A Million Little Things Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Band of Dads
Jasmine Blu
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A Million Little Things continues to invoke a million different emotions through the course of each hour.
A Million Little Things Season 1 Episode 2 was no exception bringing the sadness, humor, hope, and frustration.
Who knew a dance recital would result in the unloading of emotional baggage?
One of the best things about the hour was that it focused so much on the Dixon children. John's children were glossed over during A Million Little Things Season 1 Episode 1, so they were due for some screentime so we could see the effect his death had on them and how they were processing the news.
Both kids were struggling in different ways. Sophie was upset that John didn't consider her at all. In her mind, John made backup plans for everyone else, but he didn't do the same for her. They were supposed to attend a father/daughter recital that they had worked on for ages, but he jumped off of a building a week before it took place.
Related: A Million Little Things Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Finding the Reason
I love that without a second thought the guys came up with their band of dads. It wasn't a matter of if they would step up and help the Dixon kids in their father's absence, it was about divvying up who would help with what.
Gary: Between the three of us, we should be able to cover, what half the stuff John used to do? Between my brains, your good looks, and my sense of humor, that's a pretty killer combination.
Eddie: It's like a great band.
Gary: Band of dads.
Ironically, the most helpful members of the "band of dads" were the two who didn't have children of their own. Eddie continues to be a disappointment, but we'll get into that later. At first, it seemed like maybe Sophie chose Eddie because she intuitively knew something.
Instead, she picked him because of his musical inclinations and an assumption that he would have rhythm and know how to dance as a result. That recital was poised to be one of the most awkward scenes of the series yet, but Eddie isn't a Dixon, so he quit on her.
That's harsh; his reasoning for backing out was sound and one of his best choices of the hour, but all Sophie knew was that Uncle Stepdaddy Eddie couldn't dance with her in the end. The loss is hard on everyone, so she likely understood.
Eddie backing out was fortuitous. In doing so, Rome not only stepped in but proved to Sophie that her father took her into consideration. John enlisted Rome's help with the routine the entire time, so Rome was John's backup plan.
Meanwhile, sweet little Danny was the kid who wondered if his father killing himself had something to do with him. From the second Danny told Gary about his crush, it was apparent that it was a boy. You could see Danny shut down when Delilah butted into Danny and Gary's conversation.
Danny was afraid that John knew about his sexuality and was disappointed in him to the point of it driving him to suicide. That is too much for one kid to carry. Fortunately, Danny and Gary have one of the best relationships of the series.
Gary: I know your dad. You know your dad, OK? And while we may never know why he did this, I know he didn't do this because of you. For the record, I know if he did know what I know his reaction would be the same as mine: to love you even more. Got it?!
Did anyone else chuckle or get misty-eyed when Gary and Danny had scenes together? It's funny that Gary gives off the impression that he's a bit of a mess, but he's the one who has stepped up the most and is holding everyone together.
Related: A Million Little Things Round Table: Does the Series Tackle A Tough Topic Tactfully?
Uncle Gary has always been the cool uncle, and he and Danny have an open line of communication that will only get stronger now that John is gone. Danny needs that, and Gary doesn't mind being that person for him, which is refreshing.
Gary genuinely loves that kid to pieces. Gary never had to consider being there for those he cared about; it comes naturally to him. That's why Gary is the best character of the series right now.
He was there for Danny all throughout, and he was there for Rome too. Gary stayed on Rome like white on rice, and it's what Rome needed. He wasn't going to allow Rome to drop such a massive bomb on their group of friends and then pretend like none of it ever happened.
Gary giving Rome an ultimatum was the best thing he could have done, and it's a relief that someone is checking in with him and following up. Rome's issues didn't just disappear because he confessed to his friends. That's only the first step in a series of steps.
Related: New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Rituals
Rome wandering to John's office and walking in his steps to the point of imagining himself standing on that ledge means Rome still has a lot to sort through.
It's a good thing he went to see Maggie, but I hope he follows up with the doctor she recommended and doesn't think that speaking with her informally in a professional setting is all he needs.
Rome: I know that I told you that stuff, but you cannot treat me like--
Gary: Like what? Someone who told us last night over a hot dog that you tried to kill yourself? If you don't find someone to talk to about this by the end of the day I will tell Gina myself.
Rome sees himself in John. He feels like he's the one who can best understand his friend's mindset. That can serve as comfort and solace, but it can also be dangerous and burdensome. Thankfully, Maggie was able to point out that there are ways in which he and John differ.
Maggie continues to have some of the most powerful quotes of the series.
Rome is right about her being fantastic at her job. Allison Miller is incredible in this role. The series has also excelled at incorporating Maggie into the friend group. Her presence is organic and not the least bit forced.
Sam Huntington guest starred as a man from her past, and while it didn't feel like something that would interfere with her budding romance with Gary, it's difficult knowing that she's keeping her condition from him.
In every relationship, there is a flower and a gardener. And it sounds to me like you've been the gardener for a long time, but you need to tell Regina that you need to be a flower for a while.
Maggie
Maggie isn't fighting her cancer again, and she's avoiding everyone from her past who knows her.
She's having fun with Gary, but they both appear to be developing real feelings, and she's friends with the others. She is becoming a part of everyone's lives, and at this point, not telling them, especially given their experience with John, is not fair to any of them.
There are so many mysteries and secrets on this show that it's dizzying! They keep building, and along with them, the intrigue and curiosity.
Ashley is a frustrating but fascinating character because again, the nature of her relationship with John is confounding.
She opened and read John's suicide note, and whatever John was into, Delilah knew more about it than it appears. In the letter, he mentioned that Delilah knew more than Ashley, and he was keeping things from Ashley to protect her or something.
