A new beginning, a resolution, an escape or falling back into the same old tricks. 

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Season 3 Episode 4 had a little bit of everything, most of which was refreshing and exciting. Unfortunately, with the good comes the not-so-good, and we weren't spared that, either.

With Abby making new friends in Bakersfield and Jo, Delia and Phoebe playing fast and free in Palm Springs, there's a lot of ground to cover. Let's go!

Kudos to the team for that opening shot, because despite the title and the previews to the contrary, I got so caught up in the moment I really thought Abby had decided to drive to Palm Springs separately from the others and was on her way.

So what a fun surprise that Jo, Delia and Phoebe were without their "leader" for the weekend. 

Odd that I consider Abby their ringleader, but as their mutual connection, it's always felt that way to me. The only thing that would have been better would have been if Barbara had joined the trio in Palm Springs. 

Unfortunately, she's not quite part of that crowd yet. Baby steps!

Although the gals were hoping for a weekend of liquor, sun and sin by way of good looking boys, with Cher in Palm Springs, all of the gays were in town and had taken over the motel. Personally, I breathed a sigh of relief. No men? They needed that.

As if life is ever that simple. 

Our ladies were the belles of the ball and the immediate besties of all the gays. They particularly loved Jo for her foul mouth and inability to keep a thought to herself. 

Jo had also dragged her personal life to Palm Springs by way of video surveillance on Frumpkis.

I didn't blame her in the slightest for not trusting Frump, but the story doesn't hold water, because if he was THAT untrustworthy in her eyes, she wouldn't have left Zooey alone with him.

Jo is a great mother, and if she really thought Frump was going to be a problem she would have called off her participation in a girls' only weekend. From what I could see, it was merely a getaway. 

On the first weekend Frump broke free of rehab? Nope. Frump was appalled she was spying on him, which was equally as ridiculous. Jo found a bi man in the sea of males floating around the motel and they got their freak on.

Considering the volume of sex Jo has has since she first arrived in LA, I think she was projecting her sex addiction onto Scott.

Jo has an addiction. It's too bad she didn't realize it in time. She even stopped watching the surveillance video just as Zooey broke down.

We're in for a bigger story as GG2D progresses.

Phoebe was incredibly disappointing. 

I've had my issues with her character from the start, and for every step she makes forward, she makes two back. Her moans about firing her arborist leading to the death of her majestic oak tree are absurd. Who is this woman? Is she really that stupid?

Her credit cards, which we can imagine have sky high limits, are maxed and declined to the point she cannot get a room at the inn.

She's stealing, placing hotel items on random rooms and sleeping by the pool with her luggage, but she still writes a (bad) check for a $3800 dress.

All in the name of a job for which she will undoubtedly be fired. She'll also more than likely wind up divorced, because JD is a smart man, even if he's a man in love. 

When Phoebe was shut down in the lobby with her luggage, she still didn't get the message and can't wait to hook up with Gemma again in LA.

How many times does Phoebe have to hit rock bottom before she grows the hell up?

This time she could end up in jail. Would that be far enough for her? 

I'm done giving her chances. She's too ditzy for me and too unwilling to be happy. I loved how Delia spoke to her just before she rode off to get her CUI. Delia has grown up.

If anyone deserved to be troubled during the Palm Springs weekend, it was Delia. 

Seeing Gordon the moment they checked in was the kind of surprise nobody needs. That sucked....the air right out of her party balloon! 

Surprisingly, Delia wasn't completely down during their stay despite how heavily what happened between her and Gordon weighed on her mind. That was admirable, because others would have let it be a two ton weight.

Delia was also amazingly brave for approaching Gordon and pushing the issue of finding time to talk.

There would probably never be another time, and being somewhere that had no meaning to them both would be easier for a conversation neither wanted to have.

Gordon: Delia...
Delia: Yeah?
Gordon: Cher wishes she ever looked as good as you.

• Permalink: Cher wishes she ever looked as good as you.

It was obvious Gordon still had feelings for her. His eyes were bright and warm when he gazed upon her. For a minute, she was just a girl, wanting a boy to love her again.

The whole scene when she spilled the drink showed Delia at her most vulnerable. That's my favorite side of her, far more than the one she takes on when she's posturing with Albert.

The little mess gave Delia some hope for their real conversation, and they settled on a breakfast. 

But Delia had a lot to drink the night of the Cher concert. Those sportsy people love to work out the hangover with a workout and a lot of sweat.

