What I’m Watching: Casual

Casual: Season 3, Episode 9 “Fresno” (B+)

Well, Val’s meeting with her half-brother was decidedly awkward on all levels. It was certainly weird that he spent a majority of the time talking about X-Men, something that I’d assume Jack would know much more about but he left just out there for Val to grimace at while she was trying to find any way to connect with him. She definitely judged him calling himself a butcher because he worked at a supermarket, and though he didn’t seem at all interested in getting to know her, I’d think that she would admire her new nephew’s commitment to sustainable farming gained from his father’s passion for meat. It’s hard to describe what didn’t click, but Val wasn’t present at all in her time there, and I don’t think she actually wanted to find a new family even though it was ready with arms wide open for her. Having sex with Jack at the motel after hardly seems like the most productive solution, especially considering the fact that his addiction hasn’t just magically gone away. It was sweet to see Leia ask Leon to move in with her – temporarily – after they spent a perfect day together, a reality to which Val remains oblivious. After a frustrating day of his house being ruined, Alex’s night ended well too with a quick kiss from Judy, a relationship that’s doomed to fail because of their work situation. Laura got hit hard by Casey nonchalantly dropping the news that she’s leaving, and the fact that she called her mom after only to get voicemail was a sign that she’s really hurting since the latest object of her obsession has pretty much up and disappeared in an instant.