Review: The Big C, S3, Ep. 309 – “Vaya Con Dios”
Air Date: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 9:30PM E/P on Showtime
Rating:
“If this is America, we are idiots for living in Minnesota.” ~ Andrea/Ababu
L-R: Andrea/Ababu (Gabourey Sidibe), Adam (Gabriel Basso), Cathy (Laura Linney), Sean (John Hickey) and Paul (Oliver Platt)
The Jamisons, along with Sean (John Hickey) and Andrea/Ababu (Gabourey Sidibe), are in sunny Puerto Rico for Paul’s (Oliver Platt)’s participation in Joy’s (Susan Sarandon) prescheduled conference—just where a woman with melanoma should be – in direct sunlight. And with Joy’s tragic demise last week, the tension mounts between Cathy (Laura Linney) and Paul. He gives her subtle clues that he knows her secrets, yet Cathy doesn’t come clean. It’s no surprise to me that Paul decides to get a separate room.
Cathy (Laura Linney) gets some "grave news in a grave yard"
I’ll be frank, Cathy’s been getting on my nerves recently and more so in “Vaya Con Dios.” She’s selfish. Yes, she has cancer but does that give her license to be a total bitch to everyone in her family? She’s nicer to the people at the bar. I get why she uses an alias but like Paul mentions – what is she really escaping from right now? Her health has been better than ever, Paul’s career is taking off, and Adam seems to be ok, for the most part. Now that Dr. Sherman (Alan Alda) has called with some not so good news, Cathy is forced to reconsider things, again. Give me a break. If you’re that sick, you should be thankful for what you have and not take anything for granted. Cathy irritates the hell out of me with her last minute thoughts of wanting to make amends. If she hadn’t been so damn selfish and deceitful in the first place, none of this – including Paul wanting to stray from the marriage – would have happened. For a brief moment, I was hoping when she swam away from the scuba group underwater, she’d just disappear into the abyss. What newbie scuba diver swims away from the group and their buddy anyway? Dumb-ass.
Brava for Ababu! She finally stands up to the overbearing and demanding diva – Paul! He’s way out of line and letting his newfound celebrity status get to his already fat head. I love when she beats the crap out of the cardboard Paul while yelling at him, “You are impossible! I have given you your SPF, your stupid pillows, your ass cream, and your stupid coconut water, but I will not give you my soul, I quit!”
Paul is not so innocent either. As I’ve said before, two wrongs won’t make it right. Paul’s admission that he thought about sleeping with Joy because he’s unhappy in his marriage is childish. And when Cathy tells Adam (Gabriel Basso) in a church, no less, that she and Paul may be taking another break from their marriage, Adam hits the nail on the head when he tells her she’s miserable. She is and it’s her own fault. She wanted to have another baby but her actions denoted otherwise. Drinking and smoking aren’t the wisest choices when you want to have a baby. Besides, she needs to be living a healthier lifestyle anyway to combat the cancer. Polluting your body even further seems like a slow attempt at suicide.
Cathy (Laura Linney) and Sean (John Hickey) take scuba lessons
Sean (John Hickey) is my favorite character. No matter what trials, tribulations, and manic drama Cathy cooks up, Sean is the comic relief. His spin on the trip after his recent relationship woes is quite hilarious: “Since my little ‘thruple’ break-up, I’m on hiatius from even looking at women, (whispers) passing on the pussy.” All except for the married chick in his scuba group…I guess he’ll start his no-pussy diet next week.
I also enjoy the sibling relationship he has with Cathy. I like that the writers keep it realistic and age appropriate, for the most part. I mean, Sean is a bit of a child sometimes, but that’s what I adore about him. He doesn’t take things too seriously; if you ask me, Cathy could benefit by taking a page from Sean’s book. While I don’t think sleeping with a married woman is the page Cathy should take, I do think Sean could try being more of a brother to Cathy. Rather than just pointing out her mistakes, he could point them out and help her try to be a better person.
Memorable Lines:
Adam to Cathy: “If you guys split up, I’m living with dad.”
***
Cathy to herself: “I just got some grave news in a graveyard.”
***
Ababu to Paul: “My app forgot the little squiggly line above the ‘n’ and so instead of saying you’re 45 years young, it may have said you have 45 anuses.”
Now, with Cathy getting bad news from Dr. Sherman, will she try to reform again, or will this make her even more of a prima donna? Will she try to milk it for all it’s worth? As we see in the clip for next week’s season finale, she’s caught up in a fisherman’s net and gives her rescuer a sob story about her cancer. While I’m empathetic about her disease, I’m turned off with the way Cathy’s handled her situation. Is there redemption for Cathy? We shall see. I want to like her again…
Tune in to the season finale of The Big C, Sunday, June 17 at 9:30pm ET/PT, only on Showtime.
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Photos © 2012 Showtime Networks, a CBS Broadcasting, Inc. company. All rights reserved.
Judy Manning
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