, where Val realizes there's no REAL reason why she and Alex can't live together. They're each other's soulmates. That would have been the message of the show that fit with the rest of the series, and it's something that I don't think I've ever seen stated in any other movie or show, and it made this one stand out. That sometimes, your sibling can be your actual soulmate.

Aside from sex, Alex and Valerie basically completed each other as people and that was always the underlying theme of the show to me. It was very moving.

[ganesh]

1 hour ago, ruby24 said:

Like seriously, I almost started bawling when Alex and Valerie started crying and he didn't want to be away from her.

I was on the plane and was watering. I really enjoyed Alex's growth this season. 

1 hour ago, ruby24 said:

I don't think it makes much sense for him to just go live in Austin,  I mean what's he going to do there?

Not to be glib, but he's a tech wizard who invented a successful dating app. He's in Austin. I honestly don't think he'd be hurting for work. He could get an IT job, which we've seen him do, to bide his time. Alex doesn't have expertise where he needs to be somewhere physically. 

1 hour ago, ruby24 said:

I don't get that, it's like they thought he had to move away from Val in order to move on with his life or something, but frankly, I preferred the message at the end of last season, where Val realizes there's no REAL reason why she and Alex can't live together. They're each other's soulmates.

Yes, but this season, Val told him that being a parent means his child comes first and that's that. Alex and Val are certainly soulmates, but that doesn't necessarily require proximity. And they showed that at the end essentially with the alexa being the stand in for him. I think the point of the show was that even though there's distance, it's not really going to change their relationship. 

[possibilities]

This was my favorite season because they all finally grew up and interrupted their patterns. I was just getting really sick of the degree of repetitive bullshit-- it's realistic, people do repeat their bullshit. But for me it had gone past realism and into wallowing. So I enjoyed seeing them each make some progress on those things.

It was painful that they couldn't "have it all" in every case. But it struck me as realistic in that regard, because often people do make difficult choices and compromise and sacrifice for family. Alex didn't want to move, it wasn't in his personal best interest to move, but it was better for his daughter to have both parents, and he chose to make the sacrifice himself instead of forcing a battle where the mom would have to do so, which would have been bad for the daughter. Also, wow-- that kid was adorable in a credible way. Great casting.

It was a little weird for me that Leon and Leah have names that sound so much the same. I never noticed it until halfway through this season.

I didn't get why the cake was confiscated by customs. Was it just a random bureaucratic theft?

I loved the mini futuristic inserts, like driverless taxis, "Ova" instead of Alexa, the end of the NFL, and the Scott Pruitt line.

They do shoot TV shows in Austin sometimes. Friday Night Lights was shot there. I don't have trouble believing that a full time production company set up there, much like many things shoot in Vancouver. Tax breaks, baby! CA is expensive!

[Jeddah]

This season was really good. This season even made me like Laura, which I never thought would happen. This was always such a peculiar little show, and nobody I know in real life has even heard of it. Two other shows I watch, Nashville and The Originals, had their series finales this summer too. The last episodes for both of those shows sucked, so I’m glad this show didn’t.  Casual ended on a perfect note.

I’m glad Alex went to Austin. He really had to. I would not have liked the ending if he had changed his mind and stayed. Carrie is his daughter. She has to come first.

“I don’t want to be somewhere you’re not.” That line made me cry so much.

I want Leah, Leon, and their dog Alex to have a spinoff.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Jeddah

[Judi Sunshine]

Oh man. I'm so sad it's over. Not much to add except that I love the couples that ended up staying together. When Leon and Leah were standing there looking at their place, I actually cried out loud, "Don't do it!" in this super whiny, embarrassing voice. I'm so glad they stayed together and got Alex the Dog. I'd be 100% down for a spinoff of them. 

And I love Laura with Tathiana. I always thought her best chemistry was with Aubrey in past seasons and was really happy she ended up dating strictly women this last one, with Tathiana being who she ends up with. Lorenza Izzo rocks. 

I thought it was kind of cool that the two adults the show mainly focused on in the beginning didn't "end up" with anyone right now. I was so, SO happy Rae ended up staying with Jeff. Just because you have a kid with someone doesn't make you right for each other. I thought all that was handled super realistically and Tommy Dewey did such a perfect job with all of it. The scenes where he and Rae had these like, intra-relationship breakup cries -- it was so artfully done and I felt so hard for both of them. Taking them to Austin with Jeff was a good decisionr IMO. 

Michaela Watkins's reaction to the Tom Petty song was perfection. That mini-sob from your gut when you're kind of done crying but something hits you unexpectedly -- she made me do it too. I'm glad they ended with her single but fine with that, and having shown so much growth. One of the pics I'd seen from S4 led me to believe she gets back together with the exhusband, and I'm so glad that didn't happen.

I'm going to miss you, "Casual." Thank you for the unexpected television love affair when I really needed it. <3

[AmandaPanda]

I was glad that Alex moved to Austin to be with his family. I was also really glad they didn't have Val follow him. I was worried for a minute they would do that and was relieved they didn't go that cliched. It was nice to see Laura as an adult, rather than the insufferable brat she was in previous seasons. Wish we had gotten to see more of her growth on screen. And Carrie was easily the most adorable child I've seen on TV in a while. 

