What I’m Watching: Work in Progress (Season Finale)

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 10 “I Release You” (B+)

I really hope that this show comes back for a third season and beyond since it has fabulous content to offer. I very much enjoyed the younger Abby looking around the adult Abby’s home and admiring her snacks, which she rightfully concluded were all hers. Commenting on the aspects of the future that she felt were particularly advanced was very funny, as was her laughing when Abby said it doesn’t get better since she had put in so much effort trying. Searching for a new therapist has been a major theme of this show that Abby reinvests herself in every once in a while, and her new fit seemed to be perfect, pushing her to challenge the negative characteristics she assigned to herself that weren’t true. Trying to get her to say Chris’ dead name was a useful exercise, and the timing of it worked well with Chris reaching out. I like that it wasn’t a totally pleasant reunion but instead a realistically awkward encounter, one that found Chris showing up even though Abby had asked him not to and with an almond cake of all things, which wasn’t a particularly positive reminder of that whole ordeal. Leaving the cake and a new plant for Travis was a great way for Abby to release some of her physical burden, a symbolic act she tried to continue by getting rid of the almond in the water. Since this show is a comedy, it was fun to see her realize that she didn’t want to do that and then try to get it, creating an even wilder scenario than the one with Julia at the golf course earlier. When is season three coming? I’d love to experience more of Abby and this world.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Abby McEnany

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 9 “Hey, Dad” (B+)

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more fitting title for an episode. This was a fantastic opportunity for Abby to get the kind of time she had always craved with her father, having him answer questions honestly and openly about the many formative moments in her childhood that have stuck with her ever since. Framing the visit through a conversation with the therapist she killed when the show first started was very effective, especially since she wanted to avoid questions about her dad not ever being there. Seeing the two of them interact in the present was heartwarming and funny, like when he made her laugh by wiping the wrong part of his face and her commenting that studies show that a lack of stability in a kid’s life does wonders for them. The montage of all the almonds was a powerful callback to the drama of season one, and that led to some serious revelations about how Abby’s mother almost left him a few times and how he was obsessed with disappearing. The scenes with a young Abby speaking as an adult are always my favorites, and her father telling her about the Halloween candy was a great instance of that. A text from Chris inviting Abby to meet for a socially distanced drink was a surprise, one that surely produced a lot of anxiety for Abby, and I’m very eager to see how that goes in the season finale since his absence has been felt all season.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 8 “FTP” (B+)

I’m enjoying how this show is externalizing the way that Abby is navigating the difficulties of this moment in time, first with an NPR employee showing up in her kitchen to validate her news fatigue and then Death asking Abby to call before handing the phone to her at the end of the episode when her father called, which wasn’t foreboding at all. We also got another appearance from Vincent D’Onofrio as his signature detective character, who had to break imaginary things off with her. Being asked to create a campaign about how her company was morally responsible didn’t sit well with her, and the use of “Petty Images” was a clever nod to the manipulative nature of advertising like that which is purely performative and has been highly present over the past year and a half related to systemic racism, the pandemic, and other issues. Abby traveling back to formative moments in her past, like her college orientation about how dangerous the South Side of Chicago was and the overtly racist anti-drug education from even earlier, was superbly done as usual, and the scene that really spoke volumes was when she saw her stepbrothers as young children telling their mother they were going to go to the protests. Needing to water Travis’ plants and not doing it seemed awfully trivial, especially compared to the heartbreaking and unexpected news that her mother had died. Abby being consoled by her mother was another powerful and potent image that serves more than anything else to underline her own loneliness.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 7 “Oh Say Can You See” (B+)

