A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Unleashed
Jasmine Blu
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Only AMLT would devote an entire hour to a group of friends dropping everything to find a missing dog.
You wouldn't think there was a lot of material to mine for such a quest, and yet A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 6 milked the heck out of it for all it was worth.
It wasn't a bad thing; it was a classic A Million Little Things thing.
The good news is the massive pooch formerly known as Colin is alive and safe, so there will be no rioting or profanity. It could've have gone a lot differently if the show killed off the dog.
However, they may give him away, and it's proof of how AMLT won't let us have good things without a caveat.
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Colin's disappearance was the rising action leading to the Maggie/Gary climax argument. Gary's words were scathing, and where the two of them go from here is hard to say.
Accidents happen, no doubt, but the manner in which Maggie lost Colin would have anyone seeing red. It's also coming off of the confirmation that Colin irritates Maggie a lot.
She didn't mean to lose him on purpose, but the negligence irks more when you're aware of her mixed feelings about Colin.
How long are we going to stand here before anyone tells me who this random kid is?
Gary
She somehow got distracted answering the phone and decided to unleash Colin, while standing in the middle of the sidewalk, instead of heading inside first.
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Colin is a Mastiff. They are huge dogs, and it seems irresponsible to have big dogs like that unleashed in a public setting anyway, so the scene was twice as grating.
She then failed to look around or watch him while she was on the phone and assumed all 100-something pounds of him followed her up the stairs.
Gary was upset, but he didn't become livid until she mentioned she was speaking to Eric when everything happened. As the day went on, and his worry increased, Gary's ire did too.
Maggie: Tell me how you really feel.
Gary: OK, you wanna know how I really feel? I thought watching your mother try to replace your brother with a complete stranger was the most pathetic thing I'd ever seen until I saw you do it.
Maggie: You know what I am sorry I lost your dog but don't make me want to leave too.
Maggie's Colin error only scratched the surface of her issues with Gary. They -- or rather Gary-- unpacked some of it with Eddie, but I fully expected Maggie to break up with him by the end of the hour.
It still feels like their relationship is tenuous and too strained to sustain itself right now.
Gary has expressed that Maggie is distant and slipping away from him. Fortunately, he came right out with how she's been hiding her relationship with Eric.
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It had to be frustrating for him. Had Eric not tipped her off about seeing Gary at the Amateur Night, would she have told him she thought about going? Would she have told him she saw Eric that day instead of going to the group?
Gary: What is he doing here?
Maggie: He was just dropping off this sheet music.
Gary: OK, maybe I'm not being clear. What is he doing in our life?
Maggie: He's not in our life.
Gary: Actually, you're right. He's not in our life. He's in your life, and you had him over at our apartment. And you were on the phone with him this morning. And I'm pretty sure you saw him yesterday when he gave you that flyer. And you know what the worst part is? You're hiding it.
Maggie: It's not that I'm hiding it, it's just hard to explain.
Gary: Try!
Maggie: After all the stuff with my mother, I just, I missed Chad, OK.
Gary: And Eric is helping you with that?
If Eric is giving her something that she's searching for and Gary or no one else can provide, it's up to them to figure out what that means and how they feel about it, but in keeping her relationship secret, it makes it appear worse than it is.
It was unmerciful of him to call her pathetic and call her out for how she was behaving like her mother with her obsession with Eric.
However, it was not untrue. If ever there was a time to channel Randall Pearson's iconic "I apologize for the tone, but the content holds," it was then.
Gary didn't say anything we weren't already thinking ourselves, but his delivery was harsh.
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Maggie and Gary's friction was noticeable to everyone. Their friends saw it, but Eric did too.
Now that Maggie doesn't need saving, I don't know what I'm supposed to be for her anymore. I thought our greatest challenge was beating cancer, at least we were fighting the same thing. Now we're just fighting each other.