Ashley intercepted it though, and Rutledge popped up once again because that's what was on the envelope hiding behind the painting in John's home office.
The Rutledge envelope held John's life insurance policy. What was most interesting was that John's beneficiaries are Gary, Eddie, Rome, and someone named Barbara Morgan. Who is Barbara Morgan?
John was into something big, but what? It's smart that the series isn't opting to have the only mystery be that of why John died. Some of this is probably related to his death, but it's not necessarily the cause of his death, and that makes it intriguing without it feeling icky.
Regina: He looks so happy.
Rome: Behind every smile is another story.
Now for the least likable characters of the series thus far; Delilah and Eddie. Their entire affair is infuriating, but one of the biggest reasons Delilah doesn't receive as much ire at the moment is probably because of all the characters, we know the least about her.
She's the least fleshed out (excluding Katherine, but we barely see Katherine at all, so that doesn't count). We don't know very much about her and John's marriage. We just found out that she's a stay-at-home mom and former interior designer. We don't know much about her at all outside of this affair.
Delilah appears sad but holds up better than expected as the grieving widow. She's typically the one reassuring everyone else whether it's her kids, Ashley, the guys, or Regina.
Whenever someone, namely Regina, has a moment of doubt or melancholy, Delilah whips out the perfect thing to reassure her at that moment, like she's holding pieces of information to distribute out when she deems fit.
She took Regina to the restaurant space in the perfect moment when Regina needed it the most. She pulled out those frozen cookie bars and told Regina how much John believed in her when Regina had her moment of doubt. I don't know what to make of it.
It's especially unusual because we now know from John's suicide note and her affair with Eddie that she keeps a lot of secrets. Then there is her affair with Eddie; doesn't it seem one-sided?
Eddie: I love you.
Delilah: Stop saying that.
Eddie: Listen to me, I love you, I love John, I love Sophie. I love everyone but me right now. That's why I can't be the one to dance with Sophie. Even if she never finds out, I know. I know what we did.
Eddie is the one who was adamant about telling John all the time, and Delilah kept putting it off. Eddie was the one who professed his love on her doorstep. He's the most expressive, and Delilah seemed to only view what they were doing as an affair.
So, is it safe to say that John did know about their affair? He found Eddie's yin-yang necklace and kept it in his nightstand drawer. He never gave it back to Eddie nor did he mention it, so that's reason to believe he knew or suspected.
We don't know where John found it, and given how often Eddie probably came to his house, especially being Sophie's teacher, it could have been innocent.
Delilah freaked out about John possibly knowing the truth, and while having Eddie do the eulogy didn't bother her, Sophie choosing Eddie to do the daddy-daughter dance was too much for her. I don't believe Delilah is into Eddie as much as he's into her. I don't think she ever planned on leaving John.
John's cryptic message to Eddie gave the impression that he knew and gave his blessing, but my feelings are mixed on that too. Anyone else wondering what that conversation (John's last conversation ever) would have been like if Eddie answered the phone?
Did John telling Eddie to "love each other" mean what we think it means?
Eddie is still unlikable. I know what some of you are probably thinking. He's not the only one guilty of the affair, and if John possibly gave his blessing, then why should you have an issue with him?
Part of it is that we know virtually nothing about Katherine. He paints her as the workaholic robot who doesn't believe in him like he's a victim, she's a monster, and that justifies his affair.
Eddie: Hey, we didn't go looking for this.
Delilah: Yet we let it happen.
There is also the fact that he loves Delilah and is oblivious to her not loving him the same way. He didn't think about the repercussions of their affair or how it would affect both of their families. He's the dreamer who convinced himself everything would fall into place.
He believed that after John died too, and using John's logic at that which was rather gross. Eddie is very selfish and self-absorbed, and it's that part that doesn't sit well.
It's not just that he's a crappy friend for sleeping and falling in love with his best friend's wife. It's that he sucks in other areas as a friend too. Eddie knew better than to volunteer to dance with Sophie. Sophie had to choose him, but he didn't step up in any other way.
Gary was the one who proposed that they band together and step up to help with the Dixon kids. Gary is the one who is checking in on Rome. Has Eddie even had a single conversation with Rome after finding out that he almost killed himself too? Nope.
He's too busy chasing after Delilah. Gary had to approach Rome saying that he and Eddie are worried about him, but he spoke for Eddie because Eddie hasn't expressed an ounce of worry since Rome broke down. He was three seconds too late patting the guy on the back and joining the group hug.
No amount of cute scenes of Eddie playing guitar with Leo and scheduling time for a conversation about war and eating waffles is enough to change the fact that Eddie is unlikable. If him accidentally falling in love with Delilah was the one selfish thing he did, maybe he wouldn't be so offputting.
Delilah at least came across contrite in moments when she should have come across that way, but Eddie never had those moments, not even when he was wondering what John said in that voicemail he held off on listening to for ten days.
Hey, it's John. I was hoping to speak to you and not leave a message, but I just need you to do me a favor. Love each other.
John
Eddie's best moment was when he told Delilah he didn't love himself. He was authentic and true during that scene. At least he showed a hint of self-awareness there.
No, he isn't the only one in this affair, but we see and know more of him than we do Delilah and his moments with Leo are the only time where he seems like a decent guy. It makes his role in the affair harder to swallow.
Alright, Million Fanatics. Let's talk it out in the comment section!
Who is Barbara Morgan? Which character is your favorite right now? Why didn't John want Ashley to know about his policy?
If you missed any part and you'd like to catch up, you can watch A Million Little Things online here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
