Better Things Review: What Is Jeopardy? (Season 3 Episode 6)
On Better Things Season 3 Episode 6, “What Is Jeopardy?,” Sam tackles her unresolved feelings towards Xander.
The circumstances surrounding the demise of Sam’s marriage have never been front and center on Better Things. Viewers can safely assume Sam’s ex-husband failed to pull his weight as a provider or as a parent, given the current circumstances.
All we know is Sam does her best to shield her girls from their father’s less-flattering character traits, but the man always manages to shoot himself in the foot anyway.
It’s interesting how the girls refer to Xander as “my dad.” Most kids would just say “dad,” but Duke, Frankie, and Max compartmentalize Xander, dismissing his role as Sam’s husband. It’s as if by saying “my dad,” it means no matter what Sam has done or will do, she can’t f**k up that much at least.
You can interpret this as a passive-aggressive attempt, particularly on Frankie’s part, to get at Sam, or they are merely parroting back what they’ve heard from Sam for many years — “your father.”
Xander is rarely physically present, and his absence weighs heavily on all of his daughters. They tend to be more forgiving of his screw-ups than appreciative of their mom’s sacrifices. Frankie just ambushes Sam in the middle of dinner, demanding to know “Why did you leave my dad?” in such a hostile an accusatory way.
It’s no wonder Sam is experiencing disturbing dreams about her ex. This is a union that soured Sam on commitment, but she was emotionally invested in it long enough to conceive the three loves of her life.
So it’s heigh-ho, heigh-ho, off to the shrink she goes. Because nothing Sam does comes easily, her psychiatrist, Dr. Miller (Matthew Broderick), is an old “friend” from summer camp. For most people, it would be impossible to divulge their most personal thoughts to someone who ranks somewhere between mental health professional and childhood sweetheart.
Maybe it’s only in the company of a man who reignite feelings of young love is Sam able to let her guard down. When you think about Sam’s unabashed and unapologetic honesty when it comes to just about any other subject, her reluctance to discuss her marriage amplifies how completely screwed up it must have been.
We don’t see Sam’s session play out, but she walks away with a solution: call Xander and face the beast. They’re no longer married, but there’s a familiarity there — mostly mutual disgust.
Despite her revulsion (she actually pukes), Sam is determined to let this play out. We know she’s desperate because any other option would be preferable.
The end result isn’t what we expect which is the reality of relationships. The concept of closure is a self-help construct. Xander may very well find his way back into Sam’s dreams, but, for now, she’ll sleep easier.
What did you think of this episode of Better Things? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Better Things airs Thursdays at 10/9c on FX.
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.