What I’m Watching: Casual

Casual: Season 2, Episode 5 “Bicycle Thieves” (B+)

The opening scene of this episode was quite intense, with an apparent power play by Sara and then the reveal that it was all a dream in which Alex was standing naked in front of his ex-girlfriend in his office. It’s interesting to see how much she got in his head and how that affects his daily life. He’s hardly the model employee, and the conversation that he had with Jordan exemplifies his inability to truly comprehend his situation. Being asked to come in before 11:30am and to wear something presentable shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for a professional organization, and Alex doesn’t do much while he’s at work other than think about things like his ex-girlfriend. Stopping by to see his father and learning that she wasn’t crazy, just fully aware that he was unfaithful, is clearly going to set him back a lot. Valerie is in a fine place with her new best friend, but it’s obviously wearing on her relationship with her loyal assistant, and she has absolutely no idea that it’s bothering her. It was inevitable that Laura and Aubrey’s friendship would evolve into something more, and Laura seems really happy at the moment, which is great. It can’t possibly last, and hopefully she’ll come through this experience with a positive attitude on life and romance, one far more sophisticated and fulfilling than the lust she felt for the older teacher who knew he could never cross an uncrossable line to be with her.