Loveday Writing

Meanwhile, Roxy goes to see Ron at his barber, telling him to tell Diane that she can’t testify. She also tells him about training Izzy, and he’s happy for her, but also points out that she needs Izzy’s mother to pay her as she needs to make a living.

Later, Nate goes to the Institute to meet with Julia and Isaac. He tells them that he took the DNA test and Leon is his father. Julia clearly wants to bond with him, however Nate is only interested in joining the class action against Leon and getting his medical records, as he and his husband, Richard, want to start a family. After Julia leaves, Isaac points out to her that not every sibling they find will want to connect with her. Isaac also asks Julia if it’s okay to ask Roxy out on a date, she tells him she doesn’t need her permission.

Meanwhile, Edie has taken Leon to a military hospital to volunteer to help win the jury over at a trial and be given the chance to practice again. Although Leon thinks he’ll be able to volunteer as a doctor, he is instead given busy work. When Edie returns to the office, Tim shows her pictures of his niece and her new puppy, when she gushes over them, he asks her about starting a family, she asks him to let her think about it. Meanwhile, Roxy goes to train Izzy but her mother, Natalie, refuses as she has made other plans for her.

Later, Edie and Julia meet at the diner. Julia tells Edie about Nate and how she’s always wanted a gay brother. Edie tells her that it’s Nate’s right to not want to know them, echoing Isaac’s earlier statement. Edie tells Julia that Tim wants to have kids and admits that she thought she wouldn’t have to think about it for years, she loves him but she doesn’t know what she wants.

Meanwhile, Leon steals a lab coat and talks to a patient, Jesse. Jesse is revealed to be a sergeant dealing with PTSD and a hand injury. When Leon asks him about his guitar playing and says he’s proud of him, Jesse is revealed to be another child of his. Later, when Isaac asks Julia for first date advice, she tells him not to boast about his college years too much as Roxy dropped out of high school.

Meanwhile, Julia delivers Leon’s medical records to Nate and they end up bonding when Nate opens up to her about Richard’s desires to start a family, but he’s reluctant as he doesn’t feel ready, echoing Edie’s feelings about starting a family with Tim. When Nate asks Julia whether she has a partner, she struggles and ends up saying Tim is her partner. Later, they bond further by getting pedicures. Nate asks Julia how she’s coping with Leon’s actions and the case, she tells him she doesn’t know how she feels. When Nate asks about his sisters, Julia lets it Edie’s hook up with Amanda slip. Nate offers to get them a table at his restaurant.

Meanwhile, Isaac and Roxy’s date is going well, when he talks about Dartmouth and mentions he wasn’t supposed to talk about it, Roxy asks why. He tells her Julia told him that she dropped out of high school. Roxy ends up kissing him. Back at Leon’s apartment, Edie has discovered that Leon tried to treat Jesse and he admits that he is his son. Edie tells him he needs to stop thinking that he’s Jesse’s parent, but Leon says it is who he is and he can’t switch his feelings off.

Later that night, Edie, Roxy and Julia have dinner at Nate’s restaurant. Roxy lets Julia know that she’s mad at her for telling Isaac she was a high school dropout. The situation only gets worse when Nate arrives and he asks which one is Edie so he can bond over their sexuality, and asks Julia if Tim is coming, Roxy clears everything up for him. Nate is now mad at her, tells her not to call him again, and tells a nearby waitress that their table is no longer comped.

After Julia pays the bill, she meets with Roxy and Edie outside. Roxy angrily tells her that she has her GED and only dropped out of high school because she had to work to support her parents. When Edie asks why she lied to Nate about Tim being her partner, she tells her she wanted Nate to think that she had a life. Later, Julia meets Tim at the diner and apologises for dragging him into it, saying that she brought him into it as she hasn’t dated anyone significantly since him. He tells her that he and Edie are going to start a family.

Meanwhile, Roxy goes back to see Natalie and apologises for being too forward with Izzy’s training. Natalie says that while Roxy is Izzy’s coach, she as her mother is in charge. Natalie also tells her that while she can’t pay her, she wants 15 percent of Izzy’s future earnings, Roxy agrees. When Roxy goes back home, she finds Diane putting her stuff in the garage as she’s redecorating. Roxy asks her not to testify but Diane says this isn’t about her. Meanwhile, an upset Edie goes to Genevieve and asks her when she knew she was ready to have her, Genevieve tells her that you can never be sure if you’re ready to have kids. Leon also goes back to the hospital, security in tow, to tell Jesse to try a support group as he won’t be worse off for it. Jesse suggests he needs a support group himself. Jesse ends up trying it.

Later, Diane testifies in a deposition that Leon worked with her 13 times over a two year period and that she is embarrassed and ashamed, crying as she does so. The episode ends with Julia going to Leon’s apartment to see him, she says she’s still angry at him but wants to play backgammon. The final moments of the episode show Julia rolling the dice, contemplating her move, as both she and Leon tap their teeth.

Overall I felt that this was a solid episode addressing another inevitable aspect of the scandal – another sibling, especially one who is, at first, reluctant to connect. I enjoyed Nate’s introduction to the series, although I did cringe a little at Julia’s desire for a gay brother and the both of them subsequently (if only briefly) indulging in the gay sibling stereotype (despite Nate not wanting Julia to view him in this light).

I also enjoyed the brief moment that Ron was happy for Roxy, showing that maybe he isn’t entirely on board with Diane’s treatment of her. Diane’s breakdown at the deposition surprised me considering how unlikeable her character is, perhaps this shows another side of her, a more human one. I also appreciated Isaac developing into a more likeable character and Natalie standing her ground with Roxy, with Roxy ultimately respecting her for it.

It will be interesting to see whether Nate and Jesse appear again in future episodes.

Stray Observations:

-In the previous episode, Julia held a Not Parent Expected meeting. In this episode, it’s revealed that Not Parent Expected is a phenomenon where you find out your father is not the man you thought he was (Julia’s words).

-According to Leon, to him, the hospital disinfectant smell is like grass at Yankee Stadium. It takes him back to his early medical days.

-According to Julia she has known Roxy for a month.

-Julia and Tim dated 10 years ago.

-According to Leon, Roxy is terrible at backgammon.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Take a little more off the beard, he’s starting to look like Santa Claus.” (Roxy to Ron’s barber)
• “I can’t tell if you’re reassuring me or threatening me.” “Consider it a little bit of both.” (Leon-Edie)
• “Fries for lunch?” “They comfort me.” (Edie-Julia at a diner)
• “Please don’t tell me you’re attracted to another brother!?” (Edie to Julia)
• “You need these.” “I do!” (Julia-Edie on the fries)
• “What is perfect? Can any of us expect our lives to be perfect?” “No, but you should at least aim for happy.” (Edie-Amanda)
• “I’m assuming you do not have feelings for my husband and this was something far weirder and much more pathetic.” “It was.” (Edie-Julia on Julia telling Nate that Tim was her partner)