I think I expected Abby to be completely non-functional in the pandemic, and it’s interesting to see a different side of her, one that acknowledges the frightening and very contagious nature of the world around her but also the uncontrollable events that happen during it. Waiting around to hear about her dad was an awkward thing, especially since she and her new siblings had to sit together in the same house, but it was very worthwhile and relatable to watch as they noted that they were far enough away from each other that it was probably safe to take off their masks even if that logic didn’t quite make sense, especially for someone with as much anxiety as Abby has. Having her new stepmother be the only one able to go visit him was also difficult, but Abby was able to flash back to other moments in the past that were formative related to her dynamic both with him and her sister. All of her conversations with Alison are so compelling, especially when coupled with the hurtful scenes from her childhood where Alison hit her with something that has stuck with her since then. Hallucinating Detective Bobby Goren in the park and then making out with him in sight of her brother-in-law was quite the fever dream, and I’m entertained that Vincent D’Onofrio was up for a guest spot like this. I’ve been seeing him more and more in other projects like “Ratched” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” and it’s nice to see him poking fun at himself and one of his most well-known roles here.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 6 “Eleanor Roosevelt” (B+)

I like that, after the ominous ending of the previous episode, this show started off the pandemic experience with a flashback to a different time when Abby had other issues interacting the world. Being shouted out of an event because she was bisexual rather than just a lesbian was harsh, and she seemed to have a really enlightening and great time on the road trip. Seeing her first trans experience and the look on her face while she was struggling to understand the people around her spoke volumes, and it’s quite a departure from the way that she tried hard to say the right thing with Chris and treat him the way he wanted to be treated. Back in the present, Abby and Campbell were having a blast shopping in the supermarket with gloves, and, when someone wasn’t observing the proper protocols, all Abby did was mutter under her breath about six feet and all that. Hearing that she was thriving not having to go into work and making her own schedule presented a much more optimistic view than I had expected, though I suspect that’s all about to change with the news of her father being in the ICU. Her friendship with the similarly-minded Campbell is surely going to be what will help her get through it, and I enjoyed her beauty school dropout background that came to light and the excitement of her pet adoption that went through rather seamlessly. I don’t imagine what comes next is going to be easy for either of them.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 5 “Take Your Child To Work Day” (B+)

This was a wonderful opportunity for Abby to spend time with a true kindred spirit, her nephew Matty, taking him to the bakery in the morning and then to work with her, where they both had a blast. The timing was unfortunate with Susan having her gender-reveal party that Abby had complained about to HR and was supposed to be something different, though naturally she ended up exclaiming the baby’s sex in her excitement, which prompted quite the tirade from Abby. Fortunately, that was far from the most notable part of the episode, and I enjoyed Abby’s very direct attempts to combat Susan’s heteronormative traditions with a cake that affirmed only that the baby was a baby. Having a harpist at the party was definitely absurd, and Abby even got to get a few barbs in at the expense of her would-be therapist, who happened to be Rick’s boyfriend. After the spectacle of the fire alarm and Abby getting briefly trapped in the balloon drop, she had that intense flashback to all the moments she passed out in the past and instead marvelously rallied herself to get everyone back in the game and march outside safely. She even helped Susan maintain her impeccable fire marshal record, which was quite generous. The ending scene of the episode where Matty got picked up was much more foreboding, with a note about the bakery’s chairs being taken out and toilet paper available in the trunk for Abby. I think it’s indicative of how people didn’t comprehend the impact the pandemic was going to have when the first rumblings of coronavirus began, though for Abby, who has enough trouble dealing with the world as it normally is, it’s going to be a devastating adjustment.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 4 “Apologies and Their Fluctuating Nature” (B+)

This episode was very effective without Abby having to say all that much, and the expression on her face spoke volumes. Julia’s eagerness to gain her forgiveness by sending her horrified daughter with an overeager Al on the tablet rescued Abby from one unbearable interaction and took her into another, but Julia is so well-meaning and genuine, as opposed to Susan’s complete lack of awareness. Inviting Abby to come with her to hear the author of the book that she so loved was also done with the best of intentions, and when she stood up and quoted from the book, she actually wanted to change and right her wrongs. That author, on the other hand, simply wanted to reject the idea of being cancelled without atoning in any way for what she said or acknowledging that she bore any responsibility for having been offensive, whether or not she intended it that way. Abby clearly appreciated Julia’s efforts, stepping up to defend her when someone came and pounded on the way to tell Julia how terrible she was. Abby found comfort in a place that wasn’t about her at all, and, even though she was distracted by looking at photos that Abby initially thought were prospective mates, Campbell was a good source of support for her too. The obsession she was indulging with checking Chris’ GoFundMe page, and I’m not sure if her very generous $2500 donation is going to do anything to make her feel better, her own sort of un-cancellation and self-forgiveness.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 3 “Two Queens on Two Queens” (B+)

