A Million Little Things: Season 2 – Episode 16 ‘Change Of Plans’ REVIEW

Nothing quite goes according to plan - and in turn that makes this episode more lifelike and realistic.

a million little things change of plans

‘Change of Plans’ is really one of the constants of life. You can plan all you want, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will follow the outline exactly. Sometimes, they even veer in other directions. That’s what this episode is about, showing that things don’t always go to plan, and it managed to do that in a constructive and realistic manner.

Cultured Vultures spoilers

Eddie faced the biggest “change of plans” this week. Between his sister Lindsay (Sprague Grayden), Dakota, and Katherine, Eddie’s world shifts significantly. Though, his performance is a perfect example of remaining calm in a crisis. Eddie has grown a lot since his massive screw-up of having an affair, and that growth is at the forefront. Eddie anxiously awaits his sister’s arrival. He hasn’t seen Lindsay in years, and that’s due to her alcoholism. Though claiming to be sober, Eddie and Katherine are still cautious of Lindsay, not wanting her alcoholism to affect Theo or Eddie, especially.

Watching Eddie kick out his sister upon finding cocaine was both relatable and painful to watch. Eddie doesn’t give Lindsay a chance to explain. The two were connecting and expressing how much they’d missed the others only moments before Eddie’s discovery of the cocaine. I understood Eddie’s heartbrokenness and disappointment, as well as a need to protect himself and his family, but I also thought he was a bit too ready to jump to conclusions. Lindsay’s actions up to that point in no way hinted that she was still abusing substances. However, Eddie has been through a lot, not just with his own alcoholism, but also with his sister, so kicking her out was a realistic performance and action on his part, motivated by years of hurt he’d received from her.

I suspected that the cocaine belonged to Dakota, and when that was confirmed, I cringed for Eddie. Thanks to Dakota, it led to a misunderstanding with Lindsay, and Dakota was rather ungrateful and mean to Eddie who insisted she didn’t need the cocaine. Dakota is putting not just her career but also Eddie’s at risk, exhibiting the same old behavior that has me questioning why Eddie still believes in her.

If she is so unwilling to change and accept help, he can’t force her to change. Dakota has the potential to be Eddie’s new project, meaning he’ll do what he can to keep her together, and possibly get her the help she needs, at least until their album is finished. However, Dakota could be Eddie’s downfall, especially if she’s abusing substances, placing Eddie dangerously close to his old lifestyle that he and Katherine worked so hard to change. Katherine is understandably concerned about Eddie being around Dakota given she’s got a substance problem, but since Katherine’s quit her job, they need that income even more so now.

That said, I was impressed with Katherine in ‘Change of Plans’. Her performance was real and meaningful. She stands up to her bosses, which is something few have the courage to do, questioning whether she’s been brought in on a current case because of her gender, as well as questioning why she was taken off another case for the same reason. She comes to the defense of Carter, her co-worker who is gay, when she learns the real reason why they were pulled off the case they worked so hard on together. Her excitement and pure joy were palpable as she returned home, Carter helping her with her things, expressing to Eddie how good she felt upon quitting her job and telling off her former bosses. I’ve never seen Katherine so happy, but she rarely does things in the heat of the moment, so I knew she’d second-guess herself later on.

That second-guessing only gets worse when Katherine learns of Dakota’s substance problem and what that could mean for Eddie, and Katherine questions if they’ll be alright. Eddie’s reassurances and being Katherine’s rock was another great example of Eddie coming through for his family. He’s willing to put himself at risk to keep his family afloat and allow his wife to pursue a better job, so I hope it pays off, and doesn’t land Eddie in hot water.

I appreciated that Gary and Maggie were off doing their separate things in ‘Change of Plans’, giving us a break from their drama. Gary, being the kid at heart that he is, takes Theo to enjoy some laser tag and runs into Darcy (Floriana Lima), a mom at Theo’s school who’s there with her son. I could see something akin to friendship developing between Gary and the serious, ex-military mom, despite the fact that she gave Gary quite a hard time. She even gave him a lesson in parenting when the boys have a disagreement during laser tag, which lightens things up between the two of them.

