Why is everyone obsessed with self-destruction?
Treesomes
We start at the office where Jordan talks to Alex because he's worried about his intentions, Alex reassures him but as soon a he gets out, he sees Sarah at Fallon's desk making wedding plans, and takes advantage of the situation by, very charmingly, asking her out lunch. So later, they go to a Korean restaurant and Fallon stops being so pleasant, she's very self-centered and even has a printed recipe of her favorite drink to give to the waiter, everything needs to be just right.
Fallon: Lot of Koreans here, huh?
Alex: Yeah. That means it's authentic. Korean to white ratio is very promising.
Fallon: Yeah, just saying, lot of Koreans.
Alex: There's no need for that.
Fallon: For what?
Alex: Whatever that was.
Fallon: Racism? Is that what you're saying? Because it's actually more racist to think that's racist.
Alex: Oh, how do you figure?
Fallon: It's like how Americans think it's insulting to call Mexicans "Mexican". As if it's an insult to actually be from Mexico. It's just their ingrained sense of superiority shabbily masked behind political correctness that really highlights our latent racist views.
Alex: Maybe it was just your tone of voice.
Fallon says they should go together to the engagement party so they can show Jordan and Sarah how happy they are together, which surprises Alex at first, but he doesn't seem to suspect her intentions. But once they're at the party, she straight out admits she's trying to make Jordan jealous since they have been emotionally involved for months, Alex is shocked. In that moment Jordan asks to talk to her and they start arguing, Sarah, without realizing the situation, approaches Alex to tell him to stop what he's doing because she sees him everywhere and it's driving her crazy. She can tell Alex is distracted so she follows his gaze and they both witness Jordan and Fallon's very heated and obvious fight.
Valerie's situation is much more relaxed since she's playing it cool and texting Jack while receiving flowers from Harry, but when she talks to Jennifer she's told Jack is way too messy and encouraged to go out with Harry again. She even talks her into going to one of his lectures and have drinks with them afterwards. So, when Jack invites her over to his hotel to drink champagne, she says Jennifer advised her to stay away, his response is that then she probably should, but she ends up going anyways. They have some hot sex after which she ecstatically laughs and starts getting dressed to go back to work, but he convinces her to stay and offers her a glass of champagne, which she reluctantly takes, probably thinking he's a very bad influence. After that, they go to the rooftop and have a very sweet moment.
Valerie: Do you do this often? I mean invite women that you barely know onto hotel roofs?
Jack: Would you believe me if I tell you you're the first?
Valerie: Nope.
Jack: And hey, I do know you.
Valerie: What do you know?
Jack: I know this isn't your thing. But you're good at it. And you were laughing downstairs because you were happy and you haven't had a lot of those moments lately.
Valerie: No, I haven't.
When she's finally leaving after a second round he says he want to see her the next day, but she tells him she has plans with Harry. He takes it better than expected, he suggests she should beware of his drunk texting and asks her to come by afterwards, so they can both laugh about him.
Over at Laura's school Spencer tells her and Aubrey that he deleted the pictures from his "care-package" because he found out he's got six months to live. That intrigues Laura and she approaches him after class.
Laura: So six months, huh? What are you gonna do?
Spencer: I got a couple ideas.
Laura: Bucket list?
Spencer: When my life flashes before my eyes, I want to have done enough cool sh*t to give myself a show.
So later she tells Aubrey they should have a threesome with him. So, they go to Laura's house since both her mom and her uncle had plans. When Valerie sees them come in she smiles proudly, happy to see Laura getting along with new people.
Valerie: More friends.
Laura: Don't get too attached. Cancer kid.
So Valerie decides to blow off Harry and stay to make sure Spencer is alright, but then Jennifer texts and she caves, since spending time with her was one of the reason why she agreed to go to the lecture in the first place. But when she's about to go, she starts getting drunk messages from Harry and, on a whim, decides to drop by Jack's hotel room instead. But when she gets to the room, there's and old couple and no trace of Jack.
