What I’m Watching: Casual

Casual: Season 4, Episode 5 “The Last Super Bowl” (B+)

It’s nice to see Alex being the one to swoop in and save Leon in a time of crisis for once, even if he’s dealing with his own issues. Of all the future innovations this show has featured over the course of this season, Alex’s stream-only television is the most recognizable, and the demise of the NFL stands for something far bigger since it represents the end of a national pastime that’s so dominated social culture for many years. Of course, only a few of the attendees actually cared about the game, and Alex managed to convince them all to stay long enough for the TV to stop working a number of times. While Leia was struggling with how to move forward and had to come to lean on an also surprisingly stable Val, Leon seemed to know exactly what he needed, and that’s going to mean the end of their relationship. Val’s romance with John is going well personally, but their professional collaboration is proving problematic since he’s taking charge and doesn’t seem to understand that he’s steamrolling her opinions in the process. Laura’s run-in at the coffee shop has left her doubting her latest career change, and she really needs to give at least one option a try for a short time before bailing again. Rae didn’t confirm that she and Jeff are actually done after we haven’t seen him for a while, but she definitely sees what Alex is talking about, and their relationship might even find a way to work itself out.