“Goodnight”, indeed. Unexpected things happen in life, and this episode is a strong reminder of that. Sometimes you just need to take a step back, especially in times of shock and grief, but this is the last thing the characters did.
Rome and Regina are initially fearing PJ’s reaction to the news that Jon is his father in addition as to how they will tell Delilah, but this turns out to be the least of their worries when Rome’s mother unexpectedly dies. She had just mentioned that she wanted him to get along with his father, which is what he sets out to do. It’s no easy feat – from the moment she dies, Rome takes on more responsibility than he should alone. That includes taking care of his father.
It’s sweet that Rome’s father wants to keep a promise to his wife, but it means rushed funeral plans and subsequently a few days of nonstop moving to get everything done on time. Rome’s father and brother put most of the weight on Rome to get everything done, and to take care of them.
It’s a good thing Rome has Regina to rely upon in his time of need in “Goodnight” – the two of them truly are couples’ goals. She worries about him but he reassures her that this is a different kind of feeling-his grief will fade a little more day by day, unlike his depression, and he knows this is something he can overcome, as long as he has her. That moment was the real tear-jerker of the episode.
PJ also helps Rome find some comfort amidst the madness of the reception following the funeral. In a way, PJ’s presence is like an echo of Jon’s in that he’s there when the group needs support the most.
Rome’s mother left a great impact. She was the glue that held their family together, and it seems that duty has now fallen to Rome, as his brother is unable to take on the role and his father doesn’t know how.
Family dynamics were complicated for Rome in “Goodnight” as he tried to be there for his brother and father in the best way he could. From home movies he finally sees something memorable his father did for him as a child that Rome never knew about, and he realizes there’s more to his father than meets the eye. This is a step in the right direction for the two to mend their relationship, especially now when they need each other more than ever. If the two are more open with one another, it will open doors and break away the walls that have been placed over the years, and it will help them heal.
The saddest thing about Rome’s mother dying so suddenly is that she never got to go on her dream cruise, but at least her husband can. Sometimes the best way to celebrate a life is to do something in their honor.
Meanwhile, “Goodnight” had Delilah struggling with the fact that she’s been cornered in lately. Katherine practically threatens Delilah with legal action, to which Delilah begs Katherine to just be a good person. It’s clear in “Goodnight” that Katherine is fully ready to support her husband (she’s even wearing her ring again) and that she’ll go the distance to do whatever it takes to ensure he gets a relationship with Charlie.
Delilah is acting somewhat skittish as she says her plans have been cancelled, thus cancelling her plans with Eddie to watch Charlie when really Delilah just took her daughter to work instead. She doesn’t want to face Eddie and Katherine, and she doesn’t know how to. When Sophie innocently lets it slip that she, Delilah, Danny and Charlie will likely be spending the summer in France, it causes a world of chaos for their complicated triangle.
It may look like Delilah’s getting ready to pack her bags and take Charlie from Eddie, but I wasn’t entirely convinced of that. Delilah is overwhelmed and feels like no one at home is supporting her, especially her best friend Regina. She’s been dealing with plenty of heavy stuff from her husband’s suicide to the fallout of her affair over the past year. It’s time to get out of that environment, take a break and do something different. That’s completely understandable.
The thing is, Katherine and Eddie don’t see it that way and make things far more complicated than need be. I could see where they were coming from but they didn’t necessarily have all the facts – they just assumed what Delilah’s next move would be and why. Eddie’s already taking the serious initiative of researching complaints to establish paternity, which will cause a whole new world of hurt for Delilah.
Delilah doesn’t even seem to realize what she’s doing could be construed as “running away” until Regina asks her about it. It’s clear that going to France isn’t malicious – it’s just a reprieve she needs to think things over and go back to something happy and familiar.
Sophie’s more into running away than her mother is. She’s still clearly embarrassed following last week’s blunderous episode and just wants to get away from PJ and anything that reminds her of that humiliating moment. She and Delilah share a sweet mother-daughter moment in which Sophie tells her mother everything while Delilah reassures her. No matter how old Sophie gets, she will always need her mother, and this is something Delilah needs to be reminded of during a time in which she fears losing her children because of her secret.
The end of “Goodnight” ended on something of a cliffhanger as Delilah faces Regina and wants to know why she was never told PJ was the son of Barbara Morgan. She’d just run into Barbara’s husband Mitch at the elevator, who was looking for PJ. Once Delilah knows the truth about PJ, she’ll surely share that bit of information with her kids-she’d probably rather tell them about PJ than Charlie, of course.
PJ disappeared after finding the results of the DNA test in Rome’s apartment. His reaction will surely be a focused topic in the next episode. Plus, the reactions of Barbara and Mitch, Delilah and her kids and the rest of the gang will provide plenty of angst and drama, giving them all something to consider. This new bit of information could make or break the group – Regina feared Delilah’s reaction and had plenty of opportunities to tell her friend about PJ. Granted she was sidetracked by the death of her husband’s mother, but she still could’ve pulled her friend aside before Delilah found out PJ was Barbara’s son, the first piece of information that will likely lead to the rest.
PJ knows his mother and Mitch declined to take the money Jon left for them. With the extra money he will need to go to his dream school, which he just learned he was accepted to, Barbara should stop being selfish and take the money so PJ can pursue his dreams without financial strain. I wouldn’t be surprised if this topic were to be revisited in the near future.
Lastly, the Maggie and Gary drama is apparently not quite over. It’s honestly starting to get old. Again, Maggie went behind Gary’s back and revisited an application she sent for a fellowship at Oxford. She claims she didn’t tell him because she believed she wouldn’t be accepted, but that sounds like a phony excuse. Has she learned nothing? Why can’t she just tell Gary these things? He’s proven time and time again that he’ll support her through anything – what more does he have to do to get that message through?
On the other hand, Gary’s track record of honesty isn’t so crystal clear in “Goodnight” either. He’s fired from his job and it’s Regina who finds out first, based on the fact that his stuff is in a box in the back of his car. Of course Gary doesn’t want to bring up that bit of news during this difficult time, but keeping it hidden isn’t the best resolve.
Gary must’ve known his job was in jeopardy. Why didn’t he say something? If not to Maggie, then to someone else in his friend group? Is his loss of a job perfect timing, since Maggie may be on her way to London? Would he go with her? What would that kind of change mean for their relationship? If nothing else, he and Maggie have seriously got to better handle their communication skills.
Catch up on our previous A Million Little Things reviews here.
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