A Million Little Things Round Table: We're Eager for More of Darcy's Refreshing and Compelling PTSD Arc!
Jasmine Blu
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Eddie is taking meds in secrecy, but he and Katherine are working on their intimacy issues.
Meanwhile, Gary has sought help from Maggie when Darcy's PTSD gets concerning on A Million Little Things Season 3 Episode 4. And with that, the midseason finale left things on an okay note.
Join TV Fanatics Christine Orlando, Jack Ori, Meaghan Frey and Berea Orange as they discuss the episode!
Did Gary get carried away defending Sophie at her audition? Did you expect that Sophie would want to take up music professionally and attend a music institute?
Christine: Other than guitar lessons with Eddie, which were pretty generic, we had no clue that Sophie was considering continuing her education in music. Lizzie Greene, the actress who plays Sophie, has a beautiful voice and is genuinely talented, so I'm happy to see the show run with this.
As for Gary, I loved when he said, "This helicopter mom energy is mesmerizing. It's like Gollum and the Ring level." He got protective and didn't know how to rein that in. But what he said to the instructor wasn't wrong; he could be a little more empathetic since he is dealing with teens who are hanging on his every word.
Jack: I wasn't expecting Sophie to want to take up music professionally, but I wasn't surprised. She had been pretty serious about studying guitar with Eddie before finding out about his affair with Delilah. Eddie was a former professional musician, so it made sense to me.
As for Gary, I initially cheered him for what he said because I think he was right that the instructor was needlessly cruel -- telling Sophie music should never be more than a hobby for her was uncalled for. But I understood why Sophie was upset, and I do think he took the protective instinct a little too far.
Darcy: When I first got back from Iraq, I felt like I wasn't myself. Sometimes I still don't.
Eddie: Exactly. This isn't what Katherine signed up for. You know, when we first got together, I was literally a rockstar. She was crazy about me. I'm not that guy anymore, and I don't know why Katherine would want to be with this.
Darcy: You know what? You're right. Your body is never going to be the same. It's just not, but it doesn't mean your relationship won't be.
Meaghan: Sophie pursuing music was unexpected, but it makes all the sense in the world. Music is the one thing that we have seen her be passionate about.
I wish that we had seen her be more serious about it up until this point and lean on Eddie even more. I would have loved to see her coming into her own as a performing musician at open mic nights and things like that.
Gary is new at the "full time" parenting thing, and of course, his first instinct is to rip the guy a new one. He hasn't had years to practice biting your tongue as a parent.
Berea: I always knew Sophie loved music and playing guitar, but I never expected her to give up Harvard for music school. It’s such a major 180!
Gary definitely went too far. I understand his feelings and how he was defensive over Sophie’s feelings, but she said herself she told him because she DIDN’T want to deal with an overprotective mother. It just wasn’t his place.
Eddie opened up to Katherine about their intimacy and his insecurities regarding it but not the pills. React.
Christine: It's good that Eddie and Katherine are talking, but I was more concerned that Eddie didn't take Darcy up on those cortisone shots. He's sneaking pills before trying all other options, and that's worrisome.
Eddie's so worried about not being the rock star he was when he first met Katherine, but that's not the guy she wants. She wants the guy who was willing to change and fought for their marriage. Katherine wants the man who talks to her and works things through with her. Hopefully, he remembers who that guy is soon.
I trusted you, and we found our way back, and if you trust me now, I know we can find our way back from this too.
Katherine
Jack: Eddie and Katherine talking was a good beginning, but there's more to a relationship than their sex life, and the fact that Eddie is still keeping a major secret (the pills) is not going to bode well, especially if he develops an addiction and/or Katherine finds out.
Their whole second chance at a relationship is based on Eddie not being that guy who keeps secrets and engages in addictive behavior, so I see trouble ahead for these two.
Meaghan: As Christine said, the pills are clearly already becoming a problem if he is turning down alternatives that would be much safer given his addiction. That he is not willing to tell Katherine about it is even more indicative that he is heading down a dark path. If he wanted to stop, he would be asking her for help.
I think, after his and Katherine's talk about intimacy, it is clear that the reason that he is leaning on the pills is that he is grieving the life he lost.
Even though Eddie hasn't been that rockstar that he was when he and Katherine met for a long time, his accident makes him feel like the door on that life is closed for good. Eddie has used substances to cope in the past, and it is so easy to fall back on those unhealthy coping mechanisms in dark times.
