Your Entertainment Corner

Season 1, Episode 11
Air date: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 10/9c on Bravo
Rating: ★★★★★

“Here’s the deal. Boyfriends and girlfriends aside, no matter what happens, we’re family. You and me, and Lilly and Charlie, we’re family.” – Jake

Ghosts are front and center in this week’s installment of Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (GG2D). So is the realization of what family means for more than one character. We are also witness to a rather volatile Thanksgiving celebration in “Rule No. 46: Keep the Holidays Low Key” (“Rule 46”) that teaches a lesson to more than one person.

“Swoon” is definitely the word I’d use to describe Warren Christie, who plays Abby’s (Lisa Edelstein) boyfriend, Will. I’d be swooning too if he told me, “I’ve been your boyfriend since I first laid eyes on you.” Be still my beating heart! With Thanksgiving upon them, Abby decides to use Will’s “mad poultry skills” for an “adults-only” dinner at her place. Too bad Jake (Paul Adelstein) throws a wrench into Abby’s plans when he calls to tell her he’s sick and the kids have to come home. Meanwhile, Delia’s (Necar Zadegan) father (Nasser Faris) pops up out of nowhere, interrupting her lunch meeting with her boss Albert (Brian Markinson).

Abby has a big decision to make about Will—introduce him to Lilly (Connor Dwelly) and Charlie (Dylan Schombing), or disinvite him. With this being the kids’ “first holiday post separation,” she wants everything to be perfect. With Jo (Alanna Ubach) planning to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, complete with green bean casserole and artichoke dip, and Will wanting to prepare a more upscale feast, Abby’s choices are limited. No way will the kids eat “goose.”

I’d put more than a band-aid on the wound Abby gets when trying to open a box her golden retriever digs up from under the house. That box is rusty and all kinds of dirty! How cute is that pooch when it trots off after Abby tells it, “Go to your room?” With photos, letters, and mementos, it’s obvious the contents of the box belong to the previous owners of the house, Frank and Bertha, who are deceased. I love the way Zooey (Alison Thornton) reads one of the love letters aloud, doing her best Meryl Streep impersonation. Well, maybe it’s not Meryl Streep but it’s damn good. This is just the first of some strange occurrences in the McCarthy household that lead Zooey to surmise there’s a ghost living among them.

I like how the GG2D writers are framing the burgeoning relationship between Phoebe (Beau Garrett) and Marco (Brandon Jay McLaren). They flirt with each other—sometimes not even realizing they’re flirting—and goad one another into doing things they normally wouldn’t do. In “Rule No. 46,” writer Ed Roe uses humorous repartee to get Marco to accept Phoebe’s invitation to Abby’s Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not so sure inviting someone who quantifies Thanksgiving as the “celebration of the systematic genocide of the Native American people” is such a good idea. We then have a serious moment following the dinner when Phoebe and Marco connect on a much deeper level. Yes, I am definitely enjoying this.

GIRLFRIENDS' GUIDE TO DIVORCE -- "Rule #46: Keep The Holidays Low Key" Episode 111 -- Pictured: (l-r) Lisa Edelstein as Abby, Alanna Ubach as Jo, Beau Garrett as Phoebe, Brandon Jay McLaren as Marco, Necar Zadegan as Delia, Paul Adelstein as Jake-- (Photo by: Katie Yu/Bravo)

Pictured: (l-r) Lisa Edelstein as Abby, Alanna Ubach as Jo, Beau Garrett as Phoebe, Brandon Jay McLaren as Marco, Necar Zadegan as Delia, Paul Adelstein as Jake– (Photo by: Katie Yu/Bravo)

Murphy’s Law dictates what can go wrong, will. And that’s exactly what happens in “Rule No. 46.” With windows slamming shut, an oven that suddenly doesn’t work, and trees crashing down, Jo is certain Frank’s ghost is haunting the house. Schombing gives an outstanding performance when Charlie throws a temper tantrum; although, if Charlie does one more mean thing because his imaginary friend Chad tells him to, I’m going to scream.

One thing confuses me. If Jake is so sick he has to send the kids back to Abby’s, why does he show up for Thanksgiving dinner? He obviously feels out of place and despite saying he’s cool with Will being there, he starts a fight with him anyway. He’s not the only one engaged in an argument, though. Delia goes at it with her father about their past, and Phoebe sets Marco straight about his attitude. Ah, the holidays–they always bring out the worst in people.

Following the disastrous dinner, Jake and Abby have an emotional conversation about how they’ll always be a family, no matter what. This is a huge realization for both of them as they come to understand the role each will play in the other’s life going forward. Not all separated couples can reach a point in their relationship where they accept each other for who they are and what they want out of life. Too many times, the anger destroys the family unit, to the detriment of not only the children but the parents as well. It’s so refreshing to see GG2D showing the positive side of separation.

Overall
“Rule No. 46: Keep the Holidays Low Key” is a more somber episode of GG2D as it takes us one step further in the evolution of Abby’s separation from Jake. We also learn why Delia has been hiding her past, which gives us insight into the person she’s become. I wonder whether learning the truth from her father will change their relationship. I hope so. After all, when all is said and done, it’s family that counts the most.

What did you think of “Rule No. 46: Keep the Holidays Low Key?” Hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV or leave me a comment below to let me know what you think.

Tune in to Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Tuesdays at 10/9c, only on Bravo.

For more on the show, visit GG2D’s official website at http://www.bravotv.com/girlfriends-guide-to-divorce.

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Follow GG2D on Twitter @BravoTV using hashtag #GG2D, as well as @BravoGG2D, and @GG2DNews. You should also follow Lisa Edelstein @LisaEdelstein, Paul Adelstein @adelsteinPaul, J. August Richards @jaugustrichards, Beau Garrett @beaujgarrett, Necar Zadegan @zadeganand, @Alannaubach, and writer/creator Marti Noxon @martinoxon.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!