What I’m Watching: Better Things

Better Things: Season 4, Episode 5 “Carbonara” (B+)

After getting to really let loose on her oldest daughter in the previous episode, Sam got to check in with her two other children and see how much their perspectives have changed. Frankie wasn’t upset anymore with Sam walking in on her in bed with an older man, and she actually expressed a moderately mature attitude about how she wanted to make sure that Sam was cared for down the line. She was not happy when Sam tried to come into her appointment with her, but that’s to be expected, and she wasn’t nearly as confrontational or outright rude as she’s been in the past. She’s even trying to set Sam up with a dating profile, though the returns aren’t proving all too successful just yet. Duke being told by her ballet teacher that she had to choose between that art and soccer felt harsh, and I would have thought that being questioned about whether she’s had her period would turn her off from it altogether. Instead, she put her headphones in right away when Sam picked her up and made the decision that she’d quit soccer so that she could dance, and she’s officially growing up fast, turning into the kind of rebel that both of her older sisters have been up until this point. Phyl pricing down expensive items so that she could buy them felt like exactly the kind of iffy behavior she’s been doing for a while now. The silent film segment was irreverent, but this show marches to its own wonderful beat these days.