This was a great episode focused on Abby and Campbell’s friendship, and it makes me feel especially fortunate that I was able to speak with actress Celeste Pechous, who plays Campbell, a few weeks ago. I enjoyed the little tidbits of past events in their relationship, like Abby forgetting the codeword that they had set together because she actually wanted ice and Campbell having dated a woman who pretended to be the poet laureate of Indiana, something that actual poets were able to sniff out as fake as soon as she mentioned it. Things at Jamal’s party weren’t all that awkward, save for the bombshell that Abby’s father got him a car as a present when a flashback revealed that he had gotten his own daughter a custom sweatshirt for her graduation. Switching to an event with Campbell’s family was a change of pace, complete with some invasive and unwelcome commentary from Maureen about how they should be a couple and plenty of discussion of very specific “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” plot points. I enjoyed how everyone rallied around their tour guide when they spotted his ex. Parting from her family seemed to go okay, and then they finally got to do what they wanted to the whole time: relax and indulge in their own hotel and spa night, which was apparently stress-free enough for Abby to barely even look at the bill and made their attendant quite happy with the tip he got. A return to the real world will surely not be as relaxing.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 2 “Everything's Fine, Everything's Okay” (B+)

The leak that appeared to damage most of Abby’s precious journals was a devastating development for her, one that she was hopeless to do much about given the state they were in, and what better way for viewers to try to understand what she was going through than to travel back through her life to grasp their importance. I thought that Shaya Harris, who played the sixth and eighth grade versions of Abby, was absolutely spectacular, and it was entertaining to hear her carefully thought-out theory of sitting next to the fattest kid either for scale or to help them out, depending on where she fell in comparison. Alison really was the worst to her, and she also felt ignored because Abby’s anxiety meant that her parents gave her more attention. There was something extremely powerful about the adult Abby replacing her younger self in a few of those scenes, particularly to tell her dad that she wished he was around more. Tracking her first five therapists, which included hand puppets and a lunch lady, was both enjoyable and informative, and Dr. Oh seemed to be a truly good influence who finally gave Abby permission to feel okay about not perceiving herself to be normal. There were certainly chaotic moments, like Abby getting too caught up in the allure of a particular forbidden word that she heard her mom’s friend use and then accidentally using it to casually refer to her teacher, the kind of mortifying occurrence that still happens in Abby’s adult life.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress (Season Premiere)

Work in Progress: Season 2, Episode 1 “Life Got in the Way” (B+)

I’m thrilled that this show is back since it was one of the most creative and involving shows I watched right at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, and though I’ve seen so much programming since then, I remember this show fondly and I’m glad that it’s starting back up again. We’ve moved past the almonds but not past the underlying issues there, which, to hear Abby describe it, is basically that she couldn’t commit to going through with it because other things got in the way. The fact that she’s searched so tirelessly for a new therapist and just hasn’t found the right one is both maddening and entertaining, and of course she would find the perfect fit only to discover, as much as the therapist could tell her, that it was a conflict of interest because Chris was likely a patient. Campbell provided some entertaining moments over the course of the episode and is a good companion for Abby because she’s just as neurotic in certain respects but not necessarily about the same exact things, which creates the opportunity for plenty of craziness. I’m also a big fan of Alison and getting to see more of her, and I like that this show doesn’t have a specific focus or direction but instead just sits with its characters as they go through what’s happening to them. There’s still something about Abby’s line delivery that’s absolutely magnificent and unmatched, and I’m looking forward to much more of that this season.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress (Season Finale)

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 8 “3, 2, 1” (B+)

