Council of Dads Review: The Sixth Stage (Season 1 Episode 4)

Despite not being the first show to tackle the subject of grief and losing a parent/loved one, Council of Dads Season 1 Episode 4, “The Sixth Stage,” continues to set the show apart from other shows like it. There is a level of respect and delicacy given to each angle of grief explored within the confines of each episode.

With “The Sixth Stage,” Council of Dads excels at showing a woman who is comfortable in her own sexuality to not only talk about it with her best friend but to also bite the bullet and explore it further. Here is a woman — who some people think needs to remain in her grief longer — who has an itch and she isn’t afraid to scratch it.

Ultimately, it is Robin’s decision whether or not she wants to take it so far as to have sex with another man. So it’s beautiful to watch as she tries her hand at being put together in front of Henry and yet ultimately fails.

Here is a moment where she could be written very differently, where her grief could become overwhelming and she just runs, or even worse, Henry could be a complete jerk and not understand. Instead, we are given a window into what it’s like when two grown adults use their fears and anxieties to guide their support and respect for one another.

Their conversation in the car perfectly illustrates what is so unique and special about this show. It’s not afraid to go down a road not traveled often and show the realness of grief in its many forms.

In a way, Henry is also grieving — he is moving from the program he knows and is comfortable with to an entirely new environment in Miami. His grief is definitely smaller, and yet it’s still worth exploring. 

Henry is able to match Robin moment for moment when it comes to this uncharted territory. Both of them want to feel something and experience something new, but neither of them are sure if they are really ready for it.

Robin may not be ready to test the waters of intimacy with another man yet, but I hope that she eventually finds one that is meaningful and worthy of her love.

Oliver: I feel like a proud papa!

Even better than their actual exploration is the unwavering support Robin receives from the council once each of them finds out about it. Of course, Robin’s best friend Oliver is the first to find out she wants to try and scratch her itch — in fact, he even tries to help her.

The dynamic between Robin and the council is another thing that this show can be proud of. It’s a dynamic not really seen before and they make sure that this element really drives the show and keeps it on track.

At first, it seems that the council is simply created to be stand-in fathers for each of Scott’s kids. However, with “The Sixth Stage” it becomes apparent that the council is also there to help Robin make family decisions and keep the family flowing.

 There are two prime examples of the council stepping in and helping Robin make a decision, but the most significant is with regards to giving Theo the sex talk. When the decision is reached and then carried out, the audience is left wondering how this talk is going to affect Theo’s narrative.

It’s clear that Theo is excited to be noticed by these older girls, so much so that it’s easy to forget that he is the Perry child that appears to be struggling the most. However, that all comes crashing back when these girls end up just wanting to invite him to join their “Dead Parents Club.”

Being a teenager is hard enough without adding in losing your father to the mix. Theo hasn’t been dealing with his grief at all and “The Sixth Stage” does a phenomenal job of illustrating what happens when our masks and defenses no longer work.

Sure, he lashes out at his mom for kissing Henry, but what he’s really doing is feeling his own stage of anger. He’s been in denial for so long that he’s finally moving into another stage of his grief.

If you aren’t paying close enough attention to the contextual clues along the way, this evolution is easy to miss. Theo is really good at masking all that he is dealing with, but luckily it seems that Charlotte may be slightly aware.

On the coming episodes, it is going to be interesting to watch Theo continue on this journey through the stages of grief. I believe out of all the stories on Council of Dads, Theo’s is the most intriguing, closely followed by JJ’s. 

When a show explores sexuality, you aren’t expecting that focus to also fall within the parameters of a young boy’s narrative. However, JJ gets his moment in the spotlight this episode as a lesson in childhood disappointment and adult shame. 

JJ: Why can’t parents just get their acts together?

From the premiere episode, we have known that JJ is a trans individual. “The Sixth Stage” is the moment we finally get to hear him talk about his experiences with it.

Of all the council members to talk to about it, JJ confides in Larry. 

His raw honesty is obviously meant to drive home to Larry that it’s not his fault that JJ isn’t invited to a party, nor can he do anything to fix it. Fortunately, the writing is so delicately executed that it becomes a universal message of understanding to the world. 

JJ may be young, but he’s no stranger to disappointment and exclusion. While it may hurt him to be uninvited to something, he’s not about to let that tear him down or push him to be someone he’s not. 

As he quite bluntly puts it, he’s just putting together a puzzle. This is his metaphor for himself — there is no one else he can be because he’s already being himself.

To be quite honest, I worried from the moment they introduced JJ as trans that this would just become another “inspirational” story of heartbreak and suffering.

I am now able to confidently say that Council of Dads is handling JJ with the same grace and understanding that they give all of the other Perry children. He isn’t different than his siblings, he’s just JJ.

Council of Stray Thoughts:

• Luly and Evan are already showing early signs of strength in themselves as well as their marriage. I’m so glad they didn’t give in to the council’s decision.
• I need more Margot. She is a fantastic challenge for Anthony and could potentially be good for him.
• All I’m saying is Peter and Oliver better not divorce over this. I’m rooting for them.

 

What did you think of this episode of Council of Dads? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Catch up with our review of Council of Dads Season 1 Episode 3, “Who Do You Wanna Be?” right here.

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Council of Dads airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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