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<i>Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce</i> – “Rule 67: Don’t Kill the Princess” Retrospective. It’s Complicated.

  • By

  • January 13, 2015

  • 11 mins to read

Season 1, Episode 7

Air Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2014, 10/9 on Bravo

Rating: ★★★★★

 

“Jake’s embryo Becca invited herself to Lilly’s birthday party!” – Abby McCarthy

When we last saw Abby (Lisa Edelstein), Lyla (Janeane Garofalo), and Phoebe (Beau Garrett) in “Rule 33: When in Doubt, Run Away,” they were in Las Vegas with Delia (Necar Zadegan). Phoebe and Lyla had a huge fight, after which Lyla learned her ex-husband Dan (Michael Weaver) won the custody battle for their children. Abby hooked up with a male prostitute and then returned home to find her soon-to-be ex-husband Jake (Paul Adelstein) waiting for her, which soon turned into a romp in the hay. And we learned a little about Delia’s background when a stranger showed up calling her “Delbar.”

Pool parties are the best for a 14-year-old, right?

Now, Abby’s daughter Lilly (Conner Dwelly) is turning 14 and Abby wants to throw her the best birthday party ever. Can you spell ‘guilt?’ Delia and Phoebe are having issues in the bedroom arena, although from differing perspectives. Lyla is on the run with her kids, and Jake and Becca (Julianna Guill) are having relationship problems.

Where’s Lyla?

As this week’s installment of Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (GG2D)—“Rule 67: Don’t Kill the Princess” (Rule 67)—opens, no one can find Lyla. Phone calls, texts, and emails are going unanswered. When Delia goes into work, Alan (Brian Markinson) tells her Lyla is taking an unexpected, last minute leave, aka “Lyla’s freakin batshit.” I’m not sure what Lyla hopes to accomplish, as running away from your problems is never the answer. Sooner rather than later, she’s going to have to face the music and turn over custody of her kids to Dan. I think Lyla has finally gone off the deep end.

The Good Time Girl

That’s one fabulous necklace, isn’t it?

Phoebe sure has had her share of lovers but she’s always had her ex-husband Ralf (Charles Mesure) to fall back on. So when Ralf ends things permanently due to another woman, Phoebe is shaken. Even the gorgeous diamond necklace he gives her to “celebrate the end of an era” isn’t enough to assuage her feelings. Let’s face it though; if you constantly act like the good-time girl, no one is going to take you seriously. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel sorry for Phoebe because I do, especially when the other woman turns out to be Carla Montgomery (guest star Emily Swallow), the “hottest interior designer,” and not the cocktail waitress Phoebe thought she was.

Delia

Oh Delia. Why don’t you follow your own advice?

Delia is a great lawyer but seems to be having some trouble handling her client, Gordon Beech (guest star Matthew Glave) who hits on her multiple times during a deposition prep meeting. Both Delia and Alan chalk it up to Gordon being a typical male going through a divorce, but I think there’s something else going on here. Delia should have shut Gordon down at the first inappropriate comment but she doesn’t. So I’m not at all surprised by what happens later in the episode. Considering that a personal relationship between a lawyer and her client could get the lawyer disbarred, I can’t help wondering what Delia is doing. With that face and that body, she could have anyone she wants. So why risk her job like this?

Baby, Oh Baby

Contrary to what Abby tells Jake, she isn’t on birth control. After confessing to her OB/GYN (guest star Marci T. House) that she and Jake had unprotected sex, the doctor gives her the morning after pill. Whoa! That’s some heavy shit. Now Abby has to decide whether she wants to take the pill. She is definitely rattled and takes it out on an unsuspecting Jake. But isn’t that what we all do—take things out on those who are closest to us?

Girlfriends are great but it’s better to have a sibling to talk to about the major events in our lives. Although, I think Abby is jumping the gun a little when discussing her possible pregnancy with her brother Max (Patrick Heusinger). They have such a close relationship so I hope she takes his advice. Having a baby is not the way to salvage a marriage. That would be the worst thing she could do. Sure, having a baby sounds all romantic and shit, but Abby better stab that birthday balloon and float back down to earth with it.

Jake and Becca

Jake initially receives great news about his movie but doesn’t get the same response from Becca that he receives when telling Abby. I hate that he has to smooth over Becca’s ruffled feathers instead of being able to luxuriate in the moment. Jake should realize this is not a sign of true love if he doesn’t want to get hurt in the long run. I think Becca’s actions are rather childish and selfish. Obviously, there’s more going on here. As much as Jake doesn’t want to admit it, things between him and Becca aren’t going so well. She doesn’t know the first thing about kids and wants to give Lilly the most ridiculous birthday present for a 14-year-old. On top of that, Becca is not a happy camper when her detective skills lead to her finding out where Jake was the previous evening and what he was doing.

Lilly’s Birthday                                                                         

Everyone wants a selfie with Becca.

Abby is having the usual troubles associated with raising kids of separated parents. It’s especially not easy handling teenage Lilly while planning her birthday party. And then there’s young Charlie (Dylan Schombing) and his imaginary friend. I have to give it to Abby and Jake, though; they almost always present a united front where the kids are concerned. After last week’s ‘sexcapade,’ I wondered whether Jake would move back in but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Don’t you just love the way Abby and Jake grin at each other during their conversation about the current status of Jake’s relationship with Becca? These two really have it for each other. That cozy feeling Abby has is soon erased when Lilly runs down the stairs yelling, “Oh my God! Becca’s coming. She said yes. Becca Riley’s coming to my party!” This doesn’t sit well with Abby at all and I don’t blame her. It’s hard enough for Abby to accept Jake’s young lover, but Becca being a TV star on The CW makes it that much more difficult. One of these days Lilly is going to realize Becca is not her “best friend.”

No one can believe what they’re seeing.

It’s the big day but the party doesn’t go the way Abby planned. That is, until Becca shows up. As much as Lilly and her friends are all about Becca, Becca knows she really doesn’t belong there. In an effort to find out what is causing Lilly and her girlfriends to act so weird, Jake finds Abby’s unopened bottle of the morning after pill. Before he and Abby can discuss it, though, they have to deal with what’s happening in the pool. Teenagers certainly have become sneakier, or should I say more ingenious, when trying to fool their parents.

While “Rule 67” seems to lead us in the direction of a reconciliation between Abby and Jake, I’m almost positive the anticipated pregnancy is nothing more than a red herring. It is way too early in the season, or the series for that matter, to have Jake and Abby try a second go at their marriage.

Overall

“Rule 67: Don’t Kill the Princess” moves everyone’s story lines ahead beautifully. Abby and Jake are now contemplating resuming their marriage, while Phoebe considers her station in life. Delia’s relationship with Gordon is somewhat of a shock, and I’m still waiting to find out who “Delbar” is. And what can I say about Lyla? If she thinks she can turn the clock back, she’s going to have a rude awakening.

“Rule 67” has the usual superb acting we’ve come to expect, especially in the scenes with Edelstein and Adelstein. They have great onscreen chemistry. Director Daisy Von Scherler Mayer gives us perfection with her direction of the characters and scenes. I love the way she positions Phoebe when Ralf goes to get the necklace, and then shows the disappointment on her face while bathing it in sunlight. In addition, episodic writer Janine Naybers does a great job continuing the witty but down-to-earth dialogue we’ve previously enjoyed from creator/writer Marti Noxon, star Paul Adelstein, and others.

What did you think of “Rule 67: Don’t Kill the Princess?” 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.

LIKE GG2D on Facebook.

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, and writer/creator Marti Noxon @martinoxon.

All photos © 2014 Bravo Network, a division of NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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!

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!