Round Two: Better Things

Better Things: Season 1, Episode 2 “Period” (B-)

I’m still not sure what to make of this show, though I am beyond convinced that FX is trying to establishing a certain brand for itself with its comedies and is doing a marvelous job with this show and “Atlanta” at the moment. I’m not positive that it’s completely for me, and we’ll see if I stick with it once all the other fall series start coming back. In this installment, we got to see a bit of Sam’s work life, which is far from thrilling, especially when her role gets completely cut out of the movie she’s working on. This show likes to employ quick flashes to fill in the blanks of the plot elements that it doesn’t cover, something that feels a bit disjointed but still serves its purpose. Sam has such a torrential relationship with her two older daughters, and she had the chance here to react strongly to both of them. She lashed out at Max for judging her life choices and thinking she knew what was going on, and she targeted Frankie’s aggression by calling her out for having her period in a very public speech to women who were ready to feel empowered. That monologue showed a side of Sam and of Pamela Adlon that explains why this show was created, and I think more moments like that will make it especially memorable and worthwhile. We also had the chance to meet Sam’s mom, who lives across the street, is British, and apparently has more than a few secrets that she’s fully ready to share with the adult daughter who doesn’t often want to be associated with her.