Things weren’t looking good going into this finale, and they didn’t approve all that much by its end. Calling Melanie to talk to her about their relationship was an unexpected move, and one that was met with understandable hostility by the woman who broke up with her specifically because she didn’t want to have to be there for her in this way anymore. Going to Julia’s shows could have been a positive move, but instead she found out that the woman who inadvertently ruined her life was trying to reclaim a character that wasn’t actually hers to reclaim, going back on stage as Pat in some attempt to redefine her positively. Chris showing up was the final nail in the coffin, since, after expressing that he just needed more time that Abby wasn’t at all willing to give him, he decided that he couldn’t be the one thing keeping her going. It’s a real shame since they were such a great couple, and he was absolutely there for her in all the right ways as long as she talked to him about what she was thinking. Fortunately, he did do one thing right, which was to show her that she should keep going without him thanks to the one almond that he had taken from her apartment during their first date. That was a highly meaningful gesture, one that’s sure to stick with Abby and motivate her towards somewhere good in the second season that I’m very much looking forward to seeing.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Abby McEnany

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 7 “14 (Pt. 2), 12, 11, 10” (B+)

It’s really devastating to see that, after everything, Chris wasn’t actually so understanding about Abby finding out his dead name, not because she knew but because of how she chose not to be open with him about it. Explaining the advice given to her by Campbell and Julia was meant to underscore the heartache she endured deliberating whether or not to be honest, but instead it just piled on for Chris, demonstrating that Abby was more comfortable talking to other people than him about what was on her mind. We got to see how frozen she was, flashing back to the moment in which she confronted her previous relationship’s demise, admonished for the way in which she kept things to herself and allowed them to explode into those boxes. We haven’t seen Chris anywhere near this upset before, and hopefully he’ll come to terms with who Abby is and why she couldn’t bring herself to talk to him. Abby getting cited for her “work birthday” allowed for an entertaining back and forth in which she seemed determined to temp forever in spite of company policy. Being told that she gained four and a half pounds and that it wasn’t the end of the world helped her realize that focusing on that wasn’t a healthy way to life, though I imagine she’ll now descend back into other problematic habits following this rupture in her relationship. It was nice that Julia called to invite her to the “This American Life” taping, and maybe that’s just what can give her a bit of a re-charging spark.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 6 “15, 14 (Pt. 1)” (B)

This wasn’t my favorite episode, only because it didn’t cover all that much happening, choosing instead to dive deep on a few facets of Abby’s extended universe. Her father’s wedding wasn’t all that dramatic, as it turned out, and he was fairly aware of why Abby might take issue with his getting married again so soon after the death of her mother. This was slightly reminiscent of “Fleabag,” with Abby just a bit more dramatic than the title character on that show and the new stepmother considerably more palatable. I also liked Abby’s conversation with her new stepmother’s son, which got very intimate and demonstrated how they both felt pretty awkward about the whole thing. He hit her well with a zinger about the age difference between her and Chris, and she took it in stride. Things were going relatively smoothly until she accidentally saw Chris’ dead name on the bottle and then was unable to reverse that discovery. Chris was completely oblivious to the fact that anything was wrong, and then he had to go and take her to a restaurant that happened to be his dead name. Blurring it out was a clever way of highlighting just how much it was impacting Abby and dominating her every thought. Keeping this secret bottled up from her partner who has been nothing but understanding isn’t going to go well, and I think we’ll be seeing Abby come undone in a way that will be hard to reverse after the damage is done.

In exciting news, this show has been renewed for a well-deserved second season!

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 5 “66, 65, 64, 62” (B+)

This show really does present such a seamless blend of comedy and drama that can’t be found too often in other series. We haven’t spent too much time with Campbell up until this point, and in this episode we got to see just how much she tends to push Abby to consider what’s really best for her. Flashing back frequently to her helping Abby move in by herself was extremely informative, and we saw all those boxes labeled with her name before their significance was completely clear. Chris has been very understanding and kind about pretty much everything so far, and he put up with a lot from Campbell in terms of those underhanded comments about his age as compared to Abby’s. She did raise a valid point about how he didn’t want to talk about anything that came before regarding his dead name, which represented most of his life given his young age. But fortunately all seems to be good at the moment, as he reacted in exactly the right way to Abby coming clean about her system of trying to determine what’s wrong with her. In lighter moments, I enjoyed watching everyone get so frustrated with Abby’s dad being completely unintelligible on the phone and the sudden prominence of Mike, who spoke up for Chris and delightfully mispronounced the word “cis” in the process. Having supporting characters who barely appear or get to speak take on a more visible role is always a treat, especially on a show like this.

