"Paul is ruinng it. I just want to be normal and cheat on my husband without feeling guilty about it."
Genetically Inferior Beta Males
Gretchen and Justina are having a silent contest instead of a session, when she decides to ask if Jimmy's dad dying had stirred up any feelings about her parents, she denies it but then she goes on a rant about her mother.
Gretchen: If I biffed a tennis match, she would take away my sheets and pillows. But that is what made me strong. My friends had chill parents who didn't push them, and now they're all unmotivated babies.
So, against Justina's advice, she decides to mother everyone she knows onto the right path, she starts with Jimmy who hasn't been writing and is focused on a game called Zoo Entrepreneur, so she takes out his router. He tries to write but it proves impossible.
Jimmy: Ever since my dad's roast, I've felt odd, just aimless, but suddenly awakened, like I'm accessing areas of my brain that have been shut off for years. I feel like Bradley Cooper in that movie...
Edgar: Aloha.
Jimmy: Limitless.
This sends him to have a day in nature (the closest thing to his dear Zoo) in a reservoir nearby, where he tries to socialize with people and dogs alike, and even plays basketball with some guys until he sprains his ankle. So he asks Vernon for help, since he doesn't have insurance. Vernon tells him it's the perfect time for him to guest on his Podcast "Vernon Down The House", Jimmy says he doesn't like podcasts but then he realizes, before that day, he thought he didn't like dogs or sports, so he accepts the invitation. Mainly to keep avoiding his writing, even though he has a deadline.
Meanwhile, Lindsay's in bed with Raul as Paul reads a magazine and makes comments on it next to them, which kills her mood. Later she meets with Gretchen who's willing to solve her problems momma-style. Lindsay complains she doesn't want Paul present anymore, she just wants to cheat on her husband without feeling guilty. So, Gretchen gives her a pep talk about talking what she wants, and this sends her to be "honest" one more time, she tells Paul that, for his sake, maybe he shouldn't be around when she's with Raul and convinces him every woman fantasies about it. So he makes some research about a similar fetish and shows up with a cage for his penis, and invites Raul and a friend over. I really don't know what is Paul's limit, I know we're all expecting him to explode, but the moment never comes, I just hope they don't perpetuate his suffering until the end of the season, it's too painful to watch.
Paul: Certain men intuit that they are genetically inferior beta males. So they are aroused by watching their partners copulate with someone with superior DNA, e.g. Raul. The cage symbolizes the cuck's sexual inferiority and sexual unworthiness. By associating sexual arousal with extreme pain, my body will slowly learn that I do not deserve erotic satisfaction.
Edgar, on the other hand, is focused on making funny videos for his veteran friends about Dr. Weed, a character he created (probably based on Vernon), so Gretchen decides to play manager to him and tries to make him spread on social media, so she makes him accept to give an interview to a journalist who'd asked him in the video comments. But when they get there, Edgar freaks out about the production the guy has: "This is all fancier than I expected. They got a blue screen, like Tosh.0". But then he relaxes and opens up to the camera, Desmin Borges kills it once again in this scene with his hopeful face. I'm glad they managed to bring his storyline in with the others.
Edgar: I have tried a bunch of treatments, but nothing has fixed my PTSD. Lately though, I found that smoking pot has been really effective. I even kind of feel like a person again. I don't know if marihuana works for everyone, but it seems to be working for me.
Jimmy is also astonished by the production value of Vernon's podcast, which apparently has around 20.000 subscribers. I'm glad we get to see Vernon and Becca in a different environment, I hope we get more of them. So Vernon and his sidekick (co-host), start asking very personal questions, they get him talking about his father's death and psychoanalyze him, they tell him maybe Ronny was the reason why he needed attention enough to become a writer.
Jimmy: Yes, I did become a writer to make him angry.
Vernon: So, it he's gone, why are you still living your life in reaction to him?
Jimmy: So if I'm not writing, because I have no one to write against anymore,... who am I? I can start over now. Not in reaction to anyone, but in accordance to my authentic self, whomever I was meant to be!
Edgar is mad at Gretchen, because it turned out the guy was a marihuana activist who edited Edgar's words to get the message he wanted out. So they have a heated discussion, that ends in Edgar telling Gretchen he hates her.
Edgar: You got me in with the pot people. They're the worst people. Worse than people who study abroad or atheists or...
Gretchen: What about children of celebrities who pretend that it didn't help their careers?
Edgar: These pot activists leech off people with legitimate problems in order to further their agenda, which is just getting high! Why did you make me do this?
Gretchen: I was looking out for your best interests.
Edgar: Yeah, well, I'm done with Dr. Weed.
Gretchen: Hey! If I quit every time my mother pushed me to do something hard I would've... Okay, well, I guess I did quit eventually to start doing drugs and having unprotected sex with college boys.
Edgar storms out and, in that moment Jimmy walks in thanking her for making him get out into the world, that now he wants to find his new purpose, starting with making a tree house. And Lindsay texts her a bunch of emojis portraying her dire situation, making her realize all she did was create chaos in everyone's life. So, she goes to stalk Justina one more time to have a real session this time but in a bar. I'm glad we keep seeing more of Samira Wiley and I hope she does help Gretchen work through some issues.
Gretchen: Actually, that was the first time I fell into a depression. It was after a tennis match and I had won, but not by enough, 'cause it was never enough. And my mom was doing this food withholding thing. I think she saw something about it on a TV sow as a way to controle your dog or something.
So, what did you guys think of this episode? How soon do you think Paul will blow up? Are you interested in Gretchen exploring previous trauma? Her mom sounds awful. I'd love to read your thoughts.
Note: English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes.
