Bless This Mess Review: Omaha (Season 2 Episode 3)

Bless This Mess Season 2 Episode 3, “Omaha,” puts Mike and Rio on separate adventures, but they ultimately have the same revelations. They both learn to drop the facade around their closest friends and own up to their shortcomings.

I’ll start by saying, it is a surprise when I start up the episode and see a parental warning about adult situations and a rating of TV-14. From my viewings of the show, I feel things are usually kept pretty tame. While there are typically a decent amount of sexual jokes, they don’t get overly crude.

The topics of gynecological exams and sex partners are discussed openly throughout the episode, but I feel it is done tastefully. With sex being shoved in everyone’s face these days, I feel like these things should be discussed openly instead of kept as a deep, dark secret only brought to light when there is a problem. Instead, the show gets slapped with a warning like it is an episode of Law and Order: SVU. 

Let’s put the ranting aside and focus on the actual episode though.

Mike, Beau, Rudy, and Brandon hang around the house, while Rio, Kay, and the rest of the ladies take a road trip to Omaha for their gyno visits. This is the first time Mike and Rio take an extended period away from each other since the move. Rio doesn’t handle the separation anxiety all that well.

I live a life very connected to my wife and can somewhat relate. It is important to build a life with your spouse, especially in the early years of marriage. With that being said, you also need to structure some time for yourself.

In my eyes, codependency is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you become unable to be self-sufficient. If things go haywire, and you end up alone for an extended amount of time, you need to be strong enough alone — at least to an extent. 

Amid Mike and Rio’s time apart, they reach out to their closest friends for support. Unfortunately, they both throw up a facade or even caricature of themselves to not appear weak. As the episode moves forward, the truth unravels and brings their shortcomings to light.

When they both face up to the truth about themselves, it brings their friend’s hidden secrets to the light as well. 

With Mike, Rudy, and Beau all stuck in the same tree together, they have nothing but time on their hands. With a lack of interest in playing childish games with each other, they fall into bickering. Typical of Beau, he shares a little TMI which gets the ball rolling for deep, dark secrets.

I’m starting to like the socially awkward Beau. The writers use his character to bring up controversial things without jabbing a stick into the center of the hornet’s nest. He stirs up just enough drama to get things out in the open, but not enough to cause a bare-fisted brawl.

Brandon eventually shows up to save the guys from themselves and the tree. I love that although Brandon is part of the military, he isn’t some fearless being that tackles the tree and carries the guys down with one arm while singing The Star-Spangled Banner. 

After his initial rescue attempt, he admits to his new friends that he has a fear of intermediate heights. Surprisingly, they don’t mock him for his fear in any way. Instead,  Beau and Mike console him by telling Brandon the truth about themselves and their fears.

As a man, I appreciate this. 

Toxic masculinity is often pushed on us from every angle. Don’t show your fear. Don’t show your emotions.

With being shoved in the corner, it would be easy for these men to shout insults at their rescuer to amp him up with adrenaline. Instead, they choose to shower him with the truth instead of lies. This helps him to focus on his truths — which turns into an epiphany. 

If they only hurled insults, Brandon may have continued in the same failed rescue attempt — keeping him in a rut. Their approach gives Brandon a different way of thinking, building him up to look at the situation differently. 

While it may not have been their intent, this ultimately leads to their rescue, as Brandon builds them an escape mechanism using his strengths. Wow, what a learning moment!

Honestly, I originally missed this point until just now. Analyzing things that seem simple at first can give everyone a new perspective.

On Rio’s side of the episode things go fairly similar, but with a different scenario.

Kay learns the number of sexual partners her friends have had and becomes jealous. She enlists the help of Rio to raise her number of partners.

Up until this point, it seemed like Kay and Beau would eventually get back together. There never seemed too much at stake for the two who still have a lot of love for each other. 

But with Kay so fixated on getting it on with some random stranger, maybe things aren’t what they seem.

Hopefully, this isn’t just something they explore for one episode and never come back to it. That is one reason I stay away from watching too many sitcoms. How many shows have introduced a dog for an episode just to never show it again — the answer is too many!

Kay: I’ve got to get my number up, Rio! 

As Kay flirts and follies, it is clear that the man she has set her sights on only wants one thing. Well, isn’t that convenient?

To Rio’s disapproval, Kay and her soon-to-be lover hightail it to the family bathroom to do the deed on a diaper changing station. Such romance!

This leads Rio to face the uncomfortable fact that the life she once lived isn’t worth the bragging rights she gives it. Over the walkie talkie, she pours out her heart on the situation permitting Kay to do what she wants, but also letting her know it isn’t all it is cracked up to be.

Often television dismisses sex as just another activity between consenting adults. Love and romance are taken out of the equation — along with any sense of remorse or fallout afterward. 

Rio’s conclusion that having an infinite number of partners isn’t necessarily ideal, makes us look at things a little differently. 

Like it or not, each person we partner with takes a part of us with them when they leave. That leaves us with less of ourselves to share with our future spouse or partner when the time comes.

Sex is fun, but sex is also important. It shouldn’t be thrown out randomly at any given moment to someone that doesn’t even deserve it. 

This may not be exactly what the show is trying to get at, I understand. In a way though, television is just like any other form of art — open to interpretation. 

This situation causes Rio to look deep into herself and face her past with new eyes. At first she plays it off as a big game, but eventually, she sees everything for what it is.

Kay and Rio bond as they share their truths with each other. They both have a moment of healing as they face the facts of who they truly are. 

In the end, when Kay goes ahead and kisses a different stranger, it takes away from the lessons learned. This makes the overall moral of the story muddled and confusing. 

If you are going out of your way to send a message, don’t throw in a joke that can sideline it even a little. Stick to your guns even if it pains you. Destroying your argument for a laugh never pans out well.

The episode is definitely one of the weaker ones since the premiere of the series. Fortunately, we are still able to take away some informational tidbits and have a decent laugh while doing so. 

What did you think of this episode of Bless This Mess? Do you think that Kay and Beau will get back together? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Bless This Mess airs Tuesdays at 8:30/ 7:30c on ABC.

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