What I’m Watching: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 4 “161, 153, 137, 122, 106, 104, 102 (We're Still Counting Almonds.)” (B+)

This episode featured our main character going a bit off the rails, which was both entertaining to watch and very informative about what Abby’s experiences in the world have been. Her obnoxious coworker asking her about her bathroom behavior was a real trigger, representing just the latest inappropriate behavior on her part, resulting in a confession of OCD that she tried to mirror by saying that she always had to check twice that she had locked her car. Evidently, being mistaken for a man has happened many times, and Abby is ready each time now with some awkward small talk to try to stave it off and then a very dramatic speech to confront it when it does still occur. Telling the two librarians to read a book wasn’t nearly as empathic as she wanted, and I love that she passed out only to find Chris there waiting to see if she was okay, to which she responded that he wasn’t allowed to be in there. The title’s reference to still counting almonds, coupled with Abby’s one-way bench therapy, show that she is still working through depression and anxiety, even if things are mostly going well in her life at the moment. The early montage of her eagerly greeting everyone around her with a different broken or bruised body part because the sex is great but apparently dangerous was fun, and if there’s one thing I value on this show more than anything, it’s the offbeat, optimistic tone that persists even as unpredictable developments occur.

Take Three: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 3 “162” (B+)

I’m really liking this show, and it’s nice that it doesn’t seem to be in much of a rush to get through its story, even if its titles are still being framed in reference to the number of almonds that Abby has left. Her continued inability to order regular Lyft rides is entertaining, and it resulted in her and Chris getting to flirt cutely as they were joined by uninvited third parties who could interrupt or listen to what they were talking about and offer their own insight. I liked that one driver told her as she got out of the car that he too had herpes, which she followed up by giving him five stars right on the spot. Chris’s excitement about them having sex and his continued countdown was very endearing, and he also laid out his own ground rules for what he wanted and didn’t want in bed. After they went to so many different activities during the day and spent a whole lot on all these rideshares, they finally got to do it. It was funny that Abby wanted all the lights off, even after sustaining an injury, and that scene played out in an unexpectedly affecting and awesome way as nothing was shown on screen but we got to hear a whole lot. I’m not a Weird Al guy, but my wife recognized him before he was fully identified, and it was cool that it wasn’t a big deal but just another interesting thing that this wonderful couple got to experience together before their big night.

Round Two: Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Season 1, Episode 2 “176, 172, 171” (B+)

This was a great second outing, one that demonstrated that this show, which really surprised me in its pilot airing, is absolutely worth watching. Abby going to her therapist’s funeral was a melancholy event, and I enjoyed that she essentially had a session with her, which may have been helpful but definitely got the other people there upset that she was hogging time with the deceased. Her trip to Weight Watchers, or whatever that was supposed to be, was far less affirming, particularly with the unsubtle confirmation that she had gained seventeen pounds since she last weighed in. Fortunately, the development of her relationship with Chris is much more inspiring, and they had a cute exchange when she woke up first and checked her breath. It was endearing that she helped him into his Uber before he left, and things seemed to be going pretty well. Going to the club together should have been a positive occurrence, and it was actually quite informative to see Abby experience it both in the moment and in reference to when she visited that same club years earlier and met someone else. Talking about how they shouldn’t be discussing his dead name made things somewhat more comfortable, and their age and culture difference shouldn’t prove too problematic given his good nature and eagerness for them to share something good. I’m definitely sticking around for episode three, and I’m curious to find out what’s going on in Abby’s literal closet, remnants of her past that are likely to be very informative about how she’s reached this point.

Pilot Review: Work in Progress

I'm trying something new with my pilot reviews, so from now on, check out video takes on each new series, which I'll embed below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.