Take Three: Council of Dads

Council of Dads: Season 1, Episode 3 “Who Do You Wanna Be?” (B)

I actually thought this episode was a bit of an improvement from the previous one, dialing down the sappiness to focus on some sincere plot developments that might alter the way all these people live. Larry is theoretically the “least fun” of the council members, but he’s also the most responsible and the one who’s able to see the big picture and not just what matters most in the moment. Conveying the business opportunity he was approached about shouldn’t have made him the bad guy, especially since he was set on negotiating the offer so that it benefited them even more. I was happy to see a familiar face in Hilarie Burton, former star of “One Tree Hill” and “White Collar,” as Margot, the buyer who did more than her share of research on Anthony and seems committed to maintaining the authenticity of the Crab Shack. I’m not sure whether she’ll be sticking around or not, but I like that dynamic. The notion of something happening that might stop people from eating out felt far more relevant than anyone would have known at the time of filming, and Robin’s visit to a local ice cream shop was particularly appetizing. Oliver investing more time and effort in Robin’s children than his own is definitely going to cause problems at home, and it’s good to see that Peter isn’t some removed character who has no idea what Robin and Scott mean to him but instead someone who’s willing to call him on it when it bothers him so that the issue can be rectified before it really blows up. Luly’s interest in her dad falling off the wagon is something that no one seems to want to talk about, and Evan’s eagerness to pay tribute to his upbringing is going to change the course of their future. How soon she learns the true truth is a question mark, and it’s also worth noting that Larry is making his own amends with a different family to make up for what he couldn’t do – or hopefully just hasn’t done yet – with his own.