Splitting Up Together - Sign Language - Review: 'The Old Lena'
20 Oct 2018
BW Reviews Splitting Up TogetherSplitting up Together returned this week and Martin and Lena try to put themselves in a bubble. Old issues resurface for the two as Martin believes Lena is fixed. Meanwhile, the Lisa Apple pregnancy mystery heats up and Maya tries dating without telling her new man she is pregnant. Let's Discuss!
It's a sign!
We pick up pretty much where last season's finale left off when Lena's symbolic picture fell on top of her after she slept with Martin. Lena starts to think it is a sign that it was a mistake, but Martin chalks it up to the fact she didn't use a drywall screw. This is the part I criticize Martin's behavior throughout the episode. He continually thinks that all their problems are fixed or rather Lena is fixed as if he had no ownership in what led to their divorce in the first place. Last season, Martin took steps to see that he may not have always been understanding towards Lena but here he seemed to retreat back into who he was in their marriage. Sure Lena is a bit type A to the extreme but that is who she is and he keeps referring to that as 'Old Lena' which is mildly insulting.
Lena decides to be spontaneous after talking to Maya and rents a beach house in Malibu with her credit card reward points and Martin is impressed. The two take off and Martin continues to avoid the signs that seem to keep showing up like the car being sluggish to start and the house not being at all what was advertised. Lena however is preoccupied with the fact that the house is not what she paid for and wants to prove it to get a refund. She tries to be easy breezy in front of Martin because he keeps saying the thing about 'Old Lena' but inside it is killing her that the hot tub doesn't function and the bed is a full and not a king. When Martin goes for a run, she immediately calls the rental agency to demand some kind of compensation. Martin comes home and is disappointed but this leads to a very honest moment between the two. Lena drops the facade and finally tells her ex-husband that she put a lot into this rental and wants him to care about what is upsetting her rather than dismissing it. She did this for them and it isn't what SHE envisioned. This finally wakes him up and he grabs the phone and lets the rental company have it for not being what was promised. I was so pleased Lena finally spoke her truth in a rational and caring manner and it seemed to resonate with Martin. Perhaps this can be a new start because like they said, they don't have the threat of divorce hanging over their head. Well except for the other huge issue of Lisa Apple.
Friends and Sister
Everything for Maya is pretty nice right now, she is pregnant and has started something with the dad Frank she met at Milo's party. She tells Lena she is just going to let things go as they will and doesn't feel the need to share the news of the bun in her oven with Frank just yet. That is all well and good until Frank praises how honest she is and the fact he hates liars after his divorce. I am not sure how I feel about Maya thinking it is okay to keep the pregnancy thing to herself with Frank. Sure, they just started dating but that is a huge secret to keep even if it is casual. It seems things aren't as simple as Maya thought.
The mystery of Lisa Apple continues and it is a bit disappointing that it is still not clear whether she is pregnant with Martin's child. This storyline was probably my least favorite aspect of the finale because it seems unnecessary to do this for several reasons. Martin and Lena just got divorced and he has said he didn't want to become a father again which is understandable but the fact Lisa may be pregnant shows that he wasn't as careful as he should have been regarding his wishes. Secondly, with the reconciliation of the two, it just isn't a storyline that was necessary to show a complication given that they have plenty of those on their own. I did love Arthur and Camille following her because it was funny, and when they loop Maya in after Lisa refuses to tell them if she is pregnant, it was good that they didn't keep it to themselves and popped Lena and Martin's bubble. I for one hope Lisa had a scare but is not pregnant and this storyline concludes because it would just be a bit too much to have her actually be pregnant for the sake of this family.
Some other notes:
* The scene with Lena's father and Martin was pretty funny but in a way true. Lena and Martin do seem to work better with their arrangement than they do married.
* Mason wanting to come home because a girl got hotter? Um not sure how I feel about that.
* Despite all their issues, the scene with Martin and Lena singing in the car was pretty cute right?
What did you think? Are Martin and Lena better divorced with no benefits? Is Maya fooling herself? Will we ever find out if Lisa Apple is pregnant? Let me know!
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