The episode ends with Alex drinking at his house and Sarah knocking on his door once again, this time to take shelter in him after the fight with Jordan, and they kiss.
The Magpie
The episode starts with a parallel of the three fo them in their beds, all alone except for Alex who is saying goodbye to Sarah, later Laura scolds him for being so loud.
Laura: Who was she anyways?
Alex: Someone in need.
Laura: A charity f*ck?
Alex: Just a girl who wanted to be loved.
Laura: Feels good to help people, doesn't it?
Alex: Yeah, it does.
Though it doesn't look like the attitude of someone that has been after something and finally gets it. When he goes to the office, he realizes everyone is under the impression that Fallon wronged him using him without his knowledge, which would be true if he hadn't been doing the exact same thing. Even Jordan apologizes to him for dragging him into the whole situation, he says he got rid of Fallon and everything will be alright, that he and Sarah were willing to work things out. So, surprised, he texts Sarah and she goes to his house, she says she can't throw everything away for him, because she doesn't trust him after the last time. They start fighting and they transition from being at each other's throats to being all over one another.
At school, Spencer suggests he wants another get-together but Aubrey refuses. She's clearly jealous and wants Laura all to herself, and to make that clear she kisses her in front of Valerie when she picks up Laura, which is a weird way to try to be taken seriously. So now Laura can't deny there's something going on there, and confides in her mother who, in a way is having the oposite problem.
Laura: Why is everyone obsessed with self-destruction? I mean, all I wanted was a friend, is that so unreasonable?
Valerie: She clearly has different expectations.
Laura: Well, then she should've said something. But no, instead, we sleep together and it automatically means something.
Valerie: To a lot of people it does mean something.
Laura: Why? No, really. Why can't I have sex with someone I like and just leave it at that?
Valerie: Well, I guess you can, but you can't resent them for having a different experience.
Laura: But I want to.
Valerie: Just talk to her, tell her how you feel. You know, I think you owe her that much.
Laura: I know how that conversation ends.
Valerie: It's not gonna go away. I know you wish it would, but it's not, and the more you're dishonest with her, the worse it's gonna get.
Laura: I know. God, I though it would be easier with a girl.
Valerie: Why would you ever think that?
But in spite all her mother's wise counsel, Laura decides to ignore Aubrey and invite Spencer to her jacuzzi.
At her office, Valerie's worried about Anthony, a patient who seems to have a violent relationship with his wife who controles him and once even threw him down the stairs, or so she thinks, but he tells her therapy is making his relationship worse, it makes his wife want throw plates at him so he stops the sessions instead of his marriage, which leaves her very concerned. She wants to have lunch with Jennifer to unload but she seems to be mad at her about how things turned out with Harry and Jack, so Valerie goes to lunch with Leia, who finally gets the girlfriend time she's so clearly been hoping for quite a while. Later, she goes home to find the house destroyed by Alex and Sarah's moment of passion, so she reprimands him for being so tupid and not thinking about the consequences of his actions.
Valerie: She's... she's a shiny object and you're a magpie. You know what happens to magpies?
Alex: They build fun little magpie nests full of trinkets for their magpie families?
Valerie: They get shot! The farmer shoots the magpie when it flies too close to the barn.
Alex: Now you've lost me.
But he tells her to mind her own business and goes to the office to check if everything's alright, and if finally Sarah broke up with Jordan. Turns out she did, and Jordan promises he will burn Snoogger to the ground. So Alex goes to a bar, finally understanding what all this mess could mean to him, consequences are catching up to him and it ain't pretty. When he gets home, Sarah's there waiting for him with her bags.
Jack texts Valerie that he's back, so she goes to his hotel room and tells him never to disappear on her again. The episode ends with a parallel of everyone in bed: Valerie with Jack, Laura spooning with Spencer and Alex hugging Sarah but with a traumatized look on his face.
So what did you think about these episodes? I would love to read your thoughts.
Note: English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes.
