A Million Little Things Review: Band of Dads (Season 1 Episode 2)

A very remarkable improvement from the premiere,  A Million Little Things Season 1 Episode 2, “Band of Dads” shows the friends uniting to support Jon’s family in more ways than one — bearing bagels, a roll of paper towels, and delivering an impromptu father-daughter dance.

A Million Little Things starts finding its footing by piecing together the emotional sides that seemed scattered in A Million Little Things, Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot.”

With sprinkles of humor, the air of heaviness is subdued. We see a more organic interaction between the characters, and the storylines blending seamlessly.

Part of why a show works is the music, and this episode delivers just the right scores for the right moods, and in the right tempo, in ways that intertwine the interests of the viewers with the emotions of the characters.

The show fields a realistic, though somewhat aspirational depiction of friendship by having the group come together to provide physical and emotional support to Jon’s wife and kids.

The aspirational part mostly comes to play when one considers how the men are each campaigning to have the father-daughter dance with Sophie on short notice. That is true love right there.

Speaking of the dance, watching Rome step into Jon’s shoes and averting what would have been a disappointment to Sophie, brings happy tears.

What is interesting on this episode is that the show is taking the time to have the characters reflect on Jon’s death, while also advancing the storylines.

We see Eddie and Delilah dealing with the guilt of the possibility that their secret affair may have contributed to Jon’s death.

The mystery surrounding Jon’s death has everyone, including Jon’s little boy, Danny, wondering if they indirectly contributed. This is exactly what happens when people try to make sense of inexplicable situations.

We begin to gain a better insight into the characters’ personalities.

Gary has a great sense of humor, and gives a good pep talk; Rome loves to deflect, and keeps his emotions bottled-up.

Rome: Behind every smile is another story

For Eddie, it is hard to have him in the good books because of his affair with Delilah, but beneath the betrayal lies a man who is not proud of his indiscretions.

One of the wins from this episode comes from the way Danny’s coming out is handled like a walk in the park.

One would expect Gary to give him the talk about being too young, or about it being a phase, but we see a genuine acceptance, which is refreshing, and highlights the progressive nature of the show.

In reality, no circle of friendship is perfect, and that is what we see with the myriad of secrets these friends have been keeping from one other.

What will happen to the group when the secret love affair between Eddie and Delilah are revealed? Is that why Jon committed suicide? Can Ashley be trusted? Why didn’t Jon include Delilah as one of his beneficiaries? Who is Barbara, one of Jon’s beneficiaries?

Slowly but surely, these unanswered questions, and the mystery surrounding Jon’s death have made room for suspense and potential drama as the season unfolds.

If A Million Little Things can avoid a lackluster execution of the many bits of stories it has introduced, it has the potential to become a fan favorite in the not-so-distant future.

What did you think of A Million Little Things Season 1 Episode 2, “Band of Dads?” Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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A Million Little Things airs Wednesdays 10/9c on ABC.

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