Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce – “Rule 32: F-You, Rob Frumpkis!” Retrospective. Lessons Learned.

Season 1, Episode 9

Air Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2015, 10/9 on Bravo

Rating: ★★★★★

“Bullshit. Why is it OK for a man with power to date a younger woman who benefits from it but not the other way around?” — Phoebe

Jo’s little song and dance routine.

Creator/producer/writer Marti Noxon is back at the writers table for this week’s installment of Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (GG2D), “Rule 32: F-You, Rob Frumpkis!” (“Rule 32”). WME’s Warren (guest star Giles Panton) tells Abby (Lisa Edelstein) what she has to do to write her next piece; Jo (Alanna Ubach) is awaiting her daughter Zooey’s (Alison Thornton) arrival while fighting with her estranged husband (unseen); Phoebe (Beau Garrett) is looking for a “second chance” at life; and Delia (Necar Zadegan) tells Gordon (Matthew Glave) about his ex-wife Courtney’s (Virginia Williams) threats to have her disbarred. In the meantime, Max (Patrick Heusinger) and Ford (J. August Richards) agree to solve their marital problems the way they used to “back in the day.”

Abby’s New Writing Gig

When Abby learns the amount of money Jake (Paul Adelstein) is asking for both spousal and child support, she realizes she has to up her game in the income department. The question is, where is she going to find “ten losers in two days” to date? It’s amazing the things we do to get ahead but with the promise of her own column if her article goes over well, what choice does Abby have? I have one question, though. Since Jake has a job and splits childcare with Abby, what right does he have to ask for such an exorbitant amount of monthly support? He knows Abby’s income won’t be the same as it was in the past.

Jo isn’t supposed to eat refined sugars, according to Zooey.

Jo, with her quirky personality, is the perfect person to help Abby find the ten guys she needs to date. The first guy she comes across online is “Mustelid Man” (guest star Gordon Woolvett), whose profile reads “Why you should date my ferret and the man who loves him.” OMG! And this is just the first of many weird men Abby dates for her article. Abby has her own ideas about whom to date, though, and contacts Will (Warren Christie). Remember him, the hottie from the series premiere, “Rule 23: Never Lie to the Kids?” Well, let me tell you, the man is still burning hot!

I can always tell when Noxon puts on her writer’s cap—I find myself with an idiotic Cheshire grin on my face throughout the majority of the episode. “Rule 32” fits the bill perfectly, particularly during Edelstein and Christie’s scenes together. They have such amazing chemistry onscreen, I could almost close my eyes and feel the emotions bouncing off them. Of course, director Robert Duncan McNeill deserves kudos for the way he sets up the scenes. I don’t find the favor Will asks of Abby insulting but maybe she’s right. Maybe Will is just using her.

Second Chances

Since Phoebe ditched her jewelry line in “Rule 17: Ask the Answer Lady!,” she is using the services of a life coach, or “doom face,” as Phoebe calls her. How mature of her to realize she needs help “career wise, life wise.” I wonder how she is going to do on her “mancation—get this, no dating until I find my own path.” Hell, she can’t even stop herself from flirting with Marco (guest star Brandon Jay McLaren), the owner of the Homegrown Urban Farm. But Phoebe gets more than she bargained for when she decides to volunteer at Marco’s farm. Will this be the place where Phoebe finds her way? Does she truly want her “second chance” here, doing this kind of work?

Winning

Courtney may think she’s playing puppet master with Delia, but you know Delia isn’t going to go down without a fight. I laughed out loud when Delia tells Courtney about the “sweat shop in Bangladesh,” backing Courtney into the corner Delia previously inhabited. Never mess with an intelligent, beautiful, female attorney who knows her way around the system. Unfortunately, Gordon unwittingly undoes everything Delia succeeded in gaining, putting himself in a brand new light in Delia’s eyes. What I didn’t expect is the way Delia feels about Gordon.

Slippery Slope

We all know you have to work at being married to make your marriage successful. So it’s nice to see Max and Ford sit down to talk things out over a bottle of Scotch. But they each have their own idea of what will make them happy. This is where marriage differs for some people. Ford want to be able to fool around—a “hall pass,” if you will—while Max wants to maintain their monogamous relationship. I have a very good friend who is gay and has been married for over 30 years. He and his husband often have one-night stands, with the understanding that they always come home to each other. It works for them, as well as some other couples according to my friend, so I guess you could call this lifestyle commonplace among gays. What I don’t understand is how the one who stays home doesn’t get jealous. That would be the equivalent of me accepting my husband cheating on me, and that’s never going to happen. So I understand Max’s problem with accepting what Ford needs to do to stay in the marriage. At the same time, Max realizes in order to keep Ford happy, he’s going to have to acquiesce. The rule of thumb, however, is to make yourself happy first so I don’t know how long Max is going to be able to put up with this. Of course, Max could change his mind once Jake points out the “True Blood like Skarsgård lookalike” (guest star Christopher Russell) who’s “eye banging” Max “pretty hard” at the bar.

Getting in Each Other’s Business

Man, can Abby get angry when pushed to her limits!

As unconventional as Jo is, Zoey is the exact opposite; she’s so mature for her age. It makes me wonder who’s the mother and who’s the daughter. You’d never find Zoey acting as crazy as her mother, particularly when Jo has sex with her old friend Doug (guest star Aaron Douglas) on Abby’s couch in the middle of the night, interrupting a perfectly beautiful sexual encounter with Will. Abby goes off on Jo, totally losing it. It’s one of the worst arguments I’ve ever heard between friends, with both hitting way below the belt. But the makeup scene between Abby and Jo is the best. The acting is spot on, the dialogue so realistic, but it’s what Zoey says that really tugs at the old heartstrings. She instantly transforms from a serious young woman to an extremely vulnerable little girl.

Funny Moments

Delia, Jo, and Abby getting “groomed down there.”
The little song and dance routine Jo does in the middle of the sidewalk after saying, “Bullshit.”
Abby’s date with the guy with the “bowtie on his dick.”
Delia one-upping Courtney in the salon. You go girl!
All of Abby’s dates with the blind guy (guest star Robert Moloney), sports dad (guest star Noel Johansen), loin cloth guy (guest star Patrick Rinehart), the manorexic (guest star Ben Wilkinson), and the fish guy (guest star Spencer Teeter).

Overall

“Rule 32: F-You, Rob Frumpkis!” is another successful episode of Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.” Abby finally comes to accept her role as a separated woman who wants to live life to the fullest rather than wallowing in self-pity. Phoebe, too, finds her path in life, as well as Jo who now understands she can’t go running back to what’s familiar. Delia, the woman who seemingly has it all together romantically speaking, sees her life crumble before her eyes. But, let’s not forget, we still don’t know anything about her background so writers, let’s get the train moving!

With the intensity of the scenes between Edelstein and Christie, I’d love to see him have a recurring role in the series. I understand, however, having Abby go through a number of boyfriends will make GG2D that much more fun and interesting to watch. And with the other leading ladies having changes in their lives as well, it all makes this series must-see TV.

What did you think of “Rule 32: F-You, Rob Frumpkis!?” Hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV, or leave me a comment below.

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!