I found Theo’s freak-out over the rules of laser tag to be a telling performance, since it gives the audience an insight as to how he’s still processing his family’s indiscretions. Between Eddie’s affair and Charlie’s presence, Theo isn’t quite handling all the changes well and heavily relies upon structure and rules to a strict T. Working it out with his friend from school was a good lesson, given it teaches him to be more flexible and that some rules were meant to be broken, according to Gary (who hilariously receives a stern look from Darcy for saying such a thing).

Darcy, however, ultimately redeems herself by getting Gary the phone number of the woman behind the counter he’d been flirting with. Darcy could be a good friend/wingwoman in Gary’s future. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Darcy: she’s clearly helped Katherine through a lot given the context she offered Gary, and though they initially share an antagonistic relationship, she and Gary manage to smooth things over by the end of their laser tag session.

Gary may need Darcy, or at least the woman behind the counter, sooner than he thinks. Maggie is given the opportunity to go to Oxford University in England, something she was previously rejected from, and she accepts. If she leaves Boston, how would that affect Gary? Would he finally reveal his true feelings, or would he let her go and regret it?

Maggie was Delilah’s wingwoman, helping her chat things up with a man in the bar they went to. It’s ironic, given it was Maggie’s idea that they go out and have some fun. Initially believing the man is interested in Maggie, Delilah obliviously tries to hook them up, until Maggie realizes who he’s really attracted to and clues Delilah in. I thought it was unwise of Delilah to just start making out with someone she didn’t even know. Has she learned nothing? Her impulsive actions usually lead to disaster, and she’s got enough on her plate as it is. Maggie should know that better than anyone. Yes, they should let off some steam, but making out with strangers, and then driving off with them, after all Delilah’s been through shouldn’t be something Maggie pushes her to do. Although, it was funny to watch the two of them brush off one potential suitor by speaking French (Delilah more successfully than Maggie).

Rome and Regina are far too invested in Eve now, going the extra mile to track her down and break boundaries to ensure Eve’s safety. She’s their birth mother, and understandably, they’re concerned about her well-being. I loved that they were on the same page, and that they managed to trick Derek into signing his rights away, with Eve calling Regina “Wendy” as both a code to say she was in danger and to get Regina and Rome to go along with whatever lie she’d told Derek. There was one heart-stopping moment where Derek nearly caught them in the lie, which Regina handled smoothly. That’s no easy feat, but proves Regina’s going to be a great mother someday: remaining calm in a stressful situation, check.

The best part of Rome and Regina’s performances in ‘Change of Plans’? Watching them confront Derek as he storms into the restaurant, yelling and definitely exhibiting a threatening vibe. Obviously those anger management classes aren’t working. He’s furious that Eve’s gone and he doesn’t know where she is, and Regina’s threatening promise to Derek that she and Rome would never stop coming for him was pretty intense. Instead of backing down, they stood together, and Rome stood in front of Regina, either to protect her, keep her from clawing Derek’s eyes out, or both.

I’m sure their drama with Derek is far from over. Someone like him doesn’t give up so easily. Until next time, at least, this battle has been won by Rome and Regina. I’m worried about what Derek may do next, either threatening their safety or Eve’s, but it’s a problem for another episode.

Speaking of problems for future episodes, Lindsay introduced a mysterious one about an old lake house before the end of ‘Change of Plans’. Apparently there was an accident and they haven’t returned since, so what does it mean? Why does Lindsay bring it up now? Before Eddie can question her further, Theo calls for him, so it’s something to uncover for later, which will no doubt bring another bombshell.

Catch up on our previous A Million Little Things reviews here.

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a million little things change of plans
Verdict
Between impressive performances, realistic plots, and the potential of a new mystery, “Change of Plans” was nothing less than brilliant. It introduced new characters and continued storylines, like Dakota’s and Theo’s struggles, with ease that made for a well-paced episode.
8.5