Gary
Gary listened to the sage advice Eddie provided, and he apologized to Maggie, but there is damage there. They still aren't talking to each other and figuring things out, and until they can find a way to get on the same page, maybe they should take a break from one another.
Gary's is realizing that now that cancer isn't an issue, he doesn't know what to be for Maggie. Breast cancer gave them something to overcome and battle together.
He spent so much time fighting for her to live that he doesn't know what to do now that she is.
They're in the clear healthwise, and all they're left with is each other.
I got to say something here. Today was one of the worst, awful crap days of my life. It's also one of the most incredible. Because I am reminded that I have the greatest friends in the world. I love you. All of you.
Gary
When you go through something traumatic with someone, it binds you together.
But Maggie and Gary fast-forwarded through their relationship. They still don't *know* each other.
They met, Maggie beat cancer, and they moved in together within a year. They never dated or courted each other. They jumped right into the deep end.
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And from Maggie's perspective, she has immersed herself into the lives of a close-knit group with more issues than Psychology Today who are all over the age of 30.
She's in the prime time of her life where she's finding herself, and now that she knows there is more life to live, now, she has to explore what that means for her.
She didn't allow herself to consider it before. As adorable as Gary and Maggie are, it may be best if they take a break from one another on a romantic level.
We can trust they'll find their way back to each other again. You can't doubt the love there, but they have issues they need to work on.
Rome: I know you really want to do this, but Maggie knows you from therapy, and with Gary being all upset about Colin, what no one needs right now is you asking a bunch of questions. So if we are going to do this--Gina: C'MON GUYS!
Rome: Which apparently we are, then I'm going to need you to promise me that you are going to keep your mouth shut.
PJ: I'm an awkward teenager battling depression. Keeping my mouth shut is kinda my thing.
PJ finding Gary was a relief, but we were sucker-punched with the reminder that Colin was a missing dog before Gary found him. He belonged to another family.
It's bothersome that Maggie supports Delilah lying about Charlie, but she took it upon herself to tell Gary about Colin's first family after she advised Eddie to keep it to himself.
Instead of addressing any of their issues, at the end of an emotional day, she showed an emotionally spent Gary the flier.
It felt like retaliation for what he said. It seemed like since she lost Eric, she subconsciously thought Gary had to lose something too.
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Poor Eric is a great guy. All he did was respond to a letter, and he had upturned everyone's lives without meaning to do so.
He almost spoke about the mistakes he made with his fiancee, and he appeared distraught when looking at her photo.
We know Sutton Foster was cast as his fiancee, so his story isn't over, and there is more to it.
He may be another extension of their group, like PJ.
PJ hit it off well with Sophie, and their scene when she shared the story of how she and Jon shared boxes of Good & Plenty and had a special ritual was the sweetest moment of the hour.
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Without realizing it, she was able to share this meaningful thing with PJ who thinks he's her brother.
PJ has worked his way into the group by being himself. He's a decent kid, and he gelled well with the others.
Gina was already 'shipping him and Sophie until Rome told her the truth, and his stalker, overbearing father thought they were cute too.
PJ isn't just some random kid I met at the hospital. He thinks he might be Jon's son. So do I.
Rome
How long is this DNA test supposed to take? Sheesh! Depending on the outcome, he and Sophie could have a cute friendship or whatever. Sadly, he's the only person her age who asks about her father.
PJ serving as a "cautionary tale" only works if the others were aware of him. Hopefully, they'll speed that along. Eddie was able to spend time with his daughter again, but he gave it up to help find Colin.
The most contrived aspect of this hour regarding Colin's disappearance is how Eddie gave up spending time with his daughter and Katherine stepped in to babysit. What?
Somehow the series has managed to salvage Eddie's character and make him more likable.
We should stop hugging. I remain determined to be the one member of this friend group you haven't slept with.
Gary
However, during this hour they set it up like he's "the new Jon," to Gary especially, and given the circumstances, it's cringeworthy and offputting.
