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Review: United States of Tara, Season 3, Ep 306 “The Road to Hell is Paved with Breast Intentions”

Airdate: Monday, May 2, 2011 10:30PM  E/P

Rating ★★★★★

Tara’s (Toni Collette) feeling pretty confident that the contract with her alters is working. She wanted Buck to shoot the cawing crow and leave and he did just that. However, convincing Dr. Hattaras (guest star Eddie Izzard) isn’t going as well as she hoped. I just love Izzard’s performance. He seems to have truly immersed himself into the role of a psychology professor so much that I find myself believing his thesis on Tara’s D.I.D condition: “You’re not seven people, you’re just you. That’s the curse of life, isn’t it? Though try as we might, we all have to suffer the burden of only being one person – our miserable selves.”

Tara (Toni Collette) channels Buck to shoot a cawing crow

 

However, I’m not sure he’s going to truly be able to help Tara. Although Dr. Hatteras is utterly fascinated by her transformations, he is a bit startled when, transcribing their latest session, he hears the voice of a potentially problematic and dangerous new alter,“You will not win.” Who is the new alter referring to—Dr. Hattaras or Tara?

While Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) and Noah (Aaron Christian Howles) continue working on their film project about the trials and tribulations of the Gregson family, Kate (Brie Larson), now a full-fledged flight attendant, has her flirtatious dinner invitation rejected by frequent flyer Evan (guest star Keir O’Donnell). I so adore Kate and want her to have something of her own to hold onto. I think being the eldest, she feels an obligation to bear more burden than necessary to compensate for her mother’s dysfunction.

Max (John Corbett) struggles with the doldrums of his new job and is upset he’s not getting the support at home he so desperately needs. After running his own landscaping business, to be reduced to spraying flowers with a perfume to make them smell better has to be a blow to his pride. He can’t even catch a break with his own wife. Tara, while stuffing her face with ribs, comments that his new job allows him to come home for lunch so they can rip each other’s clothes off, but Max ain’t no fool. (BTW, I laughed out loud after hearing what T asked Max to do during sex. I love T!)

Max: “I know we didn’t have sex on this table the other night. I knew it was T.”

Tara: “Oh you did? Really.”

Max: “Yeah. I’m not new at this. Of course it was T. She wanted me to spit in her ear when she came.”

Tara: “So romantic.”

Things continue to get a bit more intense when Neil (Patton Oswalt) invites Beverly (guest star Pamela Reed), Tara and Charmaine’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) mother, to lunch to visit with her new grandchild in the hopes she’ll feel generous and buys the baby some things. I love Reed’s portrayal because she makes me hate Beverly as much as Tara and Charmaine do. She’s a judgmental and overbearing mom who’s unwilling to accept the responsibility of her irresponsible mothering.

Neil (Patton Oswalt) invites Beverly (Pamela Reed) for a visit

Charmaine gets a rude awakening when they all go shopping at Macy’s for baby stuff, including a $2,000 breast pump. Beverly, feeling a bit used, mentions to Charamaine she’s had to put their father into a home for his dementia and it’s not cheap. So, no money for baby stuff. Both of them were using each other, but like Beverly said, she was the only one who got anything – she saw her new grandchild while Charmaine remains empty handed. Ah, don’t you just love family? Or not. But I know one thing, I love this show!

Beverly (Pamela Reed, L) tells Charmain (Rosemarie DeWitt, R) it's costing her a fortune to keep their father in a nursing home

Tune into United States of Tara, Mondays at 10:30PM E/P only on Showtime.

Photos © Showtime, All Rights Reserved.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.