Round Two: Splitting Up Together

Splitting Up Together: Season 1, Episode 2 “Devil May Care” (B)

I’m still not sure about the enduring power of this show and its premise, but this second installment was fun. The initial squabble between the former couple about who got the comforter took a backseat to the challenges Martin faced in taking care of the kids and proving that he could be just as competent as Lena. Mae was the one who created difficulty for him, objecting to the way in which he generalized about women, and watching him try to wrestle with her while she just laid there was pretty painful. Putting on pink hats with the boys was a decent attempt at a peace offering that didn’t go over too well, and it was only after he did some serious reading and made an honest effort that he found a way to get through to her. The fact that his unattractive mush turned out to be delicious was a nice win for him, and he’s definitely on the path to being a more present parent even if he’s not aware of the existence of serving utensils for a shared dish. Lena had some troubles of her own going on a date, giving way too much direction on how to kiss to the doctor that she found very charming. I like that she tried to appear less high-strung to the guy at the bar who started chatting her up when he left, but still made sure to note that she wasn’t going to be able to mute her impulses. I’d be curious to see where that relationship goes.