It worked with Gary trying to fill the Jon void a bit during A Million Little Things Season 1, but Eddie's growth and maturity does and should not hinge on him being a Jon. Pardon the inadvertent pun.
Jon and Gary always had a special bond, which is part of why Gary took his death the hardest. Jon was Gary's anchor, and Eddie filled the void.
No one has been able to fill it since Jon's death, and Gary has spent most of the past year trying to do it for everyone else.
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It was Eddie's way of returning the favor. Gary let Eddie know that their friendship could evolve and reshape itself too. It was endearing and a genuine moment of connection -- part of what makes the series so great.
Delilah: You sure Katherine is OK with you watching Charlie?
Eddie: Totally. She's been so supportive. Somehow, someway, we're getting there. And how's Andrew and his incredible quaff.
Delilah: His quaff is great.
It only works if they all look out for each other, right? I suppose it was something the series needed -- to show the group rallying around Gary when he spent so long trying to be supportive of everyone else.
How it happened was "extra" as the kids say, but AMLT has been leaning heavily into its soap opera vibes.
Katherine wanted to help since Gary was (kind of) supportive(ish) to her during her yearlong rough patch.
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Now that she is no longer on the partner track, she has ample time to take off of work, miss meetings, and head to the Dixon home to babysit her husband's baby.
Don't let her or anyone else judge you or me. You didn't do anything wrong.
Katherine
Saint Katherine strikes again. Are there women like her who exist? She didn't hesitate when volunteering.
She's so gracious it hurts. It's unrealistic how OK she is about things. It almost gets to the point where it seems like a character flaw.
Is it extreme grace or a level of self-sacrificing that needs work?
Delilah was shocked by Katherine's willingness to allow Eddie to watch Charlie, but it didn't compare to seeing the woman in Charlie's nursery looking after her while everyone was away.
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Katherine needed to face this baby if she planned to work things out with Eddie. It's commendable she was able to do it so soon, and she jumped in feet first with babysitting her alone.
Don't let her or anyone else judge you or me. You didn't do anything wrong.
Katherine
It was such a contrived way to get her to this point, though. She took off of work to babysit so Eddie could help Gary find his dog.
It's like the adult version of "the dog ate my homework."
She's tender with Charlie, and it gives merit to the show creator stating that Charlie is the little girl Katherine wanted.
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Did she want more children? Can she not have any?
The woman at the park was an idiot. If I sat next to someone and they told me half of what Katherine told her, I would've pulled out snacks and tuned in to hear the full story.
Katherine would be my new best friend, and I would invite myself over to the next group gathering so I could see this soap opera in person.
You don't run away when someone tells you that the child they're watching is their husband's lovechild with one of your friends. You stay to hear all the damn details!
It was touching when Katherine told Charlie not to let anyone ever judge her. She doesn't fault the child for her existence, and it's the way it should be.
Katherine: Delilah, you and I know that Jon is not here because he couldn't share what he was. He thought keeping all of his dark secrets to himself was best. Obviously, it wasn't. What if we're doing the same thing? Making a huge mistake by hiding our secrets?
Delilah: What are you saying?
Katherine: I'm starting to think that we should tell the kids the truth.
While Katherine's level of acceptance and quick forgiveness of Delilah is a lot to take in most of the time, the dynamic between these women can have potential.
Since Katherine isn't the type to kick her ass, and we're expected to embrace the two of them becoming something akin to family, there's a chance Katherine will be the real, honest, no-nonsense "friend" Delilah needs.
For all the talk about how guilty Delilah feels over keeping this secret about Charlie's paternity, she looks to everyone else to reassure her she's doing the right thing.
Katherine: Back when Eddie was getting sober, I didn't want to drink in front of him, so after a long day, I would stop by Jon's office. This was our thing. We'd drink and share.
Delilah: I didn't know that, but I'm not surprised. I mean, Jon always said that he saw himself in you.