Now we all know. Cycling While Intoxicated is a thing in Palm Springs, and we can use it as an excuse not to bike. Whew!!

Worried that Gordon would think she was trying to get out of their breakfast, he was her one phone call. He also bailed her out. If Delia knew that would lead to the last time they ever spoke, maybe it wouldn't have been the same.

Learning Gordon was crushed wasn't really news to us, but it was to Delia. She was expecting him to hate her. He doesn't.

He loves her still, and seeing her is painful. He'll always love her, but he can't go back. He'll never trust her again. 

Never even saying hello again is really rough request, but a clean break in this case might be best no matter how much it hurts. 

What I don't want is for her to settle on Albert because he's still perusing her. I hope se remembers the love she shared with Gordon and goes for broke with her next man, pausing for a dating breath in the meantime. She deserves the best.

Over in Bakersfield for the Little League tournament, the first thing Abby saw in the parking lot was Coach Mike's butt. Her mind was reeling from the start. 

Abby never stops pushing. When he dropped a bunch of equipment in the lot, she used it as an opportunity to extend an olive branch about divorce.

She's been through it and will lend an ear. It was hard to tell if he was more shocked she knew about his status or she was talking about it.

I think a lot of this storyline is to bring some new girls into Abby's gang.

I might be wrong, but with the addition of Barbara and her instant popularity, I bet the idea of having another lady that maybe doesn't hail from the upper crust sounds like a good idea.

I still don't know who Cocktail Mom is, but I like her. She's at all the games and she's getting closer to Abby. I also love the way she reacts to Abby's ridiculousness at the games. 

Abby: Oh come on twenty one, even your balls look great!!
[silence]
Coach: Two eight's mom. Sit down!
Abby [blushes]: Sorry. I meant that all of his pitches look like strikes.

• Permalink: Sorry. I meant that all of his pitches look like strikes.

She was just staring at Abby like she'd lost her mind. I think she'd make a great addition, sort of like Jo when she first arrived. Someone who could give Jo a run for her money. Sort of like Barbara lays her thoughts out on the table.

Not that we know Cocktail Mom too well, but as I'm familiar with the actress, I'm speculating.

Something I NEVER do is drink outside without being aware of the bathroom situation. Abby miscalculated. At first I thought she was going to pee her pants. (So much pee talk this hour!)

She didn't do that, but she did think it a good idea to crouch in the parking lot to go. That woman is cray-cray.

Of COURSE that's when Coach Mike was tossed out of the game, blaming her for making the umpire hot and bothered...when it was actually Mike who was hot and bothered.

Dude doesn't like being hot and bothered when he should be working.

He doesn't handle it well. But it didn't stop him from handling Abby later.

Did anyone else kind of lose track how that went so fast?

One second they were doing laundry and talking about dirt being ground in if put in the wash incorrectly and a short conversation later they were putting the washing machines to good use!

Did you check out my interview with James Lesure? He was so much fun to talk with and is enjoying his time with the ladies of GG2D. These scenes surely play a part in that, right?

But Mike is still separated from his wife. It's easy for him to feel guilty about what he's doing.

He talked about not going over a line, and before things could get too far, Abby stopped things at a place she was comfortable.

Mike was putting all kinds of blame onto Abby. 

Not only did she cross a line he didn't want to (I suppose she was supposed to read his mind given the mention of said line in the conversation), she didn't stop soon enough, or maybe it was that they started at all. It was hard to tell.

Even worse, it was raining the next day. Being a baseball man, he equated what they did with bad mojo. Then chastised her for talking to him about it in public.

I love when Abby puts on her fake smile. Lisa Edelstein does the best uncomfortable fake smiles in the business.

But Mike is a scary guy.

He's the kind of guy who draws you in and pushes you back on a whim. When they won the tournament, suddenly he was pro-Abby again. Abby laughed it off with a "what happens in Bakersfield stays in Bakersfield" kind of thing, but will that stick?

I'm willing to bet that what happens in Bakersfield bleeds into LA. 

Not only does Abby tend to fall hard when she falls, she's already written Mike into her book and gotten a taste of what it feels like to have your dreams come true.

From a fantasy seed being spit on her chest to the real thing. Can she really pass up the man of her dreams?! 

What did you think of this incredibly fun and frustrating-filled hour of GG2D?? What characters are in a good place and who needs to take a step back to recenter?

Chat about it with me in the comments.

Be sure to watch Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce online if you're running behind.

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.