Bless This Mess Review: Phase 2 (Season 2 Episode 2)
Every relationship goes through many different phases, and marriage isn’t immune to this. There is no set standard of when each stage of a relationship starts and ends, or even how long it will take. Bless This Mess Season 2 Episode 2, “Phase 2,” focuses on the development of these situations and the best way to make it through them.
Mike and Rio have hit a rough patch. No, it isn’t that they are bickering or anything like that, instead they have lost their sense of intimacy. There are many different ways to lose intimacy with your partner, but on television, a lack of intimacy tends to mean the couple isn’t having sex.
This sort of cliche kind of irritates me at times because I feel like intimacy is so much more than just sex.
Obviously in a sitcom, there usually isn’t enough time to get deep down into the meat of underlying problems, so they give the most basic and time-conscious way to attack things. Therefore, sex is used as a metaphor for a lack of intimacy because it is one of the most basic of human needs.
It turns out that these two lovebirds haven’t been doing the deed as often since they moved. Their lack of discussion on the matter only seems to be fueling the fire. It turns out that Beau sees the smoke rising, and warns the couple to douse the flames before things get out of hand.
Problems can seem easy to avoid when no one wants to talk about them. We think that maybe things will right themselves by some sort of miracle. In reality, these things tend to build an unbreakable wall, separating us from the ones we love.
It’s funny how often we think avoiding something can make things better — when it nearly always makes things worse. You might get used to the sound of that squeaky wheel, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a hidden problem causing that wheel to squeak.
Being the great couple that Mike and Rio are, they reluctantly listen to what Beau has to say on the subject. Although a majority of what he says is mumbo jumbo, they understand the point he is getting at.
They use the unsavory wisdom of Beau to open up a discussion between them. An opportunity like this doesn’t come along often in a relationship. With the subject being so touchy, people can easily be offended at the slightest offputting word.
The feeling that others should mind their own business chips into our egos and sits there festering. While it is sometimes true that people need to mind their own business, look into the heart of the matter. You and your partner may see that the onlooker has only the best of intentions.
LANGSTON KERMAN, PAM GRIER
Mike and Rio try to communicate openly with each other about their intimacy, describing to one another what they feel is the source of the problem. They actively seek ways to overcome this situation together in a meaningful way. Like Mike and Rio, we should jump on any opportunity to face a problem head-on.
The two decide that a lack of new things has made their lovemaking a tad less spicy. It is refreshing to see that communication isn’t the last thing they try, but the first.
Even more exciting is the fact that a few lines of dialogue don’t make everything better. They discuss the situation thoroughly and decide on a plan of action.
As a writer, it pains me to say it but words aren’t always the answer. You also need a plan of action.
Beau: Try to figure out what is going on before it is too late.
If a plan isn’t set out shortly after a discussion, the words shared become an end-all. Words as an end-all have very little impact on a situation. If you ask someone to marry you but never make any wedding plans, it turns out you’ll never get married.
Therefore, one has to question if the person ever wanted to get married in the first place.
With Mike and Rio ready to go all-in, things start to go haywire. Surprise! It turns out that’s life.
We can plan every moment of every day for the rest of our lives, and more often than not things will get in the way.
These new problems don’t deter the couple from achieving their ultimate goal, nor should they deter you. For every action there is a reaction, setting different paths into motion. If you don’t stay the course, who knows where you will end up.
In the end, the couple realizes their relationship isn’t broken. Their lack of intimacy doesn’t stem from material problems, but from a new season in their lives together.
They are not necessarily set on the same course as Beau and Kay, nor are they even headed in that direction. Every speedbump doesn’t need to erupt into a separation. Mike and Rio come to terms with where they are at.
Just because something is different than it used to be doesn’t mean it is wrong.
People change and situations change. Relationships evolve.
Sometimes we just have to accept fate. As long as we face it together, we can make the best of every situation.
Each of the couples in this episode is in different stages of their relationship. Rudy and Constance are at the very beginning, while Beau and Kay may be reaching their end. The trick is to learn to roll with the punches.
If something doesn’t work out, don’t force it.
Through communication, Rudy and Constance discover that they are moving a little too fast. Seriously, they went from a crawl to a marathon.
They ultimately decide that slow is a better pace for them and their circumstances. Their action is to take a few steps back and let things happen more naturally.
As for Kay and Beau, they uncover where their relationship started to split. It seems as though pinpointing where they went off the rails might be the first step of their healing process. Their willingness to proceed with the leftover pieces shows they still have a lot of love left for each other.
All three couple’s storylines complement the other, giving us a full picture of each stage in a relationship. This, in turn, shows how each one feeds into the next, leading to the idea that relationships are a complete circle.
If we follow each loop into a different stage, we will eventually end up at the beginning again. Only this time we will be stronger together than ever before. Don’t take the exit ramp too early!
What did you think of this episode of Bless This Mess? Which couple do you think has the most potential? 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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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.