She's grown accustomed to everyone placating her. Gina, Maggie, and the others do it all the time, and she spent the day with Andrew, and he did the same.
Katherine isn't with that shit, and Delilah couldn't handle it.
With everyone else, she could claim she wasn't telling anyone the truth out of respect for her children. She makes herself a martyr in that regard when it probably has more to do with her not wanting her kids to think less of her because of her actions.
Delilah's lies are always self-serving and selfish, and this is no different. She also avoids conflict like the plague; it's all the funnier given she's usually behind most of it.
Delilah: What's that?
Andrew: St Jude. Patron Saint of Lost Causes.
Delilah: He sounds perfect for me.
Most of the people she's telling this to don't have children, so they go along with it. However, not only does Katherine have a child, but she's directly affected by these lies.
Leave it to Katherine to tell it to Delilah straight. True to form, Delilah couldn't handle it.
Did you see her face when Katherine told her they need to stop the lies and tell the kids the truth? Did you hear the way she banged that glass on the table? She was livid.
Speaking of that glass, Jon did leave Katherine a gift after all. It's, we'll say "unfortunate" that the timing was never right for her to receive it.
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Why was that, Delilah? Not to harp on this, but if Katherine didn't go back to Delilah's house and do her a solid by babysitting, would she have ever gotten her gift?
Delilah: I hope I'm doing the right thing. Sometimes I worry that I'm not. You OK?
Andrew: Yeah, it's just I haven't really told you everything ether. I know I told you Deborah died three years ago, but the truth is she's still alive.
It would have made a decent icebreaker at any point, yes?
Finally, we got to hear more about the friendship between Jon and Katherine via Katherine. It's too bad we never got flashbacks of the two of them.
He saw himself in Katherine. It makes you feel for both of them even more. The parallels between Katherine and Jon and the difference in how others responded to them has always been captivating.
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Delilah doesn't extend the same energy given to her, so she did not drop everything to search for Colin.
She spent the day speaking with Dr. Jennifer Ashton about suicide on a podcast. Ashton was a lovely addition to the hour.
It's a pity there wasn't more of their scenes together. A conversation of this magnitude needed more time to flesh it out. It was good, but it could've been spectacular and moving if there was more to it.
It felt like we missed out on the gritty conversation that resonates with people, and it skipped to Delilah having to lie on air about Charlie.
This is a club no one wants to join.
Dr. Ashton
It was a highly-anticipated scene. It was content I couldn't wait for the series to delve into; it would've been powerful.
Instead, it was like we got the tail end of the conversation and then the Charlie stuff.
Even though we only got a short soundbite, it was poignant.
How do we feel about Andrew? Many fans were suspicious of him and his motives, and we found out he was lying, but not in an unexpected way.
Andrew's wife isn't dead; he's hoping she's part of the one percent who beats the odds. It was an incredible and moving line.
Andrew: There is the one neurologist who says she has a one percent chance of waking up. I live inside that one percent. I have to. I don't think anyone will understand. That's why I lie about it because sometimes lying is the only way I make it through the day.
Delilah: I do understand. I lie so that my kids can get through their day.
He knows she's gone, but he isn't ready to let go. It's a pattern for every single person who graces the screen of this series.
It was the rawest and sympathetic Andrew has ever been. Regina may be trying to buy him out (does he know about it or not?), but his connection to Delilah is a lasting one.
Andrew's honesty brought them closer together, and he didn't judge her for being a liar because of him being one too.
His honesty, tender moments with his wife (and hell, maybe even the fact that he still has one) seemed to make him more appealing than ever to Delilah.
It wouldn't be a surprise if their friendship develops into something else. They are not ready to date, but there's something else between them.
Over to you, AMLT Fanatics!
It's a lot to discuss, so hit the comments below, and let's discuss it!
You can watch A Million Little Things online here via TV Fanatic.
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
