Bless This Mess Review: Völsung and the Beef Boy (Season 2 Episode 14)

Nobody tells us when we are young how hard it is to follow our dreams. The level of commitment to achieve these tasks in the face of our doubting peers can be quite ridiculous. Like Rio says in the closing moments of the episode, “Any dream worth pursuing is not dumb.”

Bless This Mess Season 2 Episode 14, “Völsung and the Beef Boy,” takes three separate dreams from three different people and explores the difficulty in obtaining them. Each dream dissected gives the characters a more understandable backstory and creates a more believable persona.

I love how the dreams vary from realistic to over-the-top, and even includes moments of unclarity. 

Rio’s dream to learn how to drive is the most grounded.

A majority of people know how to drive — and if you don’t people tend to look down on you as incompetent. I know this because I didn’t get my license until I was 30. Questions always come up about the whys and hows even though it isn’t anyone else’s business.

The amount of irritation in a single day from these annoying questions is enough to make you want to lie about the reasons. Although they don’t reveal this side of things on the show, I’m sure Rio gets the same deal I did. 

It isn’t mentioned why Rio finally decides to take the plunge, but none-the-less, it becomes her goal. Simple goals like this can often be overlooked. A majority of people wouldn’t even call this a dream. 

Those people haven’t been on the same side of the fence. They don’t understand the level of inadequacy lacking a simple skill can cause. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying people should feel this way, I’m just saying they tend to.

A sense of inadequacy can be a great motivator to get things done. There are only two choices here, achieve the dream or learn to live without it. Rio chooses to attack the problem and conquer her fear.

To our amusement, she faces a decent amount of setbacks mostly revolving around the vehicles she uses for training. It is hilarious how each vehicle has a similar personality to its owner. 

Although her setbacks are minor, I’m glad to see she has a few. It adds a sense of realism to the situation — even if they are a bit over-the-top.

Mike’s abandoned rockstar dreams measure up more with most people’s youthful desires. A small taste of success can quickly go to one’s head, causing them to go all-in on something that may not pan out. Any minor amount of failure after that first dose of victory can often deter us from furthering our conquest for superstardom.

Again, this is a dream I had for many years. Despite a lack of musical talent, I wanted to be the lead singer of a rock band. While Mike is musically talented to some degree, a lack of commitment from band members and an unaccepting guidance counselor pushes him away from his dreams before it can climax. 

Jacob: I have no passion for meat.

Mike and Jacob play devil’s advocate here, showing both sides of how this situation played out. Mike views his decision as positive, allowing him to go to college and pursue a career. Jacob, on the other hand, views it as a negative, chasing Mike from his dreams and forcing him into a different path.

They are both right. 

Mike did succeed despite the situation. He obtained other goals and dreams by placing the ultimate dream aside.

It is rarely discussed how some dreams have to die for other ones to be fulfilled. While it isn’t clearly outlined here either, the truth can be vaguely seen through the budding success of his farm and happy marriage to Rio.

This situation also proves that just because a dream has to be set aside at a certain time, it doesn’t mean that it has to be postponed forever. Mike can explore new aspects of his once vivid vision of success by playing music alongside Jacob. 

This is similar to me taking up writing for this site. While the ship may have sailed on me going to college and becoming a best-selling author, I can obtain elements of my passion through different avenues. 

Mike playing solo as the credits roll is a win in my eyes. It isn’t Mike playing in front of a sold-out show as once desired, but even a small win is still a win.

Lastly, there is Jacob who fills in the spot for the undecided.

Jacob has a skill for meat judging. I never knew it was a thing before, but apparently it is — maybe I’ll have to Google it later.

Unfortunately, Jacob isn’t committed to the meat judging life as his father wants or expects him to be. Instead, Jacob believes he wants to be a rockstar similar to Mike’s dream. 

He fights with his father and rebels by joining Mike in jam sessions. Beau doesn’t understand Jacob’s reluctance to embrace his talent and tries to force the oval-shaped block into the round hole. 

This is a BIG mistake. 

You are not required to achieve the vision someone else set before you. Their dream for you does not have to become your dream. It is YOUR life, and YOU get to choose how you live it. 

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t look to others for advice, just be leery of the advice that you choose to take. Not everyone is always looking out for your best interest. 

I honestly believe this is what causes Jacob to latch on to Mike’s dream. He doesn’t want to do what is being forced upon him, so he tackles the next closest thing he can achieve.

As both his dream and his father’s dream come head-to-head, Jacob discovers neither of these things is his passion. They are just things he is doing at the current moment. 

Here is the thing, we don’t need to have everything figured out. Truthfully, most people have very few things figured out in life — they just tend to fake it.

I know the saying is, “fake it until you make it,” but this is a disservice to society.  People tend to believe what they see with their own two eyes. When they see someone else very much like themselves pretending they have it all together, they feel as though something is wrong with themselves personally. 

It is a facade. Plain and simple.

Please don’t fall for the masquerade being thrown before you. We all have emotions, imperfections, and insecurities. Every single one of us. 

They all play into our dreams and passions causing various rifts and tears. Sometimes we can overcome them, while at other times we can’t.  That is okay. 

The best thing you can do is try. Maybe your dream will come true, maybe it won’t. Heck, maybe your dream isn’t even what you thought it was in the first place. 

Seriously, do you know how many people change majors in college? The answer is a lot. 

I didn’t go to college. Instead, I got married, and you know what? I don’t regret it at all.

At the time I was about to start college, I had no clue what I was going for. No educational goals to speak of. I was only going to college because it was something people around me were doing. 

I dropped that course and set sail on a different adventure with my beautiful bride. 

It was different from what other people were doing and many didn’t approve. Twenty-one years later and still happily married, it is safe to say I made the right choice. 

I don’t have any sort of degree nor do I have my dream job — and that is okay. Success is measured in many different ways, but the way YOU choose to measure YOUR success is the one that matters.

What did you think of this episode of Bless This Mess? Which character reflects your dreams? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

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

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

JT Neal on ABC’s ‘Bless This Mess’ [Exclusive Interview]