What I’m Watching: Better Things (Season Finale)

Better Things: Season 2, Episode 10 “Graduation” (B+)

This episode, which was a very fitting finale, offered something this show rarely does - a chance to see all the characters we know together in one room. We had the immediate family, Marion, Dormin, Rich, Tressa, Sunny, and Jeff all there to make Max feel wanted after Xander predictably bailed on one of the most important and influential days of her life. I enjoyed seeing them all interact together, and that’s an element of this often-insular show that I’d love to see more of in the future, particularly Marion’s relationships with the likes of Rich, Sunny, and his mother. We’ve come to know Duke as the adventurous one, Frankie as the rebellious one, intent on not answering the door only because her mother was yelling at her, and Max as the less-than-intelligent and mostly whiny one. Her strict demands for things like a keg weren’t all that bright, and she fell for Sam’s trick that had her bite into an onion to cure her hangover. Ultimately, Sam got her something completely unexpected, a family dance routine that had her smiling from ear to ear. Xander not showing up is inconsequential since it’s always just been Sam in this family of women, and I’m sure that’s going to be even more the case going forward as Louis C.K.’s involvement with this presumably falls off completely in season three next year. This has been a good season, and there’s no denying the strength of this cast, particularly its Emmy-nominated leading actress who has truly found a perfect role for her talents and affect.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Pamela Adlon