What I’m Watching: Togetherness (Penultimate Episode)

Togetherness: Season 2, Episode 7 “Sand Situation” (B+)

I’m permanently saddened by the reality that this is the show’s second-to-last episode ever, and I think this episode was especially illustrative of this show’s ability to segue from comedy to drama and back again very easily. Anna has turned into a full-on villain, and she showed up at just the right moment to sabotage Michelle’s efforts to get things back on track by completely transforming the notion of what the school was supposed to be. Michelle’s idea to use Brett and Alex and their enthusiasm for their Dune project was brilliant, and they really rose to the occasion, impressing the audience and turning the tide in Michelle’s favor. I love that they enlisted everyone to come help them steal sand, a fun minor crime that permitted them their own little adventure. Alex pretending to run a workout when the cops showed up was especially hilarious. Natalie showing up because she somehow knew Dudley was a surprise, and it wasn’t really Brett’s fault that it happened. Natalie was very relaxed and cool about the awkwardness of the situation, particularly in how she asked Brett about Michelle. Brett’s wife, on the other hand, was not so calm about it, and she seemed even angrier than Brett when he told Michelle to shut up a few episodes back when she was talking about David. It was quite a scene and a testament to Melanie Lynskey’s acting abilities. She and Brett are going to have a tough time reconciling in the finale, but at least things are looking up for the first time in a while for Alex and Tina.