Bless This Mess Review: Pastor Paul (Season 2 Episode 15)

Bless This Mess Season 2 Episode 15, “Pastor Paul,” focuses largely on the human habit of demonizing our “enemies.” Rio’s interaction with the new Pastor in town causes her to lash out at him, even though he isn’t a threat at all.

The episode starts with Rio’s therapy sessions finally picking up some momentum. People are connecting with her in new and profound ways, not only helping the town but Rio as well. Her mood is elevated, giving her a new lease on life.

Sometimes, we feel like we hit our stride in life. Everything seems to be coming up roses, causing us to settle into our so-called niche and preparing to ride it out. Nothing can go wrong from this point — we’ve finally figured out what life is all about.

Rio brags to Mike about how things are in an uphill swing, negating the idea that everything can change in the blink of an eye. As life goes, comfortability is a short-term visitor.

Pastor Paul, on-the-other-hand, isn’t a short-term visitor. Pastor Paul is here to stay, proving to be an unintentional thorn in Rio’s side.

This is the name of the game. Something or someone new pops up into our lives. We notice it out of the corner of our eye, but fail to make any real notation on it. 

That thing is over there and I’m over here, no big deal, just a blip on the radar. Let’s not make a hailstorm into a meteor shower.

Rio welcomes Pastor Paul to town just like everyone else, being as neighborly as possible but also a tad bit awkward. The Pastor and the Jewish woman, they may not be the best of friends, but at least maybe they can find some common ground to stand on.

Pastor Paul tries to do exactly that. When learning that Rio is a therapist, he likens his profession to a therapist as well. Rio’s mind sends red flags up immediately. 

We make our lives about comparisons. We compare ourselves to our neighbors, family, and friends, even when we aren’t trying to.

My life may not be going great right now, but at least I’m better off than that guy down the hall. My brother-in-law may have a better job than me, but at least I don’t have a drinking problem like him.

We do this because we want to eliminate any sense of threat another person can make to our happiness. Our mind tells us that success equals happiness, therefore if I’m not successful, I can’t be happy.

Kay: Rest in piece Wang-man.

Although a licensed therapist, Rio falls into these feelings hook, line, and sinker. She isn’t above human habit even if she is trained to spot it.

When Rio’s sense of threat is materialized by a grand exodus of her clientele, she vows not to take it sitting down. 

Of course, this makes perfect sense. Any threat in our life gives us the option of fight or flight. With a quick talk to Mike, Rio deploys a set of self-destructive behaviors — making plans to take down the great Pastor Paul by discrediting him and his credentials. 

Rio’s mind is made up that Pastor Paul is her enemy without any proof other than circumstantial evidence. 

She is hurt by the departure of her patients, so she projects that hurt on to the face of Pastor Paul.

Why do we do this? Why do we need someone to blame for our troubles? The truth is that there isn’t always someone to blame.

Life happens. It isn’t always an uphill slope or a downward spiral. It’s life, something that can’t be overviewed in small segments. 

If you look at life in tiny portions — small successes and fantastic failures — it is nearly impossible to see the big picture. It is better to see your life as a book. This chapter may be great, but the next one may be a doozy. 

That’s okay, as long as when you reach the ending people are able to say it was good. Heck, as long as you can say you lived a good life, that’s what is most important. 

Instead, Rio looks at Pastor Paul as the source of her problems and begins to demonize his personality traits and doctrine. She conjures up ideas about how she is more qualified than him and sets out to prove it by wearing a wire.

Thankfully, I have never stooped to this level. 

In all honesty, this is done to show the extreme in order to give us a laugh, and I have to say, mission accomplished. 

Rio compiles a convoluted story that leads Pastor Paul to believe she could possibly have schizophrenia. Every trick she pulls to undermine him and expose him as a fraud unravels quickly  — proving he is far from the demon her mind has made him out to be. 

He even shows a great amount of compassion that his counseling sessions have deterred her clientele. This is the final blow to Rio’s underhanded scheme. She now understands the situation for what it really is, a mishap, a happenstance or what have you.

While the lengths of what happens here are rather unlikely to happen in real life, it still gives us a lesson to ponder. Rio’s folly does not have to be ours. 

If someone or something appears in our lives and throws everything topsy turvy, don’t assume it is evil and that it needs to be exorcised from your environment. Try to understand it, explore it, and uncover the true motives because you might realize they have no motive at all.

Look at the core of everything and react accordingly. Assumptions and preconceived notions get us nowhere in life except for hurt.

To wrap things up, Pastor Paul goes to Rio for some therapy of his own, and they discuss his relationship problems. This further cements the olive branch offering between the two, showing that everyone needs some amount of help from others — no matter how high their qualifications are.

What did you think of this episode of BlessThis Mess? What do you think will become of Pastor Paul’s and Constance’s relationship? 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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