[scrb]

 Just finished the season.

The flashback episode showed their codependency.  Alex and Val went through most of the pregnancy together, going to Lamaze classes as if they were a couple.

Then it looked like at the end of the season they felt like they couldn't stand living separately.

So Val treated these couples who had the most inane disagreements.  Of the top of my head, one couple's dispute was her insisting that he get an iPhone so that she could track his whereabouts or something like that and him claiming he wants the freedom of Android.  Another couple, she was mad because he insisted on going to Equinox and he said he had to go work out to have sex with the pregnant wife.

There were various asides about the politics of the day, without mentioning who was president.

 

I missed why Val went to the acting classes in the first place?  But she starts hooking up with Byron, the guy with the man bun, but she doesn't take him seriously.  Then one day in class, he gives some inspired reading and everyone is impressed but then nothing with him afterwards?

 

Laura thing is bizarre too.  She spends a big part of the season trying to get rid of the tattoo she got for the guy with cancer she used to like, until he got cured.  She cynically tries to get petition signatures at some storefront where she meets Casey.  Then she starts hooking up with another volunteer, who gets fired over it.  But she didn't like that he wanted to have sex in a certain position so she bails on him and becomes overtly goo goo about Casey?

So it's about not getting attention from her parents that she's willing to steal to get enough money to chase Casey in Sacramento?  But she sees Casey is giving attention to another young protege like herself so that's that.

She's suppose to show what casual parenting from parents who are still into casual sex and relationships does to the emotional development of an annoyingly precocious or wannabe precocious teen?  And Alex is also kind of a parental figure but he's one of those parents who are best friends with their almost-adult kids.

 

None of the main characters induce intense reactions or even severe eyeballing like characters on other shows.  Not that they're likable or unlikeable.  I guess they're suppose to be quirky.  But what did Jennifer say about Alex, that he somehow fell into unbelievable privilege.  Seemed like she was going to say undeserved privilege.

You have to say it's not another family-based dramedy or it is, just one involving dysfunctional members of a family.

[scrb]

On 8/6/2018 at 5:35 PM, Jeddah said:

I’m glad Alex went to Austin. He really had to. I would not have liked the ending if he had changed his mind and stayed. Carrie is his daughter. She has to come first.

 

On 8/9/2018 at 11:06 AM, Judi Sunshine said:

Oh man. I'm so sad it's over. Not much to add except that I love the couples that ended up staying together. When Leon and Leah were standing there looking at their place, I actually cried out loud, "Don't do it!" in this super whiny, embarrassing voice. I'm so glad they stayed together and got Alex the Dog. I'd be 100% down for a spinoff of them. 

And I love Laura with Tathiana. I always thought her best chemistry was with Aubrey in past seasons and was really happy she ended up dating strictly women this last one, with Tathiana being who she ends up with. Lorenza Izzo rocks. 

I thought it was kind of cool that the two adults the show mainly focused on in the beginning didn't "end up" with anyone right now. I was so, SO happy Rae ended up staying with Jeff. Just because you have a kid with someone doesn't make you right for each other. I thought all that was handled super realistically and Tommy Dewey did such a perfect job with all of it. The scenes where he and Rae had these like, intra-relationship breakup cries -- it was so artfully done and I felt so hard for both of them. Taking them to Austin with Jeff was a good decisionr IMO. 

Michaela Watkins's reaction to the Tom Petty song was perfection. That mini-sob from your gut when you're kind of done crying but something hits you unexpectedly -- she made me do it too. I'm glad they ended with her single but fine with that, and having shown so much growth. One of the pics I'd seen from S4 led me to believe she gets back together with the exhusband, and I'm so glad that didn't happen.

I'm going to miss you, "Casual." Thank you for the unexpected television love affair when I really needed it. <3

I guess it's suppose to show growth for Alex and Val that she talked him out of staying instead of going to Austin.  Alex was tempted to fall back into what was most comfortable for him, which is living with Val.

They along with Laura formed a dysfunctional family, aimlessly going from one relationship or adventures with some people after another.  But there was no sense of growth, just that they'd continue their lifelong patterns.

It's touching that Alex was going to help Val raise the baby until Drew came back and then when he dropped out, he had them live with him.  But it's also a codependency -- and I believe some character used that exact word -- which prevented them from moving forward with their lives.

So that's why they had all these "casual" relationships for years?  Well they kind of connected with some people but then found faults and bailed.

Still, would these characters be better if they all settled into serious long-term relationships?  Val has done marriage though we find out late it the series that she had to marry early, which wasn't necessarily when she would have chosen.

Alex as father isn't that convincing.  Outside of breakfast or bedtime when Rae is usually around, he doesn't spend that much time with his daughter.  He was going to do what he'd always done, but now he wants to continue be a presence in her life, which is joint custody?  OTOH, he didn't have anyone or anything to keep him in LA either.

But it seems the point at the end is that all the characters are on trajectories to be "happy" for different reasons, whether they found their spouse like Leon and Leia or are still single but at peace or have a sense of purpose like Val and Alex.

Still one of the best Hulu originals.  Now I have to dig for some other 30-minute original while I still have Hulu.