Better Things Season 2 Episode 5 Review

Better Things has had a strong season so far, but Phil has been absent for much of it. Because of that, I'm very excited for this week's Phil-centric episode.

The episode begins with Phil playing cards with some of her friends, discussing Sam and how stuck up she is. She also talks about her granddaughters, saying that she only really likes Duke, her "special project." She then admits that she really loves her daughter and granddaughters, saying her problem is that she "loves too much" and "forgives too much." Then, Sam arrives. Sam asks her about a notice that Phil applied to remortgage her house, which Sam bought for her. She threatens her, and Phil's reaction to this is hilarious. Sam backs off, but wants Phil to promise to never do it again. I'm sure that'll go well for her. Later, at the museum Phil volunteers at, some new artifacts arrive. She grabs a ring and goes to take it when she sees a man watching her. She promptly puts it back. The man is struggling with the decision of whether or not to turn Phil in. Phil offers to leave and never come back, and while the man tries to stop her, she storms out. She starts walking home (since she can't remember where she parked) when she comes across a hole in the ground, which she "accidentally" falls into.

Sam is talking to Robin on the phone while she is driving. She tells him that her girls want to meet him. But then she takes it back after he says he's been wanting to meet them for awhile. When Robin is about to say something, she gets a call. Before she hangs up, though, he says that he wants to meet her demons children. She answers the call, but is soon interrupted with another call. She doesn't know the number and she decides not to answer it. After hanging up, she listens to the message from the unknown number. It was the hospital, telling her that Phil is in the emergency room. Sam heads to the hospital, where she is told that Phil fractured her ankle and that Phil can't leave for a few days. She tries to ask Phil what happened, but Phil just ignores her. She asks if she's mad, and Phil says she wants to go home. Sam says that she knows, but she has to say in the hospital for awhile. Phil says she wants to go back, which Sam says is okay.

Sam calls her brother Marion to tell him about Phil, and she says that she's thinking about putting her in a home. Marion thinks Sam wants him to help financially, but she just wants him to help make the decision. When he says that he's fine with her doing anything to help Phil, Sam thanks him and hangs up. Sam is talking to Tressa, and Tressa tells her about her father that got dementia. She had to care for him and while he wouldn't speak to her at first, he eventually forgot who she was and they became friends. Yes, this is a very happy story.

At the hospital, Phil tells Sam that she's very proud of her, which is very un-Phil-like. Robin is at a restaurant with Sam and the girls. Frankie asks her is he's gonna marry Sam. Duke is tired. Sam is staring off into space. Frankie says that she's "sure" he's having sex with her mother, and that she wants a baby brother. So, all in all, a super comfortable, not at all weird dinner. Later on, Marion tells her about a place Sam can take Phil. Sam tells him that she's not going to put Phil in the home.

This was a very good episode, my second favorite one so far this season. I wish that the Phil-centric episode would have been even more Phil-centric, because I love Phil so much, but it was really just nice to see her get so much of the episode devoted to her. Celia Imrie gave a truly amazing performance this week as Phil. There was so much emotion packed into this episode, and a lot of that has to be credited to Imrie for her great work this week. One thing that I love about Better Things is that while it knows how to be very funny, it also knows how to be real. It knows how to show that life  isn't all sunshine and roses. It knows that sometimes, s*** just happens. And that's what makes it one of the best shows on TV. Everything isn't just resolved in the course of one episode, and their lives aren't perfect. And this episode demonstrated that very well.

My Score: 9/10
My Grade: A-

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