How come we're able to talk to our son about sex and not each other? Eddie, please talk to me.
Katherine
Berea: Eddie is obviously grieving his old life and the visit from the reverend made things worse. He feels like all of this was for nothing now that he knows he was innocent. But taking those pills is not a good idea.
Obviously Katherine knows they filled the prescription, but the secret part is where he is messing up, opening himself up to getting addicted. He could have at least tried Darcy’s suggestion of the shot first.
What are your thoughts on Darcy's PTSD storyline? Did Gary make the right choice calling Maggie?
Christine: Yes, I think calling Maggie was the right move. Gary wants to help Darcy, but he doesn't know how. Maggie is the one person he knows can help him figure this out.
I'm sorry to wake you. I just need help, and I didn't know who else to call.
Gary
Jack: It is so refreshing to see a PTSD storyline that is realistic and handled responsibly. That's one of the things I love about A Million Little Things -- it treats mental health issues with the seriousness they deserve.
It broke my heart when Danny accidentally triggered Darcy's anxiety and didn't know what was going on. I loved Gary's analogy and only wish we'd have seen his conversation with Danny on-screen.
Gary: I said that we all have these little scars that we carry around with us and you can only see mine when I'm wearing shorts. You can only see yours when you're scared. Darc, let me help.
Darcy: I can't. I just can't.
I was also glad that we came back around to Darcy's struggle because, after her nightmare at the beginning of the episode, she seemed so much like her usual self that I was afraid that was all we would get of her PTSD.
I think Gary did the right thing by calling Maggie, but I hope it doesn't lead to re-sparking his and Maggie's interest in each other at some point down the line. I used to ship Gary/Maggie, but I like him better with Darcy now, and I don't want things to change back.
Meaghan: I love that they are exploring this, and I hope this isn't an arc resolved after just a couple of episodes. Something I loved so much about Stumptown when it was on was how they explored Dex's PTSD in such a realistic way. It was a shame that it got canceled before it really got to dive deep into it.
Too often, shows act as if PTSD can just be fixed by one therapy session when, in reality, it takes so much more (Looking at you Grey's Anatomy). If any other show can manage to get it right, that show is AMLT.
It was definitely the right decision to have Gary contact Maggie because he is the only one in the friend group that knows about PTSD from a professional standpoint.
If the previews are any indication, though, it looks like Maggie coming home might have to become a more permanent move because of COVID, so this is most likely going to ignite a love triangle.
Berea: Danny triggering Darcy was such a good scene and heartbreaking. Gary is in uncharted territory with this, which is why he reached out to Maggie, although I don’t think it a good idea.
While logically it might seem smart to reach out to the therapist you know, Darcy surely won’t appreciate him telling his ex about her personal business.
Shanice, too, battles depression and wants Rome's movie made. Are you surprised?
Christine: Yes, but in a good way. So many people think they are suffering alone, sometimes those you least expect. Think about how none of Rome's close friends, or his wife, knew how close he was to ending his life.
Thankfully, for Rome, Shanice's issues are driving her to make this movie instead of driving her away.
Jack: I was surprised Shanice wanted to go ahead with the project, but not that she struggled with depression.
The way she shut down and ran away when Gina told her about Rome's struggles made me think his story hit too close to home. I'm glad that Shanice was open with Rome and open to continuing the project rather than running away altogether.
Meaghan: It makes sense. She was drawn to the project so strongly, and now we know why. Am I the only one that is a little bit concerned about this revelation, though?
Rome and Regina are still in rocky territory right now, so adding in a beautiful woman that can relate to him on a level that Regina can't -- it might spell trouble for their relationship.
I'm hoping that the show won't take the route, but we saw them go down a similar path with Eddie and turn back, so it seems possible this time they might pull the trigger.
You may have heard that I dropped out of my last movie. The reason I did is because I was hospitalized for depression. You may want me to play Regina, but in real life, I'm Rome. I realized that there was no way I could really be in this without telling you my truth. This isn't just your story, it's the story of so many people who think they're suffering alone, and your movie -- our movie, will make them realize they're not. So you have to make this. This has to be told, especially for us.
Shanice
Berea: I’m not really surprised at all. It seemed like she had a personal reason for wanting to do the movie. I just hope she doesn’t end up having feelings for Rome.
