A Million Little Things Review: coming home (Season 2 Episode 1)

A TV show is usually at its best when written by its creator, and the best episodes of television are grounded in authentic realism rather than sensationalism. A Million Little Things Season 2 Episode 1, “coming home,” satisfies both of these requirements. 

It’s one of the most beautiful TV episodes I’ve watched in recent memory.

There are no gimmicks like huge time leaps backward, horrible car crashes in the midst of Charlotte’s birth thanks to extreme weather, or earthshattering secret revelations in the final seconds of the episode.

There are small flashbacks in time as certain characters need the memories, but they’re only meant to enhance the episode’s present-day narrative, not distract from it.   

There is also a pretty big reveal that Eddie and Delilah thought would be earthshattering, but of course their friends know Eddie is Charlotte’s father without many people having to say it out loud. 

That’s what makes A Million Little Things, and this hour of TV in particular, so refreshing.

The kids still don’t know and that might cause drama in the future. But the story doesn’t rely on the revelation of Charlotte’s parentage or the fighting that could’ve resulted from it as a source of conflict. 

The fact that Charlotte exists at all is enough tension to propel the series through Season 1 and beyond.

Trying to convince viewers that anyone beyond Katherine (and Rome, for brilliant comic effect) is shocked or angry by who gave Charlotte half of her DNA would’ve been a waste of screen time. 

But let’s back up and discuss Katherine. She’s in an utterly impossible situation. 

She loves Eddie and wants to forgive him for his mistakes. She’s basically at the point of forgiveness when Eddie throws the biggest baby-shaped curveball at her.

Of course she’s not going to see it coming. Jon’s dead — she has no ally outside of her marriage to turn to while trying to save a relationship shattered by this affair. There is no one to point out her potential roadblocks to happiness who knows how betrayed she feels. 

I’d go to my mother’s house (or a cave made entirely of ice cream) too. 

It’s impossible to think clearly about something as big as continuing your marriage while your husband fathers another woman’s child when you have a son to raise — who thinks his half-sister is more like a cousin. 

Overall, the reveal is done well. Eddie and Katherine’s conversation is intimate; no secrets are accidentally spilled when someone spills the gravy at family dinner or anything like that.  

One possible misstep the episode makes in the aftermath is potentially villainizing Katherine for leaving Theo. 

Spoiling him to distract herself or express love is understandable, but then she leaves without us seeing her give him any explanation as to why on-screen.  

I understand that the biggest mystery for viewers during the episode is about where Katherine is and if she’ll come home. But there is no need for us to wonder if she’s abandoned Theo forever. The luggage and whisper of “sorry” while exiting via the back door is just…a lot. 

As authentic as the drama on this episode is, it’s television, so I need to give it some leeway. 

Please note, however, that Katherine is the most villainized character on A Million Little Things so far and she doesn’t deserve it.

She deserves to go find someone who will hug her because her husband conceived a child outside of their marriage and that has made saving it exponentially harder. 

Let Katherine get her hug. And some wine. 

A Million Little Thoughts

• Maggie and Gary’s fight is the perfect size for a couple moving in together after one of them discovers her cancer is in remission. Other dramas should learn from the fact that it’s resolved by the end of the episode — not used as a cheap cliff. 
• Jon’s vasectomy is the perfect, easy way to introduce how Gary knew who Charlotte’s father was all along. 
• Regina just knows because she’s a good friend with intuition, but the scene where Delilah says “Thank you for not asking me” is a great representation of friendship on-screen. Especially because she refuses to let Delilah even think that she ever lied about who Charlotte’s father is.  
• Rome is amazing comic relief on the episode, but he still somehow perfectly represents the realities of being black for viewers.
• Friends tell their new mom friends’ annoying, possibly racist lactation specialists to shut their faces. Who else will? 
• That “Baby’s First Selfie” moment is so awkward it has to have happened to people in real life. 

What did you think of this episode of A Million Little Things? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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A Million Little Things airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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