A Million Little Things Review: Trust Me (Season 3 Episode 10)

This review discusses an episode that deals with sexual assault.

On A Million Little Things Season 3 Episode 10, “trust me,” we learn that Sophie has been groomed and sexually assaulted by her music teacher, Peter. 

A Million Little Things tells some parts of the story perfectly. The dominant emotion I feel as Sophie’s story unfolds is confusion, which is intentional, as the show wants us to be as confused as Sophie.

The majority of Peter’s actions around Sophie are uncomfortable but just barely cross a line. It isn’t until later that we learn the full extent of his actions and can recognize the harm that he’s been doing all along.

She is a teenager on the verge of going to college, and she can wear a swimsuit in her music lesson as a confidence exercise if she wants to. It’s a brilliant ploy by Peter to make the fact that Sophie feels awkward seem acceptable to her. 

It’s even acceptable to me to an extent, though I at least have the foresight to know that Peter’s intentions are not good. He does not tell her what to wear but he does make sure to mention a swimsuit. 

If he truly intended to do a confidence exercise that required Sophie to feel uncomfortable, the honorable thing would be to make sure she informed her guardian first. Plus, a clown wig would get the point across to any student. 

Maggie is right when she is explaining the situation to Gary, and she provides us with a perspective that adds depth to Sophie’s storyline. As soon as Sophie texts that picture and creates a text chain that can be used as evidence, he drops her as a student. 

She is a classic victim. Yet, as Maggie points out, no one can prove the worst instance of abuse with evidence. If the case went to court, it is a classic he-said-she-said.

Presented with the differing accounts, jurors who do not know Sophie enough to care about her would be left with the same question we are before we hear the sound of Peter unbuckling his belt — “what is happening here?” 

But even though A Million Little Things is very good at showing how hard it can be to see the line before it’s crossed, the episode structure takes away from the impact of Sophie’s story. 

The episode wants to be a bottle episode but it’s not. If A Million Little Things would have just leaned into the choice, the art would have benefited. 

We know absolutely nothing about the possible pain Sophie is in before the hint on A Million Little Things Season 3 Episode 9, “The Lost Sheep.” 

We have a lot to learn. So, the scene between Eddie and Jackie is completely unnecessary. (And potentially offensive to the transgender and disability communities given the fact that Eddie has not crossed paths with an actually disabled character yet.) 

We understandably do not check in on Katherine and Theo on this episode. We can wait to watch Eddie and Jackie play cards. 

Similarly, Rome and Walter’s storyline pulls us away from Sophie’s crisis. It is sweet that they are connecting through late-night text chats. But I don’t have the energy to wonder why Walter is so rude to his son in person while also trying to piece together Sophie’s story. 

All of the extraneous plots are particularly frustrating in the last few minutes of the episode. Why must we wonder who the random lady named Florance visiting Rome’s mother’s grave is right before Gary shows up at Peter’s house to potentially beat him up? 

The way the scenes play out, it seems as if Rome is calling Gary from the graveyard and in trouble himself. Maybe he has learned through the grapevine how angry Gary is, but the call to discourage Gary from getting into trouble is so random. 

It’s horrible that Deliliah is away because Sophie really needs her mom.

I’m not sure whether the talk between Sophie, Regina, and Maggie downstairs is supposed to be as forced as it comes off on-screen. But it’s hard to believe that any teenager wouldn’t see through Maggie and Regina’s attempts to bring up Peter and run away angrily. 

Maggie has always seemed like a psychologist who is written for TV rather than the amazing friend who knows how to pull emotions out of people that we are supposed to believe she is.

But A Million Little Things is tactful in how they use Regina’s former sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle to let Sophie know she is not alone. I would love to see the bond grow between those two women as Sophie works through her trauma. 

What did you think of this episode of A Million Little Things? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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A Million Little Things airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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