What would you rate the midseason finale? What was your favorite scene, storyline, or character?
Christine: There were no big reveals or cliffhangers; it was just a solid episode that explored several characters. I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to more.
Jack: I've noticed that many shows don't have winter finale cliffhangers this season, which I suspect is because of the season being truncated due to COVID.
So I am not too disappointed that there weren't any huge cliffhangers on this winter finale either (unless you count Gary calling Maggie). I thought this a solid episode that was well worth watching even though it didn't give us that edge-of-the-seat feeling that'll keep us talking until the series returns.
Meaghan: It was a great episode. This season has been strong so far, and this episode was no different. The only thing is that it didn't seem like a midseason finale. As Jack said, though, every show seems to be avoiding that because they don't know when they will return because of COVID.
I almost wish that all of the shows would have just pushed through and filmed their entire seasons and just aired it all. They could have held off until February or March to air their winter shows if they are worried about having enough content.
Berea: It was pretty boring to me for a midseason finale. But honestly, the show has kind of fallen off for me lately. This season hasn’t had much to keep me interested.
Is there anything else you'd like to touch on that we haven't discussed?
Christine: Is it wrong that I kind of liked the first movie poster? I can understand why it disturbed Rome so much and why it would have disturbed Jon's friends and family, but as a viewer, I thought it hinted at a much more compelling story than the second one.
I also loved how Eddie and Katherine handled Theo's questions about sex. Knowing Theo, I'm sure he had a list of questions and will probably read that book from cover to cover.
And is Maggie still using Sebastian's audio equipment for her podcast? Doesn't the poor guy want his stuff back?
Jack: I loved Eddie and Katherine talking to Theo about sex. It was a relatable storyline that was made even more awkward by Eddie and Katherine's recent problems. Also, can we have more Carter, please? He cracked me up so much.
And Christine, I also felt the first poster was more compelling. I wish that part of Rome realizing that he needed to tell this story would have involved becoming more comfortable with that poster.
Meaghan: I agree. Katherine and Eddie talking to Theo about sex was great. They have a fantastic parenting style.
Right, Christine? Kind of presumptuous of Maggie to just assume she can keep that stuff.
Gina: How was it?
Maggie: It was a B+, but it's not happening again.
Gina: Whoa, you do not flunk a B+. You tutor it.
Berea: Maggie and British Roommate are not interesting at all to me. And her being on a call with Regina in the beginning seemed to just be a way for the writers to keep her relevant and tied to the main friend group.
What are your predictions and hopes for the second half of the season?
Christine: I'm wondering if Maggie and Jamie will get closer, despite their decision to just have casual sex, and if things will get more complicated as we get closer to Maggie returning to Boston.
Will Darcy be okay with Gary talking to Maggie about her PTSD, or will it cause problems?
And I really, really want to see more of Carter! He's just the best.
Jack: For me, the biggest question is also: what's going to happen between Gary and Darcy as a result of him calling Maggie? I'm meh about Maggie/Jamie, so I don't care if they keep it casual or not, but I'm enthusiastic about Darcy/Gary, so I can't wait to see this play out.
I want to see Danny and Delilah's reactions to Sophie's decision to pursue music. I have a feeling Delilah won't be happy about this and will want her to go to a regular college/have a "real" career, though I could be wrong about that. I also wonder how Eddie will react to that since he sees himself as a failed musician.
And I can't wait to see more of Rome's movie being made and if he continues to struggle with his feelings about it. I hope we'll get some more flashbacks/appearances from real Jon as part of this storyline, too.
Meaghan: I would love to see more focus on Rome's movie, but I think given that it looks like they are entering the beginning of the pandemic in the timeline of the show, we aren't going to see that at least until the next season.
I want the show to decide on Gary and Maggie one way or the other.
If they are going to be together, I want them to end Gary and Darcy's relationship now, so Darcy doesn't get more hurt than she needs to, and if not, then stop the will they or won't they. AMLT is not the type of show that relies on that kind of drama, and I don't want them to start now.
Berea: Like Meghan, I want something done about Maggie and Gary. If she’s going to stay in London, I really would rather she leave the show. Otherwise, I’d rather she come back and give us a full blown love triangle.
Over to you, AMLT Fanatics.
Do you agree with our Round Table? Do you disagree? Let us know below!
A Million Little Things returns March 4 on ABC.
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.
