Sam wakes up to find that James left for work early the next morning. He’s eager to have some time with his new friend, but is disappointed when James doesn’t call him back after breakfast.
Joel takes Brit to a plot of land and reveals that he bought it as a surprise. She becomes angry that he didn’t consult her, and they start to argue about other aspects of their future.
Sam goes to see Olivia, who is feeling emotional after numerous cycles of IVF. They start talking about why Carol wasn’t at Sam’s celebration. Sam admits that she didn’t invite her because she doesn’t understand this part of her life. Still, Olivia encourages her to make amends with Carol, which Sam dreads. ..
Carol later asks Sam if he can talk. Sam says he can’t handle an emotional thing at the moment, so he suggests they go on a drive that afternoon.
Brit asks Felicia if she knows where she can get drugs. Felicia agrees to set Brit up with someone who can provide her with the drugs she needs in order to deal with her upcoming marriage. They go to the park, where a woman named Val gives them hallucinogens. ..
Joel goes to a bar and it’s clear he’s not at home there. He vents to the bartender about Brit. When he accidentally orders a drink he didn’t want, he gives it to the person next to him.
James has already had one drink and is ready to have another. He accepts, claiming that he’ll drink anything.
Carol takes Sam’s dad’s ashes out of the car and tells her that they are going to spread them. Sam and her mom go for a drive and get out at a river. Carol takes Sam’s dad’s ashes out of the car and spreads them around the property.
Carol seems to think that her relationship with Sam is something that can be easily forgotten or moved on from, but Sam insists that he still cares about her. He tells her that he knew her better than anyone and even knew she was an alcoholic before she became one, which makes Carol feel even more connected to him. They share a tearful goodbye and throw Sam’s ashes into the water together. ..
After Sam’s dad died, she apologized to Carol for her actions. She said she made him the “higher parent” and her mom “the evil witch,” even blaming Carol for his sickness.
Carol tells her story, admitting that there were years of her life where she was not present and insisting that Samantha can take all the blame.
She tells her Bob is moving in, but assures Sam that she can stay for as long as she wants. Sam says it’s time for her to start looking for her own place.
Felicia and Brit get high together in the park at night, while Val watches. Even on psychedelics, Brit can’t let go of reality. She asks Felicia and Val if she should marry Joel, but they can’t answer that for her. ..
Joel and James discuss how they deal with when things start going well. James admits that he usually freaks out, while Joel offers some advice. ..
The episode ends with Brit finally loosening up and having a good time with Val and Felicia. ..
The Episode Review
The show’s subplots are all drawing taut in preparation for next week’s finale. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that we’ve been made to care enough about Brit and Joel for their relationship to be one of the big draws going into the last episode. ..
After their talk, Sam and Carol finally had closure on their tumultuous arc. This was elevated by the scene where Sam spread ashes all over Carol. ..
The only storyline that was sufficiently and previously built up to was given brief screen time here. James’ fall was heart-rending and expertly framed. ..
In the last episode, we learned that James is a very independent person and doesn’t like to be told what to do. This makes perfect sense in the context of their relationship - when things are going well for them, James is usually the one who does the talking. However, things have changed since then. Now that their situations are reversed, James may feel more comfortable letting Sam take charge. What do you think will happen between them now?
