Loveday Writing

The next day, Greg and Em attend Sophie’s subject selection day, for her final two years of high school. While they’re at the school, Greg and Em have a discussion about their careers, whether Em would make the same choices if she had her time again, and Greg admits to regretting his choice to not study at university. While Sophie is roaming around the library, Ravi comes up to her and asks her to forgive him for being a jerk. He also suggests that they pick the same subjects so they can spend more time together. Meanwhile, Luna runs into Greg and Em, and her behaviour towards Greg when she tells him about the upcoming meeting makes him believe that she knows about the coup. As they are leaving the selection day, Em sees a “Follow Your Bliss” poster on the way out, which leads her to start behaving in an over-the-top manner when she gets home.

When Em gets home and makes a fruit cake for the family, as Marlo and Chloe watch, and constantly talks about “following her bliss”, this leads to Marlo asking Greg to check on Em, as she’s concerned about her behaviour. Moments later, Em comes out with mocktails for her and Greg. When Greg is surprised that even her cocktail is a mocktail, he jokingly asks her if she’s pregnant, which leads her to admit to him that she might be. She tells Greg she can be a stay-at-home mum again and he can go back to work wherever he wants.

Later, Audrey calls Em and tells her that the office cleaner fished her manuscript out of Audrey’s bin and devoured it, thinking it was a science fiction novel. Audrey then proposes they re-work the manuscript to be a science fiction series that she can co-author with Gilly. Later, Sophie asks Em if she has told Greg about the pregnancy, she says she has. Sophie asks her if she’s excited, Em says she is, but admits that she wishes she took the time to get to know herself before she became a wife and mother.

Meanwhile at the Parents and Friends Committee Meeting, while things get off to a rough start, the Committee succeeds in its coup. As Luna is angrily leaving the school and Greg goes after her, she asks him why he hates her. He tells her he doesn’t hate her; he just thinks there needs to be a different approach to the Committee. Luna then confides in him that her and her ex-husband, Dale, struggled to conceive through IVF, with Clarence eventually being born, only for Dale to leave shortly after the birth. Greg apologises as he didn’t know about her situation, but she leaves anyway, and he’s left feeling guilty about his win.

Back at the Butler House, a party is being thrown to celebrate Greg’s Presidency, however Greg is clearly unhappy at the cost, so he ends up calling Luna, and inviting her and Clarence to the party. At the party he makes a toast, apologising to her, and admits that he regrets not getting to know her and becoming her enemy instead of her friend, and gives the Presidency back to her, which she accepts (in return, she offers to make him Vice-President). During Greg’s toast, Sophie and Ravi video chat and they amicably break up, with Sophie instigating the break-up, wanting to get to know herself and grow as a person before settling down with someone, echoing Em’s earlier sentiment.

After Greg’s toast, Greg goes to see Em and she tells him that she got her period. Em expresses her relief due to her career taking off, and the ages both her and Greg would be by the time a third baby would reach their 21^st birthday. When they hear a cricket ball hit the wall, they turn around and look out their window to see the Parents and Friends Committee playing cricket in the backyard, Greg remarks on how blessed they are. The episode and the season ends with the everyone playing cricket in the backyard.

Overall, I felt that this was a solid season finale, the Greg-Luna rivalry was put to bed, with room for subplots in this area with them becoming friends. The Gilly story arc didn’t so much come to a close, but went off in another direction with room for further subplots in the next season (if there is one), with Em being offered to turn her manuscript into a science fiction series. It will be interesting to see where the kids go next, especially Sophie as she has broken up with Ravi. This finale was well executed and full of heart-warming moments.

Overall, I felt this season was the show’s strongest as their story arcs and subplots were more realistic and family-based, and less zany and over-the-top. I appreciated more focus on Sophie as she approaches adulthood, and Chloe becoming more of a comic relief. On a smaller note, while the show has always had a scene in the end credits, this season these scenes have been stronger and more closely related to the events in each episode and have been absolute gold.

It will be interesting to see whether the show is renewed for a fourth season, but if not, it has ended on a high note.

Stray Observations:

-Em tells Sophie that Greg used to joke that her uterus must have been made by the Swiss as it runs like clockwork. Greg also reminds Em that it got a big laugh at their wedding. The end credits scene shows their wedding video, with Greg making the joke as part of his toast, and it tanked.

-Greg and Em got married on 13 September 2003.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Were you followed?” “No…I mean there was a car behind me at the lights, but I’m pretty sure that was unrelated.” (Greg-Brayden)
• “There is no question, it’s tighter than a camel’s sphincter in a dust storm.” (Terry to the Parents and Friends Committee on the coup numbers)
• “Make no mistake, there is no such thing as a bloodless coup.” (Terry)
• “Your father used to joke that my uterus was made by the Swiss because it ran like clockwork.” (Em to Sophie)
• “We need a secret gesture, a sign if you will, in the committee room that says ‘I’m still on board the Butler Presidential Coup Express’.” (Terry)
• “Oh no, I recognise that look.” “You do?” “Yep, I’ve got some Imodium in the car.” (Greg-Em-Greg when Greg sees Em patting her stomach with a weird look on her face)
• “If we both do chemistry, then we can work on our chemistry…that sounded a lot better in my head.” (Ravi to Sophie on school subject selection and their relationship)
• “She’s acting loopier than a Venn diagram.” (Marlo to Greg on Em’s unusual behaviour)
• “Permission to win you back one day with a romantic gesture?” (Ravi to